I wrote this as a Secret Santa present. But I really liked it so I decided to post it here too. It's my first DCMK fic which was exciting but also challenging. I hope you enjoy! :)

"Oi, Kudo! Is it really alright for me to be here?" Heiji asked, scratching his chin. "All these security guards are staring me down."

"It's fine," Conan groaned. "But stop calling me that, idiot! Ran, Kazuha, and Sonoko are standing right over there!"

He pointed to the group of girls who were admiring the series of Grecian statues lining the walls. The statues were part of a special exhibit hosted by Sonoko's uncle, Suzuki Jirokichi. The billionaire purchased an old necklace uncovered from an archeological dig in Greece. It was made of a golden chain decorated with pearls and emeralds.

But what was the most striking was the amethyst gem that hung from its center. The jewel was a deep purple unlike anything uncovered before. It had come at a high price, but the exhibition tickets would supplement it. The display focused on Ancient Greek culture. The statues in addition to old pottery and Greek inspired paintings added to the atmosphere.

Naturally, a gem of high value attracted the interest of criminals. But most would be scared away by Suzuki's intense security measures. Security cameras were hidden in the every corner. Police and security guards stalked the halls and exhibition room. All guests had to be checked at the entrance, their belongings and faces checked for good measure.

Despite the seemingly impossible act of thievery, one man always took it as a challenge. And he always claimed victory.

No one was able to defeat the Kaitou Kid.

The notice arrived yesterday, straight to the Suzuki residence. It was a short message written in purple ink instead of black. That seemed to anger Suzuki Jirokichi even more. Written was only a sentence, "At midnight, your purple goddess will belong to me". A familiar signature signed the notice with the Kaitou Kid's cheeky insignia accompanying it.

Suzuki refused to let himself be foiled again. Within only a day, he had mobilized Inspector Nakamori's entire force along with his own private security. He installed state of the art security measures. The building was fortified and the tickets of every guest were checked and double checked.

There was one more thing Suzuki needed to set his nerves at ease. He wasn't an overly superstitious man, but didn't want to take any risks. He sent his niece to bring her good friend Ran and the young child that always accompanied her. When the boy was around, results were more promising. Granted, they had never caught the Kid, but they always got a bit closer when Conan was around. By inviting Conan this time, Suzuki had gotten two good luck charms for the price of one.

"But what about these security guys?" Heiji moaned. His eyes darted around the room, trying to avoid eye contact with the security. They all seemed to have their gaze pinned to him.

"It's because they haven't seen you before," Conan explained. "There's a possibility you could be the Kid, but the old man already checked you and Kazuha at the door. You're clean."

Heiji rubbed his cheek while remembering. "Yeah and it hurt! I thought they were gonna rip my face off!"

While Heiji was complaining, Conan had already moved on. He walked over the display containing the Grecian necklace. Suzuki had nicknamed it "Dionysus" after the Greek god of wine. The color of the gem resembled the alcohol. It sat on a golden pillow surrounded by a glass case. The stand was blocked off by dividers, keeping future guests back.

"The old man has stepped up security tonight," Conan noticed. "There's more cameras and security than usual. Not to mention, everyone is being checked at the door. All vents have been sealed with an iron plate and have guards stationed nearby. There aren't any windows or doors besides the entrance. It's impossible to get in or out without showing your ticket."

"Is all this really necessary?" Heiji asked, hands in his pockets. "Seems like overkill to me."

"You've clearly never met him."

"Nope! But isn't it exciting?" Heiji beamed, a giant smile on his face. "We don't have anything like this in Osaka! With both of us, that guy doesn't stand a chance!" Heiji punched the air, ready for action. He was confident that he and Kudo could take down the Kid. The dream team hadn't let any case slip by them before.

"It's going to take more than deduction to catch him," Conan sighed as he shook his head. "He's smarter than the average thief. He makes the impossible possible while being as obnoxious as he can."

"So whatcha saying then is that I shouldn't let my guard down?"

"Exactly."

"And what are you two troublemakers up to?" a feminine voice said from behind the boys. They swerved around to see Sonoko smiling, Ran and Kazuha behind her. "You were right, Ran. They look just like brothers, attacked at the hip! How cute!"

Conan rolled his eyes. "I think I might be sick."

Seeing an opportunity to tease his friend, Heiji scooped up Conan and held him high. "That's right!" Heiji grinned, tossing Conan up. "He's like the little brother I never had." Conan landed back in Heiji's arms and mustered the scariest "I'm going to kill you later" look he could. Nevertheless, all the girls squealed, finding the scene adorable.

"But Sonoko, thank you for inviting us to your uncle's exhibition," Ran bowed graciously. "This art is incredible especially the statues! They're so lifelike."

"If we turned our heads, they might just start moving," Kazuha agreed. "It's kinda creepy."

"Don't worry about it!" Sonoko laughed, pulling Ran and Kazuha in close. "Uncle Jirokichi would never take on the Kid without his good luck charm. And you should have seen how excited he was when he heard Heiji-kun was coming! He spent the whole day boasting about how he was finally going to catch the Kaitou Kid tonight."

"I'm not gonna let him get away!" Heiji promised. "That thief's gonna wish he never crossed paths with me!"

"How cocky..." Conan and Kazuha thought simultaneously.

Conan checked his watch, realizing that the exhibition was set to open in only twenty minutes. There were probably dozens of guests waiting outside the door, preparing to have their tickets checked. Old man Suzuki was off checking security. That meant he and Heiji had twenty minutes to observe the scene before things got crazy.

"Let's double check the room," Conan told Heiji.

He nodded and gave him a thumbs up. "Sure thing, little bro!" It took all of Conan's willpower not to kick him in the shin.

Sonoko huffed and brushed back her hair. "While you boys are off being boring, we're going to have some fun! Want to check out the security room?" she asked her friends. "The head chief is super cute!"

"Sonoko!" Ran scolded her. "What about Kyogoku-san?"

"Makoto-san will be just fine!" Sonoko replied in her defense. "He knows I love him with all my heart, but there's nothing wrong with recognizing the beauty of others."

"Let's just go," Ran sighed. There was no point in arguing with Sonoko when she put her mind to something.

Sonoko turned on her heels and dragged Ran and Kazuha along. Honestly, she didn't care much about the security chief although it was a plus. Instead, she wanted a private place to gossip with Ran and Kazuha. She wasn't up to date with Kazuha and Heiji's current relationship and she needed all the juicy details.

"She's a wild one," Heiji laughed awkwardly.

"Just wait until you meet her uncle," Conan added.

The two detectives set off the examine the scene. Heiji took the left side while Conan took the right. To their dismay, there wasn't much to observe aside from the art and the leather shoes of disapproving security guards.

"Looks like there's nothing weird here!" Heiji called out. He wandered back over to Conan who was leaned over one of the statues. He looked deep in thought.

Heiji leaned over his shoulder. "Found something?"

"Huh?" Conan jumped, falling back on his hands. "Jeez, don't scare me like that!"

"This statue seems to have captured your interest," Heiji noticed. The statue was of a Grecian warrior holding a shield and spear. It was a rather bulky warrior as well. To the naked eye, there was nothing different about it in comparison to the other statues aside from its design.

"This statue is in better condition than the others," Conan said, pushing his glasses up his nose. "The other ones are covered in scratches but parts of this one aren't. They look almost brand new."

"You're right. That's weird, ain't it?"

Before Heiji could deduce why, Conan ran over to a nearby security guard and tugged on his pant leg. In his best innocent child voice, he asked, "Excuse me? Why does that statue look nicer than the rest?"

"That one?" the guard said, nodding his head towards the statue Heiji was standing boy. "If I recall correctly, that statue had to be taken in for repairs a few days ago. When they were being moved in here, one of the movers knocked it over and the head popped right off! It got sent in for repairs and they reattached it. It came back in this morning good as new!"

"Thank you mister!" Conan smiled as he ran back to Heiji.

"Did you catch all that?" he asked his friend. "It was taken in for repairs and brought back this morning."

Heiji shrugged his shoulders. "It really was nothing after all. An ancient statue wouldn't matter anyways. A thief's got no use for stuff like that. We should probably start checking out the guests. He's gonna sneak through the front door and we can't let him!"

"Why do you think that?"

"It's the only way in," Heiji explained. "And we might miss him because he might not come in disguise. If he's not wearin' a mask, the guards won't catch him. How many guests are comin' through tonight?"

"About 200... and all of their backgrounds have been checked. That doesn't mean the Kid couldn't be among them though. He's capable of hacking the data and creating a different identity."

"So we gotta check 200 people?" Heiji's jaw dropped in disbelief. He thought catching a phantom thief was going to be more... exhilarating. This type of mystery was not his forte. Unless someone got murdered, he started to feel rather useless.

"Open the doors!" Suzuki Jirokichi bellowed as he entered the room. "Everyone stay on your guard. Inspector Nakamori is watching from the security room but keep it secret he's here. Our security measures should stay secret at all costs. We don't want the Kid to get the upper hand." The guards nodded, understanding their orders.

The floodgates opened as visitors poured in. They handed their tickets to the guards and had their bags all checked. Once they were deemed clear, they were allowed to enter the exhibition. People were suddenly everywhere including surrounding the gem. The atmosphere turned tense. It was go time.

"What time is he coming?" Heiji asked as he crouched down next Conan.

Conan shook his head. "He didn't say which means he could strike at any moment. Keep your eye out for anything strange. He could be anyone in the crowd." Currently, no one stuck out him as overly suspicious. That was problematic.

"There they are!" a voice called out from the crowd. Ran, Sonoko, and Kazuha came running as they pushed through hoards of people. "Found 'em!"

"How's the Kid catching coming?" Kazuha asked eagerly. "Sonoko-chan told me all about it. Does he really appear in a white suit like a magician? Are we gonna get the chance to see him? Oh, I'm so excited!"

Kazuha's sudden obsession with the Kaitou Kid could only be attributed to one person. All eyes turned to Sonoko who shrugged. "I may have gotten her slightly addicted..." she confessed. "My Kid fanclub had to be expanded to more than just me."

"Sure," Heiji groaned. "Anyways, we haven't found anything yet. There's no signs of anything unusual. With security like this, I doubt the guy was able to slip in. Maybe he just went home and gave up."

"He would never give up!" Sonoko protest. "Kid-sama is a genius! He'll find a way."

"Why do I get the impression she's cheering him on instead of us?" Heiji thought.

"How are you doing, Conan-kun?" Ran asked sweetly. "We came back to check on you. Do you need water or a snack? It's a late night for you."

"I'm fine, Ran-neechan!" Conan smiled. Ran acted like his mother especially in situations like this. It could be weird, but was appreciated. Still, Conan usually had to lay the little kid attitude on thick to deal with it. It made it difficult for her to take him seriously when things got intense.

"You're spoiled, aren't ya?" Heiji grinned, wriggling his eyebrows. Conan briefly considered ending their friendship in that moment.

"Don't tease him, Heiji!" Kazuha interrupted. "You were the same growing up. I had ta keep my eyes on you otherwise you got into all kinds of trouble!"

"Did not!"

"Did too!"

Suddenly, the lights flickered out. The crowd began to panic, people beginning to scream. There was a loud click. It was the sound of the only exit locking shut. Security guards shuffled around in a vain attempt to calm the crowd.

"What's goin' on?" Heiji yelled. His hands fumbled around until the grabbed onto Conan's shoulders. "Why'd the lights go out?"

"He's here..." Conan announced. "Get ready!"

A tall shadow appeared atop the glass case, his cape fluttering. He chuckled as someone in the crowd yelled, "It's the Kaitou Kid!"

Quickly, Conan switched the light on his watch on to illuminate the area. It didn't offer much light but it was enough to outline the figure's face. The light was enough for Conan to make out the familiar smug grin. The Kaitou Kid pressed the center of the glass case and it fell apart. The glass crashed to the ground, revealing the prize inside.

"You fools! After him!" Suzuki yelled from the background. A dozen security guards lunged at the Kid. He clicked his tongue, unimpressed. He began to pull something from his pocket.

"Cover your eyes!" Conan yelled as he sprinted towards the Kid. Heiji followed suit, confused, but ready for action.

The Kaitou Kid smiled to himself as he saw his rival rush towards him. And this time he brought a friend. How cute.

Under his breath, the Kid muttered, "Too late, little detective." Smoke bomb in hand, he threw it to the ground.

The instant it exploded the room filled with smoke. Visitors began to cough. Security guards shouted to each other, attempting to grab onto the Kid. Instead, they grabbed onto guests and themselves. The room fell into chaos.

"Hattori!" Conan shouted, springing into action.

"Already on it!" Heiji winked. He sprinted towards the exit. The smoke blocked his vision, but he focused on the shadows of people running around. "C'mon..." he thought desperately. "He's gotta be around here somewhere. There's nowhere for him to run. We've got him cornered!"

Meanwhile, Conan couldn't see the Kid through the smoke. Only seconds ago, he had been standing on top of the display, but now he had vanished. Even his silhouette disappeared as he somehow blended into the crowd. "Damn it!" Conan cursed.

He dodged guests who were still panicking. They nearly stepped on him, unable to see him because of the smoke. Someone's leg knocked against his side and sent him tumbling to the ground. Conan hit his head on the base of one of the Greek statues. It was surprisingly sturdy, taking the full force of his fall. Conan cursed again while rubbing the growing bump on his head. "Where could he have gone?"

"Conan-kun!"

Ran came running towards him. She helped him up and then checked the bruise on his head. "Are you alright?" she asked, worried. "I watched you get knocked down. Does it hurt? I can get you some ice."

"I'm fine!" Conan smiled. The bump hurt like hell, but he didn't have time to be nursed by Ran. The Kaitou Kid was still somewhere in the room. The smoke was beginning to clear. Everyone was calming down, but the Kid was nowhere to be found. That didn't mean he wasn't here though. Escape was impossible which meant he had to be here somewhere.

"Ran! Is everything okay?" Sonoko, followed by Kazuha, emerged behind Ran. "Things got crazy! No one's hurt, right?"

"Conan-kun got knocked down and bumped his head," Ran explained. "I'm going to get him some ice. He's trying to brave, but I know it probably hurts a lot. Besides, I wouldn't want to get in the way of the investigation." She nodded towards the dozens of security guards storming the scene.

"We'll come with you!" Kazuha shouted as she grabbed onto Ran's hand. "Let's see if we can check those security cameras too. I bet they caught the Kid on camera!" The excitement in her voice was slightly too high considering the situation.

"Do you want to come with us?" Ran asked Conan, bending down to his level. "We can try to get you some first aid treatment in the security office."

Conan shook his head. "I want to stay with Heiji-niichan!" he exclaimed childishly.

"Be careful then. Hattori-kun is working so don't bother him too much. Stay out of the police's way. We'll be back soon with some ice for you."

The girls left to check the security office. At the same time, guests were being filed out. Each one was checked as they exited the room. Their bags were checked along with their faces. It was a crude, but effective method. From the looks of it, security wasn't coming up with anything. Everyone leaving seemed to be clear.

Heiji moved away from the door as visitors left. He was still in shock. It should have been impossible for the Kid to escape so why couldn't the security guards find him? Almost all the guests had left. The security guards were even checking each other's identities and they still couldn't find the kid.

"How did he get out?" Heiji wondered. "No visible exits. He couldn't have gotten out in the crowd. Each guest was checked along with all the security guards. Could he really have disappeared into thin air? No one was able to catch him when he snuck in either. He probably used the same method to get in and out... but what could that be?"

Heiji spotted Conan in the corner. His hands were in his pockets, his usual thinking pose. However, he looked just as stumped as Heiji.

"How frustrating..." Heiji frowned, letting out a moan. "We've manage to solve every murder we come across, but we can't figure a simple thief's trick."

He approached Conan and asked, "Whatcha' got?" Heiji leaned against the wall, hoping to hear whatever leads his best friend had.

Conan lowered his head. "Nothing yet... We've probably reached the same deduction. There was no way for him to get in or out, but he did. How?"

"Isn't that the question of the hour?" Heiji sighed. "But we'd better hurry up. That inspector over there looks like he might explode any second now. He's got less of a clue than us." He pointed at Inspector Nakamori who was busy yelling at his subordinates for their incompetence.

"Think, think..." Conan muttered to himself. "Once you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth."

"Hattori, let's think about this a different way. What couldn't the Kid do?"

"Well... he definitely couldn't sneak past security to get in. He couldn't escape through an alternate exit either."

"So what does that mean?"

"Eh? It means..." Heiji paused to think. Then, a lightbulb went off in his head at the same time as Conan.

"He was here already!" they shouted in unison.

"Of course!" Heiji grinned. He took off his hat and slicked his hair back. He put it back on triumphantly. "If he had been in the room the entire time, security woulda never found him. And it means he woulda never left."

"Exactly. The only thing left is to find his hiding spot."

"But there's nowhere to hide?" Heiji frowned. "There's not as much as a cabinet or box. Even the display stand for the necklace is too small for even you to hide inside."

"Somewhere to hide?" Conan pondered. "Hattori's right. There's nothing here big enough to fit someone the Kid's size, but this is the only solution. We have to missing something..."

"That's a nasty bump you got there!" Heiji exclaimed as he tapped Conan on the head. "What were ya doin'?"

"Someone knocked me into one of the statues," Conan grumbled. "Ran went with Sonoko and Kazuha to grab ice, but they're probably caught up ogling over videos of the Kid." He rubbed his bump and winced. "I didn't expect it to hurt this bad. I didn't even hit the corner. I thought the statue would knock right over, but it just stayed stationary and absorbed the force of my fall which made it even worse."

By now, the police and security forces had shuffled out. They were checking the hallways and other parts of the building. Inspector Nakamori had gone back to the security room to scan the video footage. The only two left in the room were Conan and Heiji unless...

"That's it!" Conan exclaimed. He looked behind him at the bulky Greek statue. "It all makes sense now," he grinned. "The repairs, lack of scratches, its weight... that statue is more alive than we thought."

"What's it?" Heiji asked, his eyebrows furrowed. "Did ya figure it out?"

Conan nodded as he turned his back to Heiji. He ran his hand along the curves of the statue's clothing. Something about it felt wrong. It didn't feel like stone, but rather a thinner substitute. Giving the statue a knock, Conan's theory was confirmed. It was hollow.

"So that's it!" Heiji's face lit up as he understood. "Now we got him!"

"It was a clever ruse," Conan said loudly, beginning his deduction. "The Kaitou Kid is known for his disguises. It's said he can disguise as anyone of any age, shape, size, or gender."

Heiji took his cue to jump in. "Naturally, security would be on the lookout for anyone suspicious. They sealed the room and checked everyone's identities to ensure the Kid couldn't sneak in. Because of this, he had to come up with a different strategy."

"He was left with only one option: to sneak in beforehand and wait patiently to make his escape. Once security let their guard down, he could walk right out the front door and no one would be the wiser. But the exhibit didn't offer any place to hide, so he had to get creative."

"He probably disguised himself as a mover and snuck in during the exhibit's set-up," Heiji continued. "He pretended to knock over one of the statue's by accident and break it. When it was taken in for repairs, it was replaced with an identical reproduction with space for a human being inside. The back probably detaches, allowing for someone to sneak inside. He probably tampered with the necklace glass case so it would easier. The lighting system was rigged too. "

"On the day of the exhibit, the statue was returned," Conan smiled. "The prize had been handed to him on a silver platter. Security let him right in under their noses. After all, they thought nothing of a piece of the exhibit being returned. Once inside, he could strike whenever he wanted and disappear underneath the cover of smoke. But he would never leave the room. He would return to his hiding spot and slip out later. He would never be caught."

Heiji started to laugh. "He would never be caught if it wasn't for us. Betcha didn't think anyone would figure out your magic trick?"

"My, my... how clever!" a voice said from inside the statue.

Heiji and Conan jumped at the sudden sound. "He's really in there!" Heiji exclaimed. He began to bang on the statue. "Get outta there! We caught ya!"

Conan went to reach for the back of statue when there was another blast of smoke. It burned Conan and Heiji's eyes, causing them to look away. Once it cleared, they turned back to find the Kaitou Kid perched on the statue, the necklace dangling from his hands.

"Good evening, little detective," the Kid smirked. "And the little detective's friend." He nodded towards Heiji. "I'd love to chat, but it's time for me to finish my disappearing act. But before I leave..." He tossed the necklace into Conan's hands. "I already knew this wasn't the one I was looking for. I just wanted to mess with the old man a little. I can't refuse a challenge."

"What the...?" Heiji gasped. "He gave up the gem that easily... but we can't let him get away!" He lunged at the Kid, but the elusive thief sailed through the air and landed behind him.

"Nice try," he grinned, tipping his hat. "But not quite. See you soon, little detective." He blew Conan a kiss before darting towards the exit.

Heiji rushed to chase him, but Conan stopped him with his arm. "Don't," Conan instructed. He clutched the necklace tightly in his hands. "You won't outsmart him this time. He probably has an escape route planned. We won't catch him."

"But-"

"Trust me," Conan sighed. "He's always like this. At least we recovered the necklace. We should return it and go find the girls. I think I might need that ice now."

"Whatever ya say," Heiji scoffed. It stung to let the criminal get away, but he trusted Kudo's judgement. There's was something that bothered him anyways about the Kaitou Kid. What kind of thief didn't keep the things he stole? What was the point in returning it?

He shuffled towards the exit, slightly disappointed. "Oi! Ya comin?" he yelled back to Conan who was staring at necklace.

"Yeah!" Conan called back, running towards him. Yet he was still lost in thought. "Someday I'll figure out your game. Just you wait!"