This time I tried something new, so I wriitten little something for DCMK. I just love interactions between Kaito and Shin'ichi. I hope you'll like it.
Bit of warning: English isn't my first language and this work isn't beta'd. So be prepared for grammatic errors and mistypes.
It was full night moon. The wind was calm and clouds almost non-existent. Sounds of the city sounded so close yet so far as if coming from underwater. Even Nakamori's yells didn't reach the ears of one infamous Kaitou KID, not as they normally would. The only thing that disrupted stillness of night was movement of white cloth with the slightest breeze. Yet no-one really noticed. Everyone who was awake at this hour was too busy to notice the thief standing on the rooftop.
The thief smiled sadly – he really shouldn't be here. Not here, not now, not all dressed up in white. However, the man couldn't help himself, this was the last time KID would see his Task force. Tonight, the chase, the game of cat and mouse, would come to an end. That's what the thief promised himself, he would for once and all disappear.
The organization was as good as dead, and he found Pandora three heists ago. He only organized the other three heists as to throw of anyone who came looking for Pandora in the future. Not that they would find anything he made sure of that. Before he destroyed Pandora, he made copy that would fool anyone, but the rightful owners and returned the jewel. Seeing as the owners died six days after the heist in crash, no one who could recognize the fake was alive (excluded one Phantom Thief and his alter ago, not that he counts).
This was actually a murder solved by one bright Tantei-kun and company. The children of the owners, Kurokawas, tried to make it look like an accident when they found out they were crossed out of their parent's will. All the money was to be gained by Kurokawa's servants and long-time family friends. The younger pair intended to destroy the newest will, but they were thwarted by the little detectives. Mitsuhiko especially showed how far he came in the last seven years.
Because of KID's careful actions no-one could distinguish this one heist from all others. So, when KID announced retirement two months later, many speculations as to why emerged. There were some wild ideas and some way too normal, but most thought it was due to an old age. After all it was already 25 years since the fateful day Kaitou KID first appeared in Paris.
"KID."
The stillness as if cut disappeared and the thief could suddenly hear all that was muted to him before. Slowly turning around and trying to restore his poker face that slipped with the gentle call.
"Tantei-kun." the thief answered, but more than a statement the nickname sounded more of a question. He couldn't believe that the detective would find him here, that he would even be here.
"You know, you should really stop calling me that already." the man said as he leaned on the wall and crossed his arms, trying to appear as harmless as possible. He didn't want to spook the thief away, not before he could speak with him anyway. After that the gentleman thief was a fair game.
KID then really looked at his sometimes enemy, sometimes ally. Shin'ichi looked dishevelled, as if he didn't sleep for the last few days and then proceed to run here even if his voice didn't betray such an ordeal. The thief knew Shin'ichi long enough to see signs of misery and wakeful nights. The same signs he could see in a mirror.
The Phantom closed his eyes for a moment to regain his bearings. KID was a mystery wrapped in another mystery and in no-way it would be befitting to lose his calm façade in front of one of his detectives (or any-one else for the matter).
"What brings you here on such beautiful night?" KID questioned his favourite critic and received disbelieving glance in turn.
"Ba'aro. Isn't it obvious?" At the mostly blank look Tantei-kun sighed before he continued. "Did you really find what you were looking for? And don't give me that look. We both know that you searched for a specific gem even if you didn't say it directly."
Shin'ichi was watching the thief for any tell, but KID was too good of an actor for him to make anything of his body posture. The only thing that could betray the thief of his true emotions were his eyes and Shin'ichi couldn't see them from beneath the top hat.
"Is this really the last time Kaitou KID will show?" Shin'ichi Kudo questioned in small voice. As much as he wanted to catch the thief at the beginning, he didn't want the see the other man behind bars. The smart detective came to love the heists and enjoyed his time trying to catch the thief without bodies cropping out at every corner. The detective enjoyed immensely the challenge the other gave, the conversations they would have at rooftops and in other places, the puzzles that made him work hard to solve them. And as much fun was going toe to toe with KID he loved the times when the two teamed up and went against much worse criminals. (Example: some terrorist, the worst serial killers, the BO, and KID's organization, and minor case of criminals.)
Those times were full of adrenaline and would probably normally scared Shin'ichi, but he never gave in to the fear, because he knew the thief had his back no matter what. Funny how Shin'ichi felt safer with thief guarding his back then with police, FBI, CIA or some other agency. And the Heisei Holmes knew the other felt the same.
The thought of Heisei Lupin disappearing didn't sit well with him. In the years they knew each other, they started a tentative friendship. You can only have so many live threatening situations that you trust your back to other person before coming to trust them a little. It didn't help in the slightest that the thief was honourable and never lied when he donned the white suit. And after so much lies Shin'ichi lived with and came across, it was refreshing and alluring.
"I didn't plan to appear tonight. My last performance week ago, should have been it. However, …" KID paused for a second and took deep breath before he continued. "However, when I heard the Nakamori-keibu would stake out tonight, because he was convinced that I would show up again to steal the precious gem that is in Tokyo for only tonight, I wanted to see them for the last time. I didn't expect my favourite critics would pop up as well." the man in white gave a bitter smile when he said the last part.
Shin'ichi glanced at the other building where the task force was situated. He could make out inspector Nakamori, Mouri-otchan, Sonoko and Ran, the blond detective Hakuba arguing with Hattori, he even saw Suzuki Jirokichi barking at others. All of those didn't believe or didn't want to believe in Kaitou Kid's retirement, so they came here tonight hoping to see the thief.
"After all those pranks you pulled, did you expect that they would be okay with believing that it suddenly ends?" Shin'ichi snorted.
KID went quiet and Shin'ichi waited for some kind of a response. The thief suddenly turned and showed his back to his detective making said detective start.
"Thank you, Shin'ichi." the detective was surprised by the use of his name, so he hesitated before he tried to reach the thief to stop him. Light suddenly shined into his eyes, temporarily blinding him, and when he could see again KID was gone.
Shin'ichi shook himself, this wasn't how he wanted his time with KID to end. He looked for clue that could point him to his thief, when he noticed small white card near the railing. Shin'ichi carefully picked it up, immediately upon seeing the text his eyes widened.
Good work, finding me tonight.
As a reward I give you one clue to my real identity.
K.K.
The card only had this bit of text, but the shock came upon seeing the back of the card. The detective smiled, the chase was on. It would be only matter of time to find KID – no it wasn't KID anymore.
'Just wait Kaito, I'll find you soon. And you better be prepared when I'll come knocking at your door.'
