The usual disclaimer is in order – I still don't own any of the DC characters (shocker, huh? ;) )

But without further delay...

Please enjoy and review! :)

There is only one truth

Conan enjoyed KID's heists, as they were one of the precious few places where he could be challenged in a nearly innocent game. A place where he could forget how short his body was, the circumstances that lead to it and the death that seemed to be following every step he made.

The last week wasn't kind to him. He stumbled on three murders and although he managed to solve them, they were a bitter reminder of how the world was like. Ran didn't make it easier for him either. He called her during the week, thinking that it would make her (and himself by extension) happy. At first it even seemed to work. If only, later that night he heard her muffled sobs as she must have cried herself to sleep. Needless to say, it left him feeling guilty.

At times like this, it almost felt like the sole thought of the upcoming heist kept him going, and finally the long-awaited weekend came.

Now, he was scouting the hotel halls in search for any signs of his adversary. Dark thoughts, that followed him through the week, all but forgotten. He allowed them to be pushed aside by the anticipation that the upcoming heist brought.

The target for this night was a gold encrusted topaz brooch, which was sitting now on display in the centre of a ball room. The heist was announced to take place during a mask ball, as if it couldn't be made easier for the thief. Although it was doubtful KID would take the easy way out by simply taking his prize and forgoing making his appearance known with some lavish tricks.

Conan wasn't really looking for a way to stop the theft. Not anymore that is. It took him considerably long to realize what his goal during those events was and what it wasn't. In the end, his conclusion was that his sole goal was to retrieve the target for the night. Stopping the theft from happening was a job for the police and possibly the original owner if they chose to participate in the game. Although that was something they would fail without a doubt.

Forcing down a smirk, he watched the police set up far too obvious traps and obstacles. He could point them the flaws of their plans but it was most likely that he would only get chased away and scolded, despite that they would imply his remarks later on. This was a humiliation he could swallow when the case involved a more menacing villain but in this case? He opted to just imagine in the privacy of his mind the ways KID would turn the traps against his adversaries and continued his own search.

Before he realized it, Conan participated in trying to stop the theft as well but eventually he saw the error of his way. It wasn't that he was afraid of losing to the thief. On the contrary. The problem was that if he did manage to stop the theft, then the magic would end before it started and thus he would be forced to return to the grim reality before he managed to engulf himself in the refreshing challenge. And that completely invalidated his reason for even being there in the first place.

And it was too good to pass, especially that it seemed that KID was getting better each and every time. At this point Conan wasn't sure whether he managed to hide his props so well, or if he didn't leave any to begin with. While searching for a possible get-away he realized that the thief wouldn't be using the roof as an escape route. The building was tall enough and the space between it and the one on the south was wide enough for KID to use his glider but Nakamori left a few of his men there. They weren't positioned out in the open but Conan doubted the thief wasn't aware of them, making it very doubtful he would go there.

Since all of the ground exits from the building were to be sealed before the heist started and guarded as well, Conan predicted that KID would either mingle with the police or the guests, or would use one of the rooms to make his escape from. With the last being the most likely option. He could have even booked a room in advance and stayed there days before the heist started. Only that the massive building had 8 floors filled with rooms, so that wasn't really helpful.

Which meant Conan just had to wait for the magic and challenge. Not that he minded. He would have to see through the deception, to see the truth, which would lead him to find the culprit. But he had to be quick about it, or his adversary would vanish into the night without a trace. To achieve this, he had to use not only his reason to solve it but also follow his instincts any less and he would fail. Which was what made it so refreshing and overwhelming.

If he managed to do that, next would come the battle of wits, cards, and projectiles, allowing him to reclaim the prize. That would be his reward. Not catching the culprit. Not here. Never here. If he ever did that, then the game would end, never to repeat itself on another moonlight night.

His thoughts were interrupted by a beaming voice, one that everyone was anticipating. It seemed to be coming from everywhere, not only in the ball room but on the whole floor. "Ladies and gentlemen-!"

The six guards stationed around the target tightened their ranks, bumping their backs against the display, preparing themselves for whatever was about to happen, while the yet-unseen thief continued speaking.

"Thank You for such numerous attendance! It warms my heart to see so many cheering for me~!"

People in the crowd, standing behind the police line, giggled and clapped their hands, while Nakamori grinded his teeth, undoubtedly biting down any insults he had in store for the thief.

"But that's enough talk~ My dear audience – prepare and…" Conan felt the hair on his neck stand up as he nearly heard KID's lips part in a nasty grin. "-don't panic~!"

Conan's mind went into overdrive and before he could even make a conscious decision to do so, he violently turned his whole body to face the display, simultaneously jumping away from it.

And not a moment too soon.

He noticed KID's white figure falling down (from the ceiling? Was he concealed behind a panel?) onto the display case. Before the policemen could react, as soon as the tip of his shoe touched the glass his white cape, fluttering behind the thief like a waterfall, burst in blue flames.

With shocked yelps, the officers jumped away as KID landed and spread his arms, with the fire consuming his whole suit. Nakamori started barking orders but before Conan could make any sense of his words, the sprinklers came to life, efficiently putting out the flames and covering the whole display case in white smoke.

Conan saw the brave inspector jump into the cloud but was already too late, so that was irrelevant. Instead of focusing n the outcome, he started searching the crowd. Knowing KID's methods, he tried to push away from his mind the image of the white suit. He knew that it would be something different, something his pursuers wouldn't expect. It wouldn't be black, not this time. KID knew that they would expect that second, so he would try to use it against them.

His lips curved in a smile as he noticed movement amidst the crowd. A glimpse of green swimming against the flow of the sea of people. He jumped in its direction, hoping to not lose it in the crowd, which shock and mild terror turned into awe.

Conan glanced over his shoulder and noticed that the smoke started shifting colors and there was something fluttering in it. He turned away from it, knowing it was only a distraction.

He nearly fell over as two officers ran past him. Apparently they must have figured out what was going on. This created a pathway for Conan to finally leave the crowd and enter the corridors. He noticed that the two officers, he was following, were joined with another three, who must have came from another corner of the ball room, and all of them ran into a staircase, where Conan was also heading. He cursed them in his mind, as the sound of their footsteps made it impossible for him to determine how many people were running up the stairs. All he could do was follow them.

It would have been easiest for KID to have hidden in a room on the same floor as the ballroom but that would have been too obvious. Just one floor above would make his entry easiest, making it the second, but just as unlikely place for him to hide. Meaning it had to be higher than that. Underneath them was the lobby and there were no guest rooms at all, so he didn't even take it into consideration.

As they ran up the stairs, due to their longer legs, the policemen managed to get ahead of Conan and leave him behind. When they were a floor above, he heard them yell. "KID! Stop!"

He leaned over the railing and saw a glimpse of white cape fluttering up the stairs. He grinned and ran up the stairs. However, instead of following the officers, he rammed shoulder-first into the door at sixth floor. He expected that the thief would have left a trap to lure his pursuit away from the floor he chose to escape from. So instead of following the cape, like a hound chasing rabbit's tail, he decided to follow his hunch. After all, this was high enough for KID to make his escape with a glider.

The staircase was in the middle of northern section of the building, so Conan ran thorough the corridor until he got to the south side and slowed down. He leaned forward to take a few deep breathes and calm down his racing heart. After resting up he put his hands in his pockets and went ahead walking slowly. He had to somehow figure out the right room, so he couldn't afford to miss a single clue.

He hadn't expected it to be easy, so after noticing that one door was left unlocked he stopped, frowning deeply. It was just a tiny crack into the room beyond, on the otherwise smooth row of locked doors. Was it a trap? Or maybe an invitation? There was only one way to find out.

He pulled his hands out of his pockets and pushed onto the wood. The door silently opened. In any other situation, Conan would be wary of the possible ambush that could have dire consequences. But he knew that beyond the door there would be no foe and at this point, there was no need to be scared, so the adrenaline pumping through his veins curved his lips into a grin.

He narrowed his eyes suspiciously, as the door opened enough to reveal that KID was casually sitting on the windowsill sideways. He was dressed in a green suit, with a golden mask on his face, instead of the usual top hat and monocle. He didn't seem to be paying his visitor any attention. Instead, he was gazing onto the stolen topaz, which he was holding in his outstretched hand, with golden light seeping through the facets and painting his solemn expression.

It wasn't anything new for KID to act nonchalant around him or any of his pursuers, as far as Conan could tell but this… felt off somehow. A quick glance around the room didn't reveal any traps but he couldn't really expect it to. He leaned down on his knee while keeping his eyes on the thief and powered up his shoe. He suppressed the temptation to raise the dart watch at KID as well. Cautiously, he stepped closer, ready to dodge or attack at any moment.

Suddenly, the silence was broken with KID's soft voice. "Tell me, Meitantei, is it still love when all that leaves your lips are lies?"

Conan flinched as and came to an abrupt stop, holding his breath. He was about to start explaining the trick behind tonight's magic, before the expected battle of wits, flurry of cards and soccer balls. He expected some teases, maybe congratulations, but this?

What was this supposed to be? Was the thief trying to throw him off? It didn't feel right. It didn't make enough sense. After all, it was impossible for KID to know Conan's situation in the first place, right?

And even if he did know – he wasn't supposed to speak of it! This was no place for it! He grinded his teeth, as KID finally turned towards him, but his expression was fully concealed in shadow. He couldn't help but feel tricked. This was supposed to be fun and carefree!

"What?" he growled out quietly, while his mind tried to unravel the true meaning.

"For example, what if you started lying for their own good, to keep them and yourself safe. And then only continued, adding more lies, so much so that it got impossible to turn back. Is it still… was it ever love?" KID said calmly, either not seeing, or ignoring the state his adversary was in.

Conan clenched his fists and was about to storm forward. He wasn't going to let him toy with him like that. He wanted to demand him to explain himself and make sure he never tried it again when the oddness of the situation hit him.

KID might have been annoying and mischievous, but he wasn't cruel. What's more, he didn't seem to be in his usual, playful mood either. Of course, the kaitou was a master of the poker face but… there was no reason for him to try and hurt Conan like that, was there?

As no answer came, KID glanced back at his hand and brought the stolen gem closer to his face. It vanished with a flick of his wrist. The motion allowing Conan to snap back to reality.

"Why are you asking me this?" he asked suspiciously.

KID hummed and smirked with amusement, assuming the only expression the white-clad thief should be wearing. "Ah… Should I have made an appointment before seeking answers from a detective of your caliber~?" The mocking tone and the way he was looking down at Conan, made it a clear tease towards his current appearance.

Conan was about to growl back a reply but then KID dropped his smile, his expression turning into more solemn one and he added quietly. "I'm sorry… I shouldn't have said anything…"

That threw Conan off again. KID was capable of wearing expressions and tones like masks. He could trust the thief with his or his friends' life but he knew better than to put any faith in the authenticity of the face he made or wore. But what if it was real this time?

KID moved his shoulders as if he was going to get up and Conan reached towards him, despite the distance. "No, it's fine." He licked his lips and stared at the thief, trying to somehow see through his poker face. "So, you just wanted to talk?"

Maybe he was wrong to begin with, thinking that this was about himself? Conan knew he had a tendency to make everything about himself. It wasn't unreasonable but it didn't have to be true. In the end, KID had a life where he didn't wear a cape and the monocle. He probably had a lot of people he cared about, who had no idea about his nighttime occupation. Was it too farfetched to imagine it might have been bothering him, so he wanted to talk about it? But why would he choose Conan if that was the case?

A smirk reappeared on KID's face, but this time, it didn't reach his eyes. "Am I this distrustful of a person that you find it so unbelievable~?"

Conan gave him a flat glare, trying to summon his teasing tone as well. "You're a thief who just stole a jewel worth millions."

Pearly laughter escaped KID's lips, but somehow it sounded fake. "True that~"

Conan sighed and leaned down to turn down the dial on his shoe. That done, he walked over and climbed onto the windowsill to sit beside the thief. KID didn't try to distance himself, turning his gaze at the busy streets outside instead.

The situation felt off but in the end what didn't in his pint-sized life? And maybe, just maybe, he would manage to appease his own consciousness thanks to this? He looked down at the street as well, imagining he could see Ran down there, somewhere in midst of the crowd.

"As for your question…" he spoke quietly, unable not to think about his own situation, instead of the possible one KID was in, "It's not like lying is always bad… Sometimes it's better to hide the truth." As he said it, it felt wrong, like something that was against his very own principles, so he added. "At least for a while. I mean, sometimes there might be a greater cause. Lying doesn't mean you have ill intentions."

KID looked sideways at him, with a slight smirk. "But that's not what I asked, is it~?" Conan twitched. "The thing is that there's always a reason to lie, Meitantei. Be it shame, a need to protect, a prank… Does it really make that much of a difference?"

"It does if it saves a life," he replied with confidence.

"Yes, of course. But I'm not talking about a momentary situation. Isn't it that if you feel the need to lie, constantly, it means that you cannot trust with the truth to the person you're lying to." He turned towards Conan and looked him in the eyes. "In the end, what is a lie, if not deception or lack of trust? So in short, it means you don't trust the person you say you love, doesn't it? And is there love, any real love without trust?"

Conan opened his mouth to argue but he couldn't find any arguments. He wondered again which one of them KID was talking about. But in the end it didn't matter, did it?

He pursed his lips and dropped his gaze at his hands, looking through his memories instead. Why did he start and continue lying to Ran? He could blame it on the professor or Haibara but it wouldn't be right. He never did what people wanted him to if he believed they were in the wrong. So why couldn't he trust Ran? He used to deceive himself that it was in order not to worry her but it wasn't that, was it? He heard and saw her cry out of worry for him, precisely because she didn't know where he was, what he was doing or anything about him at all. And on the flip side, he asked her to wait for him and expected to trust him, when he said he would return.

She did trust him. But could he say the same?

"But the truth can be a burden…" he whispered the only thing that came to his mind. The only excuse he could cling on to.

KID hummed quietly. "Yeah… the truth can be hard and frightening. But what when it gets somehow exposed? What if the person you tried to, ah, protect, ends up, for example, adding two and two together. Or if an unhelpful detective comes along and exposes everything?" He offered with a hint of a tease but didn't really put his heart into it and dropped it before continuing. "Wouldn't the burden be worse then?"

It was something Conan never spoke out loud although he couldn't stop thinking about it after each time Ran nearly caught him. He knew deep down that if that ever happened she would not only have to endure the fear of the Organization shadow but also the knowledge that he lied to her and in essence – used her and her father.

But he already did all that. He smiled bitterly. "Maybe. But at some point there's no turning back, is there?"

He felt KID's searching gaze on himself but couldn't bear to look back at him, so he just kept staring outside. "You can always confess the truth…"

And that was it, wasn't it? That was exactly the thing he always wanted but never did. There was nothing he could reply to this, so he didn't. Instead, he allowed his mind to venture once again through all the 'what if' scenarios only to try and get himself distracted by wondering about KID's possible situation.

He couldn't be sure what it was but in a sense, he felt that they weren't all that different from each other. Despite the huge amount of differences between them, being like worlds apart and yet… here they were.

As the silence stretched out between them it was eventually broken with a soft snort. Conan looked back at the KID, who was now sitting with his back leaned over the window frame, with a small smirk curving his lips.

"To think I would be the one to act as an agent of truth, and you as the lie advocate~"

Conan gave out a sad chuckle. "Well, it's your trope to make the impossible possible, right?"

KID's smirk turned into a full-blown toothy grin. "So true~" He reached up to the brim of his hat and got up, turning towards the city before him. "But I think it's high time to end this night. After all, we shouldn't expect the police to be chasing shadows through the whole night."

Conan hummed in agreement and looked down at the street. He couldn't make out any figures from so high, but he did see some lights flashing from the police cars. Apparently they still haven't left.

He, more sensed than saw, KID preparing to leave and spoke up hastily, "Will you say the truth?"

There was a pause, as the thief seemed to consider the answer. "Who knows..." he replied with a melancholy in his tone and looked down at him, with the well-studied smile on his lips, allowing their eyes to meet again. "In the end, I am the master of deception." And his gaze seemed to add wordlessly: 'What about you?'

Without waiting for an answer KID dipped his hat ever so slightly and leaned forward, into the thin air and plummeted down. Conan followed him with his gaze and saw him replace the green suit with his white one with the cape that quickly turned into a white wing, carrying him above the streets and cheering crowds below. Conan kept on watching in silence until all he could see was a speck of white against the dark night sky and then nothingness.

He sighed heavily and allowed his gaze to drop down, onto the windowsill. He wasn't surprised to notice the Eye of Apollo - tonight's heist's target, a gold encysted topaz brooch – just laying there. He snorted, as he had nearly forgotten about it altogether.

He picked it up and raised it, allowing the moonlight to seep through it onto his face. If he remembered correctly, Apollo was a Greek God of, among others, law and truth. KID sure knew how to make a statement... Or maybe this was the reason for his questions in the first place?

As he looked through the gem he couldn't help but wonder what the thief hoped to see when he did the same. Whatever it was, Conan was sure that it was the reason why he put on the cloak to seek out the jewels and entangle himself in the web of lies. Lies that were apparently weighing him down far more than anyone could have expected.

Conan found himself wanting to hope for KID to finally reach his goal, but couldn't. If that happened he would leave him alone in the world, where the criminals killed, or otherwise hurt their victims. A black and white, depressing world.

Conan huffed bemused with his own selfishness and lowered the priceless ornament again. Quietly, he slipped off the windowsill onto the floor, directing his steps towards the corridor and then towards the stairs. As he walked down he went over what they had talked about, seeking answers inside of him.

Surprisingly, he didn't feel tricked out of his refreshing challenge anymore. He might have wished for a battle of wits, a moment of distraction from the pain he carried inside but this wasn't exactly bad either. Maybe he just needed someone to talk about it? Someone who could understand him because they were going through the same?

But what was he going to do now? Was he going to tell Ran the truth? If he didn't tell her now, when would he? Would he even be able to confess all of this after he got his body back? When it would be so easy to just not do it? When there wouldn't even be any need to anymore..?

Did he really love her to begin with..?

Why was he more at ease around a thief than a woman he said he loved..?

After returning the topaz and explaining (lying) where he was the entire time, he was allowed to leave the building. As soon as he left, he heard Ran call out to him. He looked up and saw her coming towards him, reaching out to him.

Conan pulled out a hand and reached back to her, whispering tenderly, too softly for her to hear. "Ran..."

In hindsight, I might have skipped nearly the whole section before the dialog but… I simply enjoy setting up the stage~ Hope you don't mind too much~

I leave the ending vague, so you can finish it as you like. It's up to you to decide how this continues. Personally, I enjoy cannon pairings and the unique, sort-of-friendship the detective and the thief share, but I do not mind if you prefer it otherwise.

What I wish for you, is Merry Christmas and a happy New Year and to accept this tale as my gift to each and every one of you.

See you next year, in another story