In The Eyes Of The Beholder

Chapter 1

By Shyro Foxfeather

Hakuba sat bleakly in his chair staring at the chalkboard with a distant look in his eyes. His mind drifted less towards the teacher's rambles of how linear has changed the world as we know it and more on board of the topic of one eccentric high school magician.

Kaito had been acting unusually strange for the past few days. Ever since the heist where the Kid had crashed brutally into that building. He winced at the memory.

His breath had hitched in his throat at the time and he could scarcely breath as he watched the glider snap and fling the thief over that building ledge. Hakuba had snuck onto the roof at the time, thinking the thief would attempt to use the slanted rooftop as a stage for his usual arrogance. He had, in mere concern, chased after the thief by deduction of the odd flight pattern and a trail of patches of silk and metal poles that had broken down upon impact with said building structure.

Just as he had rounded the corner towards where he imagined the Kid had fallen—which he noted, with bitter amusement, contained a river—he was stopped by a brilliant lime green light that lit up the area. He shielded his eyes cursing at what was probable to be the Kids self-preservation tactics, as he must have seen the detective coming. Taken aback and temporarily blinded by the after affects of the assumed 'flash bomb,' Hakuba had stumbled away from the scene knowing it did him little good to stay and confront the thief like this if he was even still there.

He vaguely remembered guiding himself back to Inspector Nakamori, who quickly called for one of the more trustworthy officers to take Hakuba back home.

The next day his eyes returned to normal and Hakuba had wondered briefly if he should get an eye examination just to make sure. However that seemed a little over the top for a mere flash bomb so he quelled the little niggling voice in the back of his head.

Now he was once again staring off into space wondering why the boy had been so off kilter the last few days. Kuroba had seemed happy enough this morning until Hakuba began to approach him. This sent the magician sprinting out of the courtyard screaming bloody murder.

However, Hakuba changed the topic to the strange twinge in the back of his mind that resided there as it had for the past few days. It was really bothering him, too. It only seemed to present itself in Kuroba's presence and never otherwise. And the closer his classmate was, the stronger the feeling was. No. It was not love, although he wouldn't deny that his feelings for the bandit were a little more than friendly, it was more a foreign feeling. An unnatural one.

If it were a stress related disease he'd blame Kaito and leave it at that…

Later…

The school bells had rung their final toll of the day and Hakuba had yet to figure out an answer to any of his problems. He scooped his pack up and proceeded to the locker room—the one for students books and shoes, not the physical education changing room—and was somewhat surprised to find a fuming Aoko already there growling obscenities. She abruptly flopped to the wooded floor and hurriedly attempted to slip off her school shoes and wedge her feet into the light blue sneakers that she had held aloft just moments ago.

"You seem to be in a nasty mood." Hakuba commented dryly as he unlatched his own locker. Aoko glanced up at him, stunned by his sudden appearance. "What did Kuroba-kun do now?" He asked smartly.

Aoko huffed as she stood again. "He ditched me!" She screeched, outrage flooding through each word. "I was about to tell him to wait—I wanted to talk to him—and he just ran off! He's hardly even spoken to any of us since we went to the ice cream parlor!" She sulked. Her flames of fury dying down slowly as weariness took its place.

Hakuba frowned. An ache of jealously joining the odd 'twinge' in the back of his mind. He quickly pushed it aside. He knew that Aoko had feelings for the boy as well and they could certainly rival his own any time of the day. It still didn't help to hear about it knowing that in the end probability proved Kuroba would choose the mousy haired girl. The proof was in the magician's eyes as he looked at her. That soft kind affection he knew was never turned on himself.

For Aoko's sake he ignored these torrents of emotion for the more noble cause of helping the girl. She had, after all, done nothing wrong.

"Do you want me to help you find him?" He asked. She looked up again eyes filled with a determination.

"Yes! We'll find him and make him pay! He won't be ditching me again anytime soon!" She cheered.

Akako, bag in hand and shoes on feet, nonchalantly glided over with a wry look on her features. "You're hunting down Kuroba-kun?" She asked, a wicked gleam in her eyes. "If so, I want to help."

Aoko nodded pleased by the forces that had assembled before her. She had friends and they were going to help her knock some sense into that boy even if it took all day!

Outside…

As Hakuba and company approached the school gates they came upon a very startling conclusion. They had no idea where to start looking. As Aoko and Akako chattered over the possible places Kaito could have gone, Hakuba was busy with his own trouble.

The pang that had made itself a resident in Hakuba's head was beginning to act up and he was beginning to question his sanity. It was strange really. The feeling—or, for lack of better word, aura—that radiated from the theiving magician was beginning to materialize in Hakuba's mind as if he was nearby. Hakuba froze as an image began to form without his consent or control.

A house? He saw a house. It was a two-story house with an attic of some sort on top so technically that made it a three-story house. It had what looked like two chimney like towers planted atop the steep rooftop. There were windows here and there, placed creatively in different spots. It also had an iron fence.

With an address.

Hakuba's hair stood on end as this picture formed in his mind. That was… New. He blinked and the now familiar feeling seemed to pull it, as if magnetically towards the location it had shown him.

Before he gave into the impulse that was pulling him forward he realized that Aoko and Akako had quieted and were staring at him. A smug smile donned Akako's lips as Aoko tilted her head in confusion.

"Hakuba-kun? Are you okay? You look like you've just seen a ghost." Aoko frowned.

Akako smirked. "Do you know any place where Kuroba-kun may have gone?" She asked as if she knew the answer. Which she may have for all he knew.

"Yes. I seem to don't I?" Hakuba realized with wide eyes.

TBC…

Disclaimer: Nor my minions or I are the caretakers of the animes we engrave stories in paper—or word processor—about. Though soon we will be and you will know when that day has come.

-Blink- Wow… That is a very hard 'power' to portray. I hope that came out right you guys. I can't exactly tell you what—erm—power it is or you'll google it and ruin all my fun. Although if you guess I won't mind!