Disclaimer: I don't own these characters or settings.

This story occurs in the timeline of Detective Conan: Dystopia, between Conan's leaving and his return.

"Tonight, At 10:30, Under the Full Moon,
I will steal the Largest Amethyst Gemstone
from the Tokyo Museum. - Kaito 1412"
KAITO KID TO STRIKE AGAIN IN UNSTOPPABLE STRING OF ROBBERIES!
Kaito Sighed and read for the third time the article on the third page of the newspaper.
It wasn't right, being relegated to old news like this. It was all because of that incident a year ago that stripped him of his worthiest adversary. That kid was brilliant, that kid had flare, that kid had the panache that it took to face off against him in a truly memorable duel. But sadly, that kid was gone, vanished into the ether like the smoke that so often allowed Kaito to escape.
It wasn't that there weren't others to oppose him; Nakamori was always good for a laugh, but kept proving himself no challenge.
That guy in Osaka was fun, but there was so little to steal in Osaka worth Kaito's time.
With Hakuba overseas, and Mouri in some sort of seclusion, it was like there were no great challenges left to him, a depressing thought...
"Oh, what's wrong, Master Thief," Akako chided him, glancing at the newspaper in his hand, "Missing your young Detective again?"
The Sorceress leered at him from her desk. She annoyed him with that pompous attitude of hers.
"Akako, Leave Kaito Alone," Aoko told her, her face in a huff, "You know he did not mean to take your pencil, and you continue calling him 'Thief'."
Aoko was still unaware that Kaito was in fact the Gentleman Thief, Kaito Kid. Kaito let himself get caught up in how she looked at that moment, as she tried to defend him without really knowing. Maybe that was why he could not bring himself to do anything that might hurt her...
"Relax Kaito," Akako said coolly, "my... sources... claim that the knight from the East had apprentices that may yet reignite the spark of passion in the White Warrior."
Kaito's head shot up, but Akako was already walking away, leaving Aoko with a confused look on her face.
"Apprentices, huh?" Kaito thought, "Maybe tonight will be more fun then I thought.

"Hey, guys, check it out!" Mitsuhiko called, holding the newspaper high, "Looks like Kaito Kid is going after the Largest Amethyst Gem at the Museum Tonight!"
It had been a bad year for Shonen Tantei. Loosing Conan and Haibara had been a rough blow to all of them. Genta and Ayumi had lost their confidence and though Mitsuhiko tried to cheer them up, he often found even his own spirits failing.
"Why should we care?" Genta challenged, "We can't catch him, Shonen Tantei is just a joke without Conan."
"We can't even find that stupid yellow cat..." Ayumi concurred.
Mitsuhiko sighed. He knew that their success could not all have been attributed to Conan. Conan had changed them, it's true, given each the focus and the strength and the will to move forward with what needed to be done, but Mitsuhiko was certain that if they worked together, they could be great detectives without him.
"Come on, guys," Mitsuhiko said, "Conan must have left because he wanted us to grow on our own as detectives so that we can act without relying on him and Haibara-san all the time. I can't promise you that Conan will come back, but if we beat Kaito Kid, it will draw international media, and maybe we can get out of our slump and let Conan know that we are as good as he is."
Genta and Ayumi seemed energized by Mitsuhiko's speech. They got up and began crafting a plan to capture Kaito Kid. In order for it to succeed, though, they needed to call up an old friend.

"Look at it this way, Nakamori," said Police Chief Megure, "Not even Kid can disguise himself as kid that small."
Nakamori looked like he was going to blow out a vain. "This is my arrest!"
"And it still will be." Megure promised, "The kids are just here because they have a plan to catch Kid."
It was almost time and everything was in place, all that was left was to wait for Kid to make his grand entrance and then spring the trap.

Kaito winged in on his hang glider, ready to meet whatever challenge awaited him.
"Who are these apprentices, and will they truly prove worthy opponents?" he wondered.
He landed on the roof and slipped in through a ventilation duct. The crawl was tight, but it gave quick access to the room housing the target gemstone.
As he silently dropped to the room's floor a loud voice yelled "HE'S HERE! WE GOT HIM NOW!"
A rope suddenly dropped around him, Lassoing him.
His arms still free of the Lasso, he quickly pulled out his card gun and fired at the rope, cutting himself free. As he turned to reach for the gem, he suddenly heard a loud cry of pain.
"Mitsuhiko!" Ayumi screamed.
Kid Turned to see the young girl kneeling next to her friend, who lay crumpled on the floor, a playing card jutting from his left eye and blood covering his face. Kid involuntarily took three steps forward.
"Gotcha." thought Mitsuhiko as he hit the button dropping a large cage.
"What?" said the captured thief, as Mitsuhiko got up and pulled the fake card and wound from his eyes.
"Of course Kaito would be concerned if he thought he injured a kid. Who wouldn't be." he said with a grin.
he looked at Ayumi and Genta, "I will go get Nakamori. You two watch him."
When he had gone, Ayumi approached Kid.
"Why do you do it?" she asked, "Why do you steal?"
Kaito grinned at the girl. "I suppose I am chasing the ghost of my father, the first Kaito Kid." he told her, "I want him to be happy with me." He shot her a grin that made her light-headed. "That and to encounter Detectives like you and your friends, who make it fun."
"Oi, oi," Genta growled, "that's enough of that." He pulled Ayumi back from the cage.
"His... eyes..."Ayumi whispered, "so much like Conan's..." She swooned.
Mitsuhiko returned, followed by Nakamori.
"Genta-kun, what happened to Ayumi-chan?" Mitsuhiko said, concerned.
"I think Kid mesmerized her." Genta explained.
"Well done, kids," Nakamori said, "I will be taking Kid into custody... just as soon as I get back from the restroom." He hurried off.
Moments later, two officers arrived and looked in the cage.
"Eh? What are you doing in that cage, Inspector Nakamori?" one asked.
Mitsuhiko and Genta spun around to look at the cage as the officers moved to open it.
The cage had not been tampered with or opened yet.
"No, Stop, that's Kid!" Mitsuhiko shouted. Too late.
A cloud of smoke filled the cage as the door opened followed by the sound of Running footsteps and Kid's voice:
"Nice try kids, but I will take my leave! That stone isn't the one I am after anyway!"
Police officers and Detectives alike charged through the smoke, following Kid to a nearby window, arriving just in time to watch Kaito's Hang glider fly away.
Dejected, Mitsuhiko, Genta, and the three officers returned to where the real Nakamori was checking on the unconscious Ayumi.
"Kid took off on his hang glider." Mitsuhiko said, frowning.
"Well, at least we prevented the theft." Nakamori said, "Kid will think twice before challenging ME again."
As Nakamori, the kids, and the other two cops headed down the stairs and out of the building, Kaito stayed behind. He picked up the Gemstone and held it in the moonlight streaming in through the window. No. he had been right. It wasn't the one he was looking for. So the search would continue... well, at least he had some fun new opponents!

End