Black Flames
Greetings, peeps. Um well this is a story that's quite different from the...norm.
I'm on vacation right now. Yay Washington DC. I think the hotel is where I'll hide for the next few days because I love you babies so much and would rather write stories then sightsee *hugs all of you*
This is an AU that will be dark and disturbing so if you are a squeamish child then back away nowww. And I'm serious, there will be blood, gore, slicing off flesh and other torture techniques. Please, I'm warning you.
A what if Kid did not have pure, white and everything nice ideals. If the trauma from his father's death and a few well placed coincidences turned him into something else completely.
Warnings: Some psychological disturbing talk, graphic torture, disturbing tidbits, language, OOCness, grammar and spelling issues.
You have been warned.
You may proceed.
He breathed hard as he hid behind the ledge of the windy rooftop.
It wasn't often that he got called for a job.
In fact, his last big gig was almost ten years ago.
He gripped his rifle more tightly.
His target was also the same as ten years ago.
He shuddered to think about that job.
It was one of his more messy assassinations.
He remembered working with a senior member of the organization.
A bumbling, arrogant bastard that thought it would be best to blow up the entire building in order to kill one man.
He was a hired mercenary back then so he didn't want to complain.
However, when the man wasn't looking, he had secretly went back and rigged the explosive to only engulf the stage and perhaps the unfortunate first and second row of the audience.
When the bomb went off and the entire theatre went up in flames of gold and ruby, he aimed his gun at the writhing body's head in midst the flames and took the shot, ending Kuroba Toichi's misery.
The corpse was too mangled and burnt in the end for the police to find a gunshot wound anyways.
The Kaitou Kid.
He shuddered and turned a critical eye to the dark building below.
He had killed the Kaitou Kid ten years ago.
Yet, he was sitting here now waiting to snipe the thief again.
But no, the Kaitou Kid wasn't just a thief now.
He was much more than that.
He barely flinched when gunshots and screams were heard from the building across from him, glass shattering and lights blinking crazily as chaos consumed the city air.
He readied his gun and followed the movement of the police, watching each and every one of their panicked expressions as they shot at the empty air in paranoia.
They had been given the shoot on sight order after the first heist the Kaitou Kid pulled two years ago that left the task force in shambles and blood.
He watched impassively as a blur of black moved gracefully through the halls and each officer fell bonelessly to the ground, each with a bullet wound somewhere on their body.
The figure finally paused in his path of destruction and stood in front of the glass case.
His black gloved hands hovered above the display case gently, searching for weaknesses to exploit.
He watched as one officer, eyes glazed with pain, raised an arm and took a shot at the figure.
The shadow tilted his head to the side and the bullet flew by and ricocheted off the case. Without turning, the thief took out a dark object.
A Beretta 92, he quickly analyzed and watched the figure hold the gun backwards and shoot the officer in the face without looking back even once.
The task force member's face exploded in a firework display of blood and gore and he dropped dead, gun limp in his grasp as blood began to pool.
The assassin looked down. The remaining members of the task force was running up the stairs, lead by a wary Nakamori Ginzo. The man was ordering officers in whispers, no longer the loud man he used to be. His one eye narrowing and observing his surroundings in caution, pistol in hand.
The thief looked up, hearing the sound of the officers.
He reached into his suit pocket and pulled out a small piece of metal and attached it to the case, stepping back after pressing a button.
The piece of metal exploded and the case was in pieces, the prize undamaged but easy to reach now.
He reached in and plucked the gem out of it's home, pocketing it.
The assassin sighed and lifted his rifle, taking aim.
The show was over.
He peered through the scope and the reticle was focused on the thief's head.
His fingers twitched over the trigger and he took a breath before pressing down.
At that moment, the thief turned his head and stared straight into the eyes of the assassin.
Lilac eyes met brown ones and the sniper felt chills to the very core of his being.
The bullet left the barrel and took it's course towards the thief.
The Beretta was in his hand again and he raised his arm, shooting out the ceiling lights.
The sniper bullet penetrated the glass window the same time the lights turned off.
He was breathing heavily now.
He saw.
He saw him.
Fuck.
With a gasp, he quickly moved away from the ledge and reached for the rifle case.
He hastily packed away his prized possession and headed for the door.
His fingers were centimeters from the handle when one bullet hit the wall next to him.
His hand froze as he stood deathly still, not willing to look back.
Drifting from one building to another without a sound, he truly lived up to his namesake as a phantom thief.
"Touch the door and I'll shoot."
He was taken back by how young the voice sounded although it was low and held a hint of playful irony.
He let his hand fall to his side as a sign of compliance.
"Turn around." The voice was short and curt yet amusement laced it. But it held a tone of warning, daring him to disobey.
He took a deep breath, and decided he really didn't want to get interrogated.
He flicked his tongue and opened his mouth wide.
Then he felt a blow connect with his temple and he went skidding across the floor. His rifle case was thrown to the other side of the roof.
The shadow was on him in seconds, pinning him down with his weight, straddling him.
Before he could clench his teeth again, he felt the gloved hands squeeze his mouth open and pull at his tongue.
The cyanide capsule was wrenched from the bottom of his mouth and thrown on the ground.
The thief got off him and stared down at him impassively, one eye hidden behind a black rimmed monocle. A long scar ran from the edge of his covered eye, over his nose and across his cheek. It was hypnotic in a way and the assassin couldn't turn his eyes away. Even with the blemish on his milky skin, the thief didn't look any less attractive. He was young.
Too young.
"Any more tricks?" He no longer sounded amused. His foot stomped down hard on the capsule. A smear of dust was left in it's trace.
"I'm always up for a trick or two." The assassin spoke for the first time of the evening and flicked his right wrist, a blade protruded from his glove.
He swiped at the thief, jumping to his feet. Kid took graceful steps back, out of reach.
"Hand to hand?" The shadow raised an eyebrow but shrugged with an air of indifference and took out his Beretta, making a show of dropping it to the ground.
"Though a knife seems a bit unfair."
"Fair isn't in my nature." The sniper replied, allowing the moonlight to reflect off the blade.
"And losing isn't in mine." The smirk the thief made had him uncertain for a moment before he straightened again.
"We'll see." With that, the assassin charged forward with trained agility.
It was a strange fight.
The assassin made a large swing and the thief grabbed his arm.
He retaliated with kneeing Kid in the stomach, forcing him to let go.
He swiped at his face and the thief bent back, avoiding a slash to his eye and more damage to his already scarred face.
"Trying to get revenge for old Nakamori-keibu?" The Kaitou smiled and aimed a punch at the assassin's face.
"I don't hold grudges, not for a man I do not care for." The assassin replied simply, dodging and nicked the sleeve of the suit before the thief retreated smartly.
He had heard of the disaster that took place when the Kaitou Kid reappeared two years ago.
The task force had still been a naive group, believing the thief to still be nonviolent even if his color scheme had drastically changed.
That changed very quickly when the thief had taken the inspector hostage and slashed his right eye, blinding him for the rest of his life. He left with the prize after killing four officers who were stupid enough to charge at him.
It was then, when the shoot on sight order was implemented.
"Hmm..." The thief examined the tear in his sleeve with a theatrical sigh.
"This was an expensive jacket."
"My apologies." The assassin smirked, feeling absolutely no remorse and moved to slice the black suit up some more.
He cursed as he ended up dodging more than attacking.
The thief was...uncanny.
The assassin tried to settle into a routine and found it immensely difficult.
The thief's fighting style was something he had never seen before. It was too unpredictable. He didn't even seem phased when his skin was cut every now and then.
In fact, his eyes seemed to gleam even more at the sight of his own blood.
The sniper barely got in a slice or two and received dozens of blows in return.
He let out a groan when Kid feint left and landed a painful blow to his cheek.
He followed with a small jump, staying airborne for a moment before landing two consecutive kicks to the assassin's shoulder.
With a hiss the assassin fell back, his arms sparking in pain.
He let out a muffled cry when the thief stepped on his right wrist, grinding it to the ground. The cracking of the bones echoed on the rooftop before being carried off by the wind.
"Any more tricks?" The shadow's tone was dead serious.
The sniper kept silent and bit his lip hard when the thief pressed more weight on his shattered wrist.
It hurt like hell.
He shook his head, ashamed of his inability to escape or commit suicide.
He heard the Kaitou cock his Beretta and closed his eyes.
A blow to the back of his head and he was oblivious to all.
He was forced back into the conscious world by another blow to his temple.
He cursed under his breath as blood dripped down from his hairline. He was going to be heavily concussed if he made it out of this one alive.
"Wake up, I don't have time to deal with your weakness." He glared up at the thief that was staring down at him, gun in hand.
"I'm alive." He stated when his vision stopped spinning. He couldn't believe it. Part of him was relieved but the rest of his body was tense in apprehension. This meant it was interrogation time.
Kid nodded absentmindedly, wiping his gun with a black handkerchief.
"You are."
He turned his head and noticed they were still on the roof. The moon was high in the sky. More than two hours had passed since he was knocked out.
"You let me sleep in too, that's much too kind of you."
His comment was rewarded with a another blow to his face.
"I didn't let you live so you could fucking snark at me. I need answers and you're going to give them to me." The thief growled before assuming his neutral facade again.
The assassin held in a snort as he pulled at his wrists. He grunted as his right one was enveloped in pain. His left hand was tied to the roof railing with rope. His right one was free but useless. The wrist was bruised black and purple; broken blood vessels throbbed and shattered bones creaked with each movement and he knew it was beyond repair.
Son of a bitch.
The thief reached for his precious rifle case and pulled the gun out.
"A Heckler & Koch MSG90, not too shabby." Kid whistled, nodding in approval.
"Though Chianti-san has a PSG-1, which is much more rare and expensive." The Kaitou smiled fondly.
"Careful what you say in front of my sweetheart, it doesn't like to be compared to others." He smirked and filed away the name Chianti in his memory. A PSG-1, huh? Admirable choice.
"Attached, aren't we?" Kid smiled, caressing the rifle gently before his face turned cold.
"Attachments are our downfall." He dropped gun to the floor, making the assassin wince.
"Hey! What the hell are you doing?" His eyes widen when he saw the thief take out a silencer and attached it to his Beretta.
"I think your sweetheart needs a makeover."
Three shots were fired and his precious possession was in pieces.
"Bastard!" He snarled and attempted to launch himself at the black shadow.
Kid kicked him in the chest, leaving him gasping for air.
After a moment, he continued speaking in the same cold, playful voice, putting his gun back in his suit pocket.
"Mr. Yanase Harris. Japanese mother, British father, born in America. Age 33. Studied in the University of Stanford, majoring in psychology and criminal sciences. Graduated at age 19. Disappeared off the grid two months later." He listed the facts and the sniper sneered.
"You did your homework." He acknowledged the thief's information gathering skills. Few were able to dig up the encrypted files he had went to so many lengths to hide and bury.
"You look like a bright student, I'm sure you did your homework too." The thief smiled and started to pace, his amused gaze never leaving him.
"Enlighten me with what you have found out. I'm sure a psychology majoring student like you, Yanase-san would love to get into my head."
The assassin couldn't help but shudder at the thought of attempting to sort out this nut job's psyche.
"Your Modus Operandi has changed significantly since ten years ago. Although I must say, this is a much more practical outfit than your previous costume." He gestured with a tilt of his head to the black suit complimented with a red undershirt. Kid no longer wore a cape, but the sniper suspected that it was hidden somewhere convenient so he would easily escape like a phantom if he needed to. A fedora with a red ribbon was on his head instead of a top hat.
"I kinda liked the old one. White and angelic." Kid shrugged with a chuckle, fingering the tear in his sleeve.
"But I'm afraid if I wore it now, it would be dyed black in seconds."
"Don't you mean red?" The assassin grinned and was pleased to see the thief stop in his tracks, tilting his head to consider his words.
Kid smiled eerily and turned to stare into his eyes.
"No. No I don't."
Yanase swallowed hard and turned his eyes away before speaking again.
"Oh but the red on your ledger is quite impressive. The amount of deaths you've piled up equals up to a decade worth of jobs. To do so much in two years...I repeat, that's fucking impressive."
The thief smiled again, nodding his head as if proud of the acknowledgment.
"And how many gigs have you participated in, Yanase-san?"
The sniper sighed and leaned back, resting his head on the cool railing.
"Not as many as you are hoping for."
"I know." Kid smiled again and raised one hand, four fingers held high.
"Over the past ten years according to my sources, you have only been involved in four assassinations."
"You sound disappointed."
"Well, I wouldn't call that disappointment. Disconcert if you may. With only four assassinations jobs in your queue, I'd feel awful when I kill you." He smiled when he saw the horrified expression on the sniper's face. He cleared his throat and gestured back to the four fingers he was holding up.
"One. Thirteen years ago. February 14th. Your target was Tamara Sai, curator of Asano Zaibatsu's Hellenistic Collection of Gems. His girlfriend Asano Sakura was the successor of Asano Zaibatsu. Both killed in the comforts of a rented apartment they were staying at in Hokkaido. BANG BANG!" He said the last words with emphasis, making Yanase jump.
The assassin shivered, recalling the color of the nice carpet floor. He also remembered the hideous mix of colors it turned after he pulled the trigger twice.
Kid's smile stayed plastered on; he lowered one finger.
"Two. Twelve years ago. September 8th. Your target was Fujiwara Junko, CEO and owner of Fujiwara Jewelry Inc. Her family of four, husband Ichihara Kou, daughters Rika and Mika, both seven years old. Nice little family, happy, satisfied, rich. Lived in a four story mansion in the rural countryside. Nice little place. Two pools, a balcony and a large glass window looking into the dining room. All four, killed. Clean, clear shots through the forehead. They were about to have dinner. And then BANG BANG BANG BANG! Aw, I guess they never did get to enjoy that chocolate mousse cake Junko-san made to celebrate Rika-chan and Mika-chan's first day of school. " He exclaimed again, the gleam in his eyes were apparent.
Yanase closed his eyes and refused to look at the thief.
Kid lowered another finger.
"Three. Ten years ago, April 15th. This one was international. Los Angeles, California. The United States. Your target was Inspector Karl Kaine. Vigilant fellow, a man who volunteered at the local firehouse during his free time and always did charity benefit walks. He was looking into a series of jewelry thefts before his untimely death. He was engaged to Ms. Jessica Rayne, owner of a small Italian restaurant. Great business, lovely penne vodka dish, been there once or twice. They were a sweet happy couple. Always ate dinner together. Mr. Kaine was shot on his way home after an evening shift. Heavy traffic that day, cars were barely moving. Easy target, in my opinion. Well after that, I'd say he caused most of the traffic for the rest of the night. He never did come home to enjoy the new Caesar salad recipe Jessica was trying out. And she never got to wear that pretty Kleinfeld wedding dress. BANG!" Kid shook his head sadly and the sniper flinched, already knowing what his last job was about.
"And the fourth and last one..." Kid held up one finger now. If Yanase thought the thief was creepy before, his demeanor was downright chilling now.
"It was-" The assassin began speaking, deciding to do the honors of telling the last story and was immediately silenced by a hard slap across the face.
"This is my research and my story to tell!" Kid hissed, face scrunched up into a hideous snarl before he took a deep breath.
"Four. Ten years ago, June 21st. Your target was Kuroba Toichi, a well known magician world-wide. A charismatic, nice man. Had a beautiful, witty wife and even a nine year old son. Looked up to his old man like he was a fucking deity." His voice sounded oddly distant as he rattled off the facts.
"Oh but he wasn't just a magician, oh no no no, he had a night job. One that could've gotten them filthy rich if he chose to keep the assets. The infamous Kaitou Kid, a gallant white knight that soared the dark skies at night. He stole priceless gems and made a spectacle out of it. Always doing it for the entertainment. The gems were always returned. Quite a story isn't it? Like a whimsical fairy tale." The thief chuckled mirthlessly but abruptly stopping.
He whipped around and brought a knife down, pinning the assassin's right hand to the wall.
Yanase let out a wretched cry that was muffled by a gloved hand over his mouth.
"Shh shh, oh my apologies. You hadn't make any comments, I thought you had fallen asleep. I didn't want you to miss this story. You see, I have been collecting data on this case since I was a child. It's a very important story that I've been itching to tell." The Kid smiled and twisted the knife, making blood spurt from the twitching hand.
Yanase took a shuddering breath, biting his lips to keep in any more sounds of weakness.
"Well now then! Let's continue!" He announced with a hum and let go of the blade, leaving the sniper's hand impaled.
"Where was I...oh yes! Toichi-san! Yes yes, he was a wonderful man. But apparently, some people didn't think so! He had been doing consecutive shows around Japan, with wife and son in tow. They always had first row seats. It was the night of his big finale show which was the night of his son's birthday by the way! He was going to do a trick he had never done in public before as a birthday present. Even his wife had no clue what it would be. But he assured them that it had been perfected and nothing could go wrong." He paused again and the assassin barely noticed. His hand was leaving a pool of blood on the floor and the pain was excruciating.
"Hey now, are you even listening to me anymore? Oh don't be bored, I might not be the best story teller but the good part is about to start!"
Yanase nodded slightly, not wanting the thief to cut off his ears next.
"Well evidently, something went wrong. At 9:14 pm exactly, Toichi-san's main piece of equipment, the one he was standing a mere half meter away from, exploded! BOOM! The entire stage was engulfed in flames, sparks flying down to the first row. Casualties? Only the bare minimum. Kuroba Chikage, engulfed in the flames that jumped off the stage. His son..." The thief paused, looking truly hesitant for the first time of the night.
"Well...we'll get to that later. Oh and let's not forget your target. One Kuroba Toichi, burned to crisps. Good job!" He clapped slowly, his eyes promising death.
"A bit different from your modus operandi too, I see. Explosions, didn't think that was your thing."
Yanase opened his mouth but snapped it shut a moment later.
"Something you wanted to say?"
He kept silent.
"Well, no matter. I already know. You weren't alone in that operation, oh no. You were working with another member." Kid cracked his knuckles and chuckled.
"An annoying man, with a loud mouth and stupid mustache. Always screaming about ending Kaitou Kid's life."
Snake. The assassin thought about the man he hadn't seen in so long. He had always wondered how such a man could've been part of their organization. He lacked everything needed to be an operative. Loud, stupid and a source of compromise.
"Well, he showed up once, two years ago. Screaming about killing the Kaitou Kid, waving his weapon around like a lunatic. So so fucking noisy." The thief closed his eyes, fingers twitching.
"So I shut him up before he could say another word. Slit his throat. The silence that followed was heavenly." He smiled as if reminiscing.
"He had a platoon of idiots with him too. Well, after seeing all his teammates get their heads blow off, the last one squealed. They always do. With or without a little persuasion." The phantom turned to face the sniper.
"I got your name out of him. You were good. Even with our widespread resources, we were unable to find you until we got your name. Impressive. But we're getting off topic. Well, the explosives were that annoying bastard's idea. What was your part in this?"
Yanase breathed through his nose. Kuroba Toichi's corpse was burned beyond recognition, skin and bones brittle and blackened. There would be no way to find the bullet wound.
"You think you got away with it."
The sniper froze at the thief's tone. He glanced up and saw Kid smile at him in that same eerie way.
"But you didn't."
He shivered.
"The police couldn't find it. They just didn't have the intelligence to look outside the box. They rarely do. Ruled it as an accident and closed the door. I took the liberty of reopening it." Kid paused, eyes looking glazed by memories.
"My...benefactor pulled some strings and got me Toichi-san's corpse away from the police several weeks after the incident. I sat with Toichi-san for several days, staring and studying. It was a surreal experience." The thief clenched his fists tightly and gritted his teeth.
"Well, after a week of studying, I finally saw it! The bullet wound that was so cleverly covered up by the burns. He was sniped in midst the chaos of flames! Who was the brilliant sniper that ended Toichi-san's life? Well that's where you came in.
I was younger then. I didn't have the skills to search for his killers. So I stayed with my benefactor. Gathered information, trained and grew. I've picked off ten out of the eleven involved in that operation already. Yanase-san, you are the the last one. Congratulations."
Kid sighed and took a seat on the ground across from the sniper. His tale was done.
"Well? Do you have anything to say?"
The assassin blinked several times, running the whole conversation through his head again.
"You said we would get to Kuroba Toichi's son later."
Kid's smile appeared again.
"You remembered! That's great! I knew I left something out. Well, let's go back in time. Ten years ago, the explosive went off and Kuroba Toichi was engulfed in flames. The crowd was silent. They couldn't believe it. Was this part of the trick? Or was this a serious mishap? They froze and watched the writhing figure. Then Kuroba Chikage screamed and tried to reach her husband. Another bomb went off and everyone understood the severity. They started to panic and run. The son stood frozen, too shocked, too weak to do anything. Chikage saw a large spark flying off the stage, hurtling towards her son. She pushed the boy away and the spark fell onto her back. She was eaten by the flames." Kid unconsciously lifted his hand to touch the scar across his face with an unreadable expression.
"The son could only watch in horror as his mother started to writhe in the fire just like his father. He was...fascinated with the flame. Such power to reduce a human body to nothing but a burnt crisp that could easily turn to ash. Yet humans rely on flames for warmth and food daily. Humanity was only able to advance with the discovery of flames. Fire has so much power. He was captivated." He took out a lighter from his pocket and flicked it on. The small flame lighting up the roof, illuminating his face. Shadows danced on the ground and Yanase couldn't help but be distracted by the soft yellow glow.
"Well, he was standing in an inferno. The stage was collapsing in on itself, his parents were both lying on the ground, burning like firewood. He couldn't do anything. He couldn't scream for help, he couldn't run. He just stood there." Kid's voice grew more hoarse and stiff as he continued.
"A piece of the ceiling equipment fell. The lighting perhaps, who knows. A burning rod of metal, he couldn't dodge it fully. It sliced across his face, marring it. It burned. It hurt so fucking badly. His skin was starting to blister in the heat. His cheek and eyes were swelling from the burns. It was hell."
The assassin gasped audibly as he put pieces together, suddenly feeling very sick.
"He is in too much pain to register any of his surroundings any more. He vaguely remembers hearing a woman calling his name before finally blacking out. He slept for a few days. When he woke up, he was no longer who he used to be."
"...You're Kuroba Kaito. Toichi's son." Yanase gasped out, breathless from shock. Kid smiled knowingly and inclined his head in forward.
"You can call me however you wish. I am an operative. I don't have a name."
"You're the Kaitou Kid."
"You can call me that if you wish. But the Kaitou Kid is long dead. I am no ghost."
"Is this revenge?"
Kid laughed.
"No, no. You and I do the same line of work. I understand it was a job. But sometimes my jobs coincide with my personal interests. This is one of those occasions."
The thief smiled and stood up, lighter still in hand.
"But I do adore missions like these."
Yanase screamed when Kid wrenched the knife from his impaled hand, gripped the broken wrist in a tight hold and held the flame directly on the wound.
"My mission was finding intel. Does it hurt, Yanase-san?" The thief blinked innocently, guiding the flame across the open wound. The smell of burning flesh filled the air.
"Fuck!" He hissed and his left hand pulled on it's restraints.
"Shall I break the other one too? I know that steady hands are a necessity in your job." The threat made the sniper will himself to stop pulling. His right hand still twitched in pain.
"Your pain tolerance is surprisingly high. I though snipers would have a lower one, since they're always hidden out of sight and so far away. I asked Chianti-san that once. She tried to shoot me in the face point blank." He giggled softly and closed the lighter, dropping the broken hand. Yanase let out a relieved gasp, breathing heavily.
"Even a novice can see the pattern in your kills. Jewelry. Your main focus is jewelry. Those who are a threat to your goal get eliminated. However your threats are only related to jewelry. Nothing else."
Kid took off his fedora and pulled out a small box. From the box, he took out a deck of cards.
"Tell me, what exactly is your group's goal?"
"I am a hired mercenary. What my client's business is, I have no way of knowing." He scoffed and lied through his teeth. He was an asset because he was only there when he was needed and could easily claim no affiliation. And there would be no compromising the organization.
His train of thought was cut off when a pain he never felt before developed on his right arm and he screamed, writhing in agony.
He looked down and nearly vomited at the sight.
The thief was holding his arm tightly with one arm and his other hand was holding a poker card.
The poker card was slicing into his flesh, blood leaking everywhere.
"You know, this type of execution was used in China back in the 900s CE. 'Death by a thousand cuts'. It was a form of prolonging death and humiliating the criminal. By slicing off slabs of flesh here and there, the victim will be in a endless void of pain. I wonder how long you'll last."
He pushed the card again, his flesh lifting off his arm even more, causing him to take a shuddering breath.
"Oh but even the Chinese saw this as very cruel. Usually, executioners were bribed to stab the criminal in the heart first or slit their throat before they proceeded. But I'm not that nice." Kid smiled and glided his card blade through the sniper's forearm gracefully.
Yanase let out a wretched cry when a strip of his flesh fell to the floor in front of him with a plop.
"F-fuck, s-stop, please." The assassin was crying freely now. What had fucked the boy up in the head so much these past ten years to turn him into such a monster?
"Oh? But I haven't even started to see bone yet. You've already had enough?" Kid sighed sadly and twirled the card in his hand.
"Isn't it pretty? I had them custom made, to match the Kaitou Kid theme. It's obsidian. Very brittle, so I rarely use them. But they're many times sharper than the strongest steels. The cutting edge is only about three nanometers thick. It cuts to the cellular level. Perfect for flaying off skin." Kid wiped the blood and gore from the edge with his handkerchief and put it back in the deck, stuffing it in his fedora.
"What is your goal?" The thief asked again.
"T-the same as yours."
Kid raised an eyebrow.
"And how do you know our goal?"
"I-isn't that why you're stealing gems? You don't return them like Kuroba Toichi did but your objective is the same, right? P-pandora. You're looking for Pandora." Yanase hiccuped, staring at his strip of flesh that was plastered on the cold ground.
"Who was the man you were working with?"
"His name was Snake. He was a senior member, I didn't know much about him."
"Snake? Do you have code names?"
"Y-yeah, animals."
"Do you have one?"
"H-hawk."
"What members pose a threat?"
"I wasn't lying when I said I know the bare minimum. I haven't been in action since my last gig ten years ago. But there is a member named Spider that we were all warned to be wary of. I don't know any more details than that, I mean it!"
Kid didn't ask anymore. He reached into his pocket and took out a cell phone.
"There is only one contact on this. Who is it?"
Yanase bit his lip and stayed silent. Kid sighed.
"I see. There are some things that even in the face of extreme torture that you cannot reveal, right? Alright, I'll respect that." He pocketed the phone. He turned to the sniper with a smile.
"Thank you for your cooperation Yanase-san. Your help is much appreciated." He bowed like a gentlemen and pulled out his gun.
The assassin's eyes widen when the gun went off and the rope that was holding his left hand was severed from the railing.
"I thought leaving you tied up would seem too cruel. You did give me useful information." Kid pulled out a flask.
"You offering me a drink?" The sniper joked, feeling that the turn of events was surreal. Was the thief letting him go?
Kid blinked and laughed.
"Oh no, I don't think you'd want to drink this stuff. It's pretty nasty." With that said, he unscrewed the cap and dumped the content all over Yanase.
"W-wha-" The assassin sputtered at the strong odor and froze when he realized what it was.
"H-hey! N-no, I gave you the information! I-I swear I'll go off grid and never show my face ever again. P-please don't!" His voice cracked when he saw Kid take out the lighter.
"I told you before. My missions sometime coincide with my personal interests. I try not to mix private matters with business." The thief smiled.
"I still haven't gotten the hang of doing so."
He flung the open lighter at the assassin.
Flame met gasoline and the man erupted in flames.
He finally understood. Yanase thought as he screamed in agony and writhed on the concrete ground.
He finally understood what Kid was talking about before.
The power of fire.
Within mere seconds, his skin was starting to turn black. His blood burning so hot, it must've been evaporating.
The flames enveloping him were shades of red and orange.
It was beautiful.
In midst his hazy pained mind, he heard Kid's voice.
"You did my father a mercy by ending his misery before the flames did. I thank you by doing the same."
He heard the gunshot and the hell of flames disappeared.
Kid watched the flames eat the still man on the ground and took out the cell phone he had taken.
He clicked to the only contact and typed in rapid succession.
When he finished, he chucked the phone into the flames.
Taking out his own phone, he typed a quick message. A song of beeps sounded.
He stood silently, watching the fire dance.
His phone buzzed and he read the message.
Pocketing his phone, he pulled out a black cape and fastened it on.
The operative jumped off the roof building, drifting away on a black hang glider, leaving behind an inferno of flames as sirens echoed throughout the night.
"How many does that make?" Nakamori sighed, massaging his remaining eye as he watched forensics study the charred mass next to the roof railing.
"We're starting a fifth page of victims, sir." The officer next to him said grimly, holding a clipboard.
"I see." The inspector replied gruffly.
"Do you think we can identify the victim?" He turned his head to see a very tired looking Hakuba come in through the roof door.
"We were too late. It's burned beyond recognition. Maybe dental records will show something, but I doubt it." Nakamori kneeled to look at the sniper rifle case and the broken pieces of the actual gun.
"He was probably a hired mercenary or something." Hakuba offered.
"To assassinate the Kid." Nakamori nodded.
"Seemed like the assassin got a taste of his own medicine." Hakuba sighed.
"We just fucking cleaned up his mess two hours ago." Nakamori cursed, tears welling in his good eye.
"I heard about Sawada-san's death. My apologies, he was a good man."
"He risked his life to try to apprehend that psycho. Yes, he was a courageous officer." The inspector nodded.
"There was only one death this time, sir. The rest were only wounded."
"That's not a fucking accomplishment. We should be ashamed of losing to this bastard every single time."
"My apologies. I'm just glad our death rates are going down rather than spiking."
Nakamori sighed again and massaged his temples.
"I'm sorry, Hakuba-kun. It's been a rough night."
"I don't judge."
They stood in silence, watching the forensic team move the burnt corpse into a body bag.
A figure sat in an office, overlooking a magnificent city landscape. Each and every building illuminated with neon lights.
The figure's fingers twitched when the computer screen made a chime and a message appeared from Hawk.
With a click, the message opened.
Your hawk's wings are clipped.
Your snake has been silenced.
The ravens are calling for your death.
Prepare yourselves.
Kaitou Kid
The figure stayed silent and still.
With another few clicks, a new email box was opened and a new message was typed on the screen.
Contact Spider!
The 'send' button was clicked.
"You're late, brat." The woman with the butterfly tattoo under her eye cursed when she saw the black figure stroll in. His clothes looked a bit worse for wear but the cuts on his skin were minor.
"Ah! Chianti-san, good evening to you too."
"It's fucking three in the morning."
"Well, I finished my mission. That's all that matters, right?" Kid smiled.
"Tch, whatever." She muttered, wiping her rifle with a cloth.
"Got any food? Interrogations always make me hungry."
"I'm not your mom! Go look for that blonde bitch. She's old enough to be any one of our moms."
"Ahahaha! Of course, Chianti-san is way too young. You'd be my lovely onee-san. See ya!" Kid giggled before waving goodbye, heading deeper into the hideout.
Chianti sighed and focused on cleaning the barrel of the gun.
"You're smiling."
She whirled around, gun in hand.
"Dude, don't just fucking speak out of nowhere. Would've blown your head off." She scoffed, relaxing as Korn sat down besides her.
"Couldn't sleep?" He asked quietly.
"Had to wait up." She chuckled, wiping the scope with an easy smile
Korn only nodded.
/
"Gin~ How's my favorite S.O?"
The senior operative scowled when he saw the bouncy teen skip in with a grin.
"I was your supervising officer years ago. Mention it again and you'll get a hole in your head."
"Don't be mean, I just finished an awfully tough mission. How about you treat me to lunch next week?"
The silver haired man glared at the younger operative without a sound.
"That's the spirit! Next Monday, Poirot's at eleven! We're taking your car!" The thief left the room with an extra bounce in his step.
"A-aniki..." Vodka stuttered, shocked that his partner gave in so easily. Just an hour ago the operative looked ready to kill someone, glaring at the clock every given moment.
"He's obnoxious." Gin replied with a half shrug.
"But frightfully efficient." He finished with an unreadable frown.
"Besides, what kind of former SO would I be if I didn't treat him to lunch."
/
"You're back." Vermouth smiled, lifting her wine glass when Kid walked into the small kitchenette.
"Yup." The thief reached into the fridge and grabbed a bottle of water.
"Benefactor huh? I'm flattered, Kaito-kun." She chuckled as the teen gulped down half the bottle.
"Of course you were listening in." He grinned, wiping his mouth.
"Only the first parts. Did you learn anything?" She gestured to a sandwich at the counter and he grabbed it gratefully.
"Nothing that important. Just that they are trying to form a rip off of our organization. Animal names, can you believe it?" He snickered in between bites.
"They also know we're after Pandora." He blinked, growing serious for a spilt second. Vermouth narrowed her eyes.
"They're searching for Pandora as well? Interesting."
"Yeah, but we'll find it first."
Vermouth laughed, sipping from her glass.
"Yes, we will." She nodded, taking out a file.
"What's this?"
"Anokata called. It's your next mission."
"Another? Damn, will I have to miss lunch with Gin?" He sighed, finishing his sandwich in one bite, dropping into the chair across from her. He took the file from her, raising an eyebrow.
"Oh no, this mission will be a long one. You'll have plenty of time."
"Hmm...I see." He looked through the papers briefly before dropping the file on the table.
"Well, I'll look into it tomorrow morning. I'm beat." He yawned and stood, stretching.
He grabbed the file and turned to leave, pausing at the doorway.
"Oh and Vermouth." He turned with a dangerous smile on his face. She raised an eyebrow, prompting him to continue.
"Don't call me Kaito."
He sighed, closing the door to his room.
Pulling the medical kit from his cabinet, he grabbed the needle and thread.
"Ouch." He hissed, stitching together the worst of his cuts. Blood stained his fingers and the table as he closed the wound.
"Never gets old." He muttered, cutting the end of the thread and stuffing everything back in the box. Small cuts and bruises would disappear on their own.
Wiping his hands, he sighed and turned to look at his clock.
4:06.
"Agh, fuck it." He groaned and turned to his computer, switching it on.
As he waited for the login screen, he stared at the file on his desk with an amused smirk.
"Apoptoxin 4869, huh?"
And that's how this story ends. Sorry~ I promise I'm mostly sane. It's only my stories that aren't.
If you haven't done the math yet, Kid is nineteen in this story. Had to make him older than seventeen since he would have needed a lot of mission experience to become this unhinged.
I just visited a shooting range and played around with some guns. I got to shoot with a Beretta 92 just like Kid. *happy child* But I'm a weak child so the recoil would send the gun jerking so my aim was off most of the time *sad child* but I got the target two or three times so yayayay! Aiming and shooting a gun is hard. How do they do it? I tried to shoot a rifle today too. Pfft did not work out well.
I hope that was enjoyable. Sorry if people come out of this disturbed, I'm too poor to pay for your therapy sessions OTL
This story has a lot of potential for a series. I don't really plan on it but we'll see. What do you think?
This ate into my vacation time to write. Reviews would be a lovely compensation prize :D Thank you for reading~