So, I stole the riddles I used in this first game of this chapter from because while I am good at rhymes and perhaps could make riddles myself, it would take forever and I was really struggling with this chapter as it was, so yeah. I left space between each riddle, so feel free to try and solve it yourselves before the characters do.

Enjoy!

"Your friends will believe in your potential, your enemies will make you live up to it." - Tim Fargo

The Murder Game

Chapter Three

Written by Dalantis

Hattori took a deep breath and drew his silver next instructional card.

"The others will roll the dice, but it's the lowest number that shall pay the price. Friend vs friend, I hope your relationship can heal and mend. Round three, oh Jubilee, this is going to be so very funny! One versus one, the game's half way done. Once you have rolled, choose a blue card as you are told."

"So, we all rule then to see who plays with Hattori," Kudo stated grabbing the dice. Rolling them out across the table, the four watched in silence. "Seven."

"It's the lowest number that will play," Hakuba reminded them as he took the dice. "Three."

Kaito took the dice, his eyes hard. He hated this game, but he knew it was too late to do anything but finish what they had started. "…Six."

"So it's me then," Hakuba sighed, his eyes narrowing on Heiji who stared back, equally dissatisfied.

"I suppose if I have to work with you," He sniffed before drawing a blue card.

"You drew the blue card, but do not worry this won't be as hard! That is, that is, if you can play, and make it through this round, you may, you may! Be careful you two, you get only one clue, and it varies depending on the card you drew. One will say a number, an action or word, the other had better hope he was listening and heard. Consider this extreme truth or dare, choose one or the other and see how you fare. Draw a blue card for truth and a red for dare, do this ten times and you shall might earn something quite rare. A reward, a reward, that is the goal, I hope you can do this and keep your soul. Should you reject it or should you lie, I would be careful, you might say goodbye."

The four stood in silence, taking in the instructions.

"So we get unlimited time, but… we each have to do at least five dares or truths, depending on what we choose, we draw a blue or red card."

"Obviously there is punishment should we choose not to do something," Hakuba muttered as he reread the card.

"Just do what it tells you… if it really is something so bad that you can't, then we will cross that road when we come to it," Shinichi argued, "at this point, we don't have a lot of choice."

Kaito nodded in agreement, but he remained silent as the two turned to the table.

"Who should go first?" Hattori questioned, glancing at the blonde jerk beside him.

Hakuba shrugged. "Doesn't really matter does it? We will each have to five, regardless. I just want to get it over with."
Heiji scoffed. "In that first, be my guest, go first. Truth or Dare, Hakuba?"

Saguru narrowed his eyes. "Truth."

Heiji drew a blue card.

"Your job is to solve each murder and crime, take a seat and solve this rhyme. With pointed fangs it sits in wait, with piercing force it doles out fate. Over bloodless victims proclaiming its might, eternally joining in a single bite."

"…"

"…"

"…"

Hakuba scoffed. "That's easy. A stapler."

Everyone held their breath, but when nothing happened, Hattori put the card down in relief. "Nice."

"Simple riddles are beneath me. This game will have to do better if it wishes to prove a challenge. Still, it's nice to know a truth can also be a riddle or puzzle of sorts."

Heiji rolled his eyes. "Give me a truth too then."

Hakuba raised an eyebrow, but drew a new blue card.

"You enjoy each game and sport, prepare yourself for a different sort. If you can close eyes and name, a single little tiny thing, then you will have won this round of the game. Despised am I by knave and liar, after me the wise do inquire, since I rise above all death and fire."

Heiji blinked, his brow furrowing. "Despised by cheats and liars… the wise search or question for it… rises above death…"

"Hattori, seriously," Shinichi sighed.
Heiji blinked before his mouth formed a silent 'oh'. "The answer is Truth."

"Finally," Hakuba snorted, "I thought you would take all night."

Heiji rolled his eyes. "So sorry truth wasn't the first thing I thought of. Pick a card, goldilocks."

Hakuba frowned, ignoring his taunt. "Truth again."

"Scaredy cat," Hattori mumbled under his breath.

"Excuse me?" Saguru snapped, "I don't see you choosing dare."

"Fine, then next time I will!"

"Fine, me too!"

Hattori swept the card off the blue pile and began to read.

"So you like to talk and spittle, let's see if you can solve this riddle. I can help you clean your shirt, I can fall and not get hurt. Look for me to beat the heat, I can run without my feet."

Saguru was silent, his mind reviewing the words. "Without feet, it can run. It can beat the heat. Something outside perhaps? Hmm… fall and not get hurt, and can clean a shirt. Oh duh," he sighed.

Heiji raised an eyebrow.

"The answer is water."

Heiji watched, a bit nervously, as Hakuba drew a red card.

"The first one to draw a dare, you finally up and grew a pair."

"Did… this game just mock me?" Hattori asked, blinking.

"I… I think it did," Kudo blinked back.

"I knew this game was alive," Kaito huffed, amusement clear in his indigo eyes.

Hattori ignored the thief and the laughing blonde. "Hurry up and continue, half Jap mutt!"

Hakuba reigned in his laughter, but the smirk was still clear as he continued to read, but when he looked down at the words, he realized they had changed. Confused, he looked up at the others. "It…"

"Hurry up Hakuba," Heiji smirked, "or are you the one it was talking about?"

Saguru frowned, but his concern was still present as he began to read.

"You laugh and joke while others persist, So, I shall increase the risk. Within this room the count is four, what if there wasn't two anymore. Should you, would you, could you afford too, choose a friend and cut right into. You have a blade so use your weapon of trade… this is the march of the black parade. Did you think this game would remain, innocent and free of pain? Choose one player to fall to the ground, choose one player to cry out loud. One in the hand and one in the leg, I want you on your knees and beg. Do this and we shall continue, but it will now be a different kind of menu."

"Did we… make it angry?" Hattori whispered, stunned.

Hakuba was silent, his hand shaking. "It… can't be serious." He looked at Kudo and Kaito who stared back, just as shaken.

"It wants me to… it wants…" Heiji gripped the handle of his sword, his eyes clenched closed.

"Do it."

Everyone turned to Kaito, his eyes dark. "You have to or who knows what the punishment will be. If we really did do something to somehow tick this thing off, then it might get angrier if we ignore its warning."

"All I did was mock him," Hakuba spat pointing at Hattori. "How did that tick off this stupid messed up game?!"

"We don't even know if you did make it made, Hakuba. Maybe it was drawing a dare that triggered this, we can't know, but we do know, is that the thing is serious. This dare… its serious."

"I…I can't hurt Shinichi or you Kuroba, I… that's just… no." Hattori shook his head, legs trembling as he collapsed onto the couch. He ignored the pulse of pain from his own leg injury.

Kaito ignored him and swept the card into his own hand. "It says one player to fall to the ground, probably the one with the leg wound. Another to cry in pain, no doubt the one with the hand injury."

"It said parade, so that means this is a show, a parade if you will, something to teach us that this game is serious and that it's going to get harder now. I think Kaito was right, I don't think you made this thing mad Hakuba. I think it was just going to get harder at this stage in the game anyways."

"But it was different when I looked down at the card earlier."

"What?" the three turned to him.

"When I first started to read it, I swear it didn't say what it is it now says. It changed. I think we made it change."

"… then we need to watch what we say, because this thing obviously can hear and understand us. If we act like we aren't taking this gam seriously, I have a feeling it will only grow that much more determined to prove us wrong." Kudo peered at his friends. "In other words, this is a personal challenge to us all, not because we laughed, but because we made light of the challenges it had thus presented to us."

"Great, a board game with feelings," Heiji laughed bitterly, his eyes pained as he turned to his friends. "What now?"

Kudo and Kaito shared a look.

"I'm strongest with my leg," Shinichi told the thief.

"And I am best with my hands," Kuroba nodded in agreement, the two easily communicating with just their eyes before they turned to Heiji.

"Do it Hattori," Shinichi told his best friend, "take the blade and stab me through the palm. If you do it right, it should miss anything vital."

"And my foot," Kaito spoke up, "same with him, do it right between the bones and everything should be fine."

Heiji stared at them, his chin dropping in horror. "You have got to be kidding. What if… what if I do it wrong?" he whispered.

"Then you tried and we will never blame you," Shinichi told him, a faint smile on his lips.

"I will just prank you for the rest of your life," Kaito shrugged, but his eyes were serious as he placed a kind hand on his friends shoulder. "We trust you. Do your best."

Hakuba shook his head. "Wait a minute, surely this is nonsense, I mean… you can't honestly just stab them, can you?"

Hattori glanced at the blonde and Saguru grew quiet. He could see the anguish in his look. This was the last thing he wanted to do, but there was a resolve there and as Heiji took a breath and walked over to his friends, he pushed away all other thoughts or emotion the best he could.

Shinichi knelt down on the floor, his hand laid palm up as he watched his best friend take his sword and position the point of the blade straight about it.

"Ready?" Heiji asked.

Shinichi nodded. "Do it."

"On three?" Hattori whispered, his voice cracking ever so slightly.

"On three," Kudo nodded. "One… two…"

Heiji ran it down before three and Shinichi cried out before swallowing his pain. Carefully and with shaking hands, Hattori pulled the blade out. Blood pooled and ran over the detective's fingers and Hakuba hurried forward, wrapping a bandage he found upstairs around his friends injury.

Heiji was silent, the hilt of the sword still clutched in his hand as he stared down at the red stain spread wide across the carpeted floor.

"Hey," Kaito laid a hand on his shoulder, but the other flinched and jerked away, eyes locking on the thief's.

"Kuroba…I… I can't do it again, I… that was… Shinichi is…"

"Hey, come on, he's okay. Yeah, it hurt, but that's part of this right? We finish this game and it's all over. We have to do that."

"No!" Hattori snapped, shoving the magician back.

Kaito stumbled, but held his ground as Heiji dropped to his knees, shaking. Hakuba and Kudo were silent as they watched from across the room, the blonde still cleaning and bandaging the stab wound.

"I can't do that again! Let me take their place!" he shouted up at the ceiling, unsure of really who he was fully screaming at, "let me take this next injury, please!"

Kaito was silent as he reached down and gently picked up the fallen blade. He eyed it's shadowy aura. "No restrictions," he whispered, "all the other items have had user restrictions, but not this… why not this."

Shinichi looked up, curious what the thief was getting at.

"It has to be for a time like this," Kaito stated, his eye locking with Kudo's, with his greatest rival. Of the three, he was closer on a personal level with Hakuba, but Kudo and he knew each other on the flip side of that. They knew the lies, the pain, and the lengths both would go to save their friends and this barely even constituted a price in their eyes.

Looking down at his feet, Kaito chose the right one, deciding he used his left foot more for various tricks and movements.

"Kuroba…" Hakuba stated, his eyes widening.

Heiji turned at the name. "No!" he shouted, but it was too late.

Kaito rammed the sword down on his own foot, but he didn't cry out. His entire body quaked with pain and his breaths were heavy and fast, but he didn't cry out. Pulling it back up and out, he turned to Heiji who stared at him in silent horror.

"We need to keep playing. Hakuba, your next. Truth or Dare?"

It took the blonde a moment before he found his voice, all staring at the magician with stunned admiration, perhaps mixed with a hint of fear.

"I… I did agree to do one, so I suppose… I choose dare."

Kaito nodded and turned to Heiji, eyes locked on the Osakan's as he spoke. "Draw it. Draw the red card and read it out loud. Hakuba has three more and you have three more, so let's get on with it."

Heiji moved almost in slow motion as he drew a card and Kaito feared the other boy was going into shock, but he let him alone. He needed to realize this was more than a game. They all did. This was real. The four of them are locked in a cage and are merely the rats in this maze of rhymes and rules.

As Hattori read the card, the game continued and each round passed from player to player. None of the dares were quite as hard as that first one, at least not to Hakuba and Heiji. For them, the worst was hurting those they cared about. Hurting themselves on the other hand, was much easier.

Hakuba was forced to choose someone else to carve something into his arm. No one wanted to do it, but Kaito had proven himself resilient and Hakuba had all but shoved the knife in the thief's hands. As Kaito chose the shortest word possible "I", it wasn't as bad as it could have, but it still hurt the magician to cut even an inch across his friend's arm and deep enough it would scar. Hakuba never blamed him, but he could tell Hattori and Saguru were both at their whit's end in this challenge. After that, they both chose truths and solved each puzzle and riddle with practiced ease. Once in a while they would get stuck, but they often figured out with a hint or prompt from Kudo.

Kaito remained silent.

As the game came to an end, none of them were in a hurry to draw the reward card. Hakuba sat with his arm bandaged. Kaito had barely cut him, but he had cut him deep as the game had ordered, enough it would leave a permanent mark in the future. Heiji sat away from everyone, clear across the table, his eyes closed, making no move to draw his gold colored card. Kudo was the only one who stood and made his way to the magician who sat in the dark corner of the room, peering out at his fellow victims.

"Hey."

Kaito flicked his gaze on the detective and then back on the other two. "Hey."

Shinichi sighed and lowered himself gently to the floor with one hand. "I know it was hard to play the bad guy and force them to continue the game, but you were right to do so. I have to admit, I'm even jealous of you, crazy thief, you made it look so easy running that blade through your own foot. I know my hand hurts like hell and unlike you, I haven't been using it since then."

Kaito shrugged. "I'm good."

Kudo rolled his eyes and shoved the thief lightly. "Please, spare me the poker face. Let me help you."

Kuroba sighed and dropped the mask, his eyes shining with pain. Shinichi sent him a small smile of gratitude and gently tugged the thief's shoe and sock off, both slick with blood. The wound looked horrible, but was done with amazing precision. It would heal nicely.

Kuroba watched Shinichi as he tended to his foot. He knew the detective's game was next and he wondered what it would be and if it would involve the two of them or perhaps just the detective himself.

A deep sigh had both looking up as they watched Hattori reach over and pick up a gold card.

"Ten truths and dares, I know you might have even had a few scares. One reward you did earn, I do so hope you used this opportunity to grow and to learn. Item received: Heat signature glasses. User restriction: only the player who received it can use it."

"So my turn next," Kudo sighed, standing up.

Everyone was silent as the other moved to the table and drew his next silver instructional card.

"You passed the test, now take a rest. This challenge will be quickly done, so choose a partner to chase for fun. Whoever draws red from the other first will win, do be quick and take your weapon of choice for a spin."

"It doesn't say what color card to draw."

"Red," Kaito spoke up, "it mentioned red, so I'm guessing that's the color you choose. Also, I'm game. I'll play with you."

"No," Hattori snapped, his gaze sharp, "No. You're injured, so just sit and let your foot heal. I'll play."

Hakuba was silent, staring between them.

Shinichi frowned, eyeing his friend. The other was still shaking.

"It says for me to choose." He turned to Kuroba. "KID, I choose you. Just like old times, huh?"

Kaito grinned a very KID-like-smile as he drew his card gun from out of nowhere, expression manic. "Like old times."

Hattori said nothing as he sat back down, but Shinichi had a feeling the two of them would have a long conversation about this in the future.

Drawing the red card, Kudo read it out loud.

"Tag you are it, be careful not to get hit. I give you a minute thirty, but you had better hurry. To the winner goes the prize, the loser shall agonize. Take it as you will, but enjoy the drill, this game is quite the thrill."

"Start on opposite sides?" Kaito suggested.

"But of course," Kudo grinned.

Hakuba watched the two of them. "You both seem far too relaxed about this challenge."

"Eh," Kaito shrugged as he made his way upstairs, "we are junkies, so sew us."

Kudo shook his head, a smile painted across his lips as Hakuba rolled his eyes. "Thrill junkies, how could I have forgotten?" he asked sarcastically.

Hattori was silent, his eyes still glue to the floor where two red stains were within feet of each other. He didn't even move when Shinichi raced past him towards the stair case, dodging a card as it flew at him from the dark. Kudo dropped a soccer ball from his belt as he launched it at the thief. He knew he still had the red box, but he didn't want to use it now. They still had seven more challenges, including this one to win, who knew when it might come in handy. Besides, that would ruin the fun of chasing the thief again after so many months away.

"Meitantei, I hate your demon soccer balls!" Kaito called out.

Shinichi chuckled, dodging another card. He barely leapt back in time as one struck the wall and dug in, staying stuck straight up where it had landed.

"Then don't make yourself such an easy target!" he shouted.

Ringing laughter was the response as thief and detective circled one another in the dark, rolling, diving, and climbing. There were flashes of light as Kaito tried to trap the detective, but years with the thief had made him fairly knowledgeable on the thief's tactics and tricks, but then that's when it went wrong. With only thirty seconds left, the thief's leg gave out and Shinichi launched his ball. Both stared wide eyed in shock when it struck the thief in the chest.

Kudo breathed hard as he watched the fallen thief lay there, panting. Flecks of blood on the carpet were noticeable beneath Kaito's foot and Shinichi grimaced realizing the other must have reopened his wound and got it bleeding again at a fairly quick rate.

"Good game," Kaito sighed.

Shinichi smirked. "I probably would have been the one on the ground if not for your injury."

"Nah, we would have tied," Kuroba smirked, "like old times."

Shinichi gently helped the thief to his feet and the two stumbled back downstairs where the others sat waiting.

"I see your both still alive," Hakuba greeted them, "who won?"

"Me," Shinichi smiled faintly, "it was close though."

"You lost huh?" the blonde smirked.

Kaito waved him away, grinning. "I call redo when all this ends."

"Agreed," Shinichi laughed.

Kudo glanced at Hattori as he passed, but the other refused to look up or move. Sighing, Shinichi drew his gold card.

"Congrats you won, the game is done. The winner pays no price, the loser shall roll the dice. Land on a seven or higher and you shall gain a vast desire. Roll a six or any lower, your body will heal that much slower. Reward earned: life token. For seven or higher, draw a gold card."

Kaito took the dice in his hands and rolled them. It didn't matter what it landed on. All that mattered was that the came continued. He had to keep telling himself that. If no one else, he knew the myth regarding Pandora. It made sense to him why this game was called that. It made sense to him why the game was here, but the question was how it came to be here. Who had brought it?

"Eight," Hakuba sighed in relief, "thank God."

Kaito sent his friend a warm smile as he drew a gold card.

"With absolute resoluteness, Lady Luck doth she kiss. Chosen white knight, your future is bright. Can you continue this game, and keep your fear under reign? You have earned a medical kit, fully supplied. No restrictions."

"That will come in handy. It said vast desire, I take it your current desire is to tend to your injury?"

Kaito hummed. "Not just mine, but yeah, I figured it would come in handy. I had a feeling it wouldn't let my desire be the end of this game, so I chose something I felt would be useful. After all, what little supplies I had in the house is almost gone. We needed something more."

Hakuba sighed and stood up, his hand resting on his injured arm as he stared down at the cards.

"My turn I guess."

He drew his silver card.

"Tick tock on the clock, you're between a hard spot and a rock. Your best friend you shall save or he shall die that criminal knave. You have minutes ten to solve the code, or continue down alone this hellish road. Draw a yellow card."

Hakuba snapped his head up. "Kaito?!"

Everyone stared in the kitchen where the thief had gone to set the medical kit, but there was no sound, no sign. The magician had vanished. Quickly drawing a yellow card, he began to read.

"The magician is but a mask, the thief his dad's old task. Who is the boy behind the shame, the one who always gains the fame, yet all he finds is endless pain. Burn he shall should this puzzle go unsolved, his will was set but yours shall dissolve. Trapped and dying in this dark old house, find him now or face the cost!"

"Katio!" Hakuba screamed, his eyes snapping to and fro as though they might find the magician in the empty air around him.

"We will help you Hakuba, we…" Shinichi tried to move, but found himself bound.

Hattori blinked and tried to move his own legs, but they held fast. "We… can't move."

Saguru scowled and began to run room to room, but nothing, there was nothing!

"Think Hakuba, it mentioned in a puzzle, somewhere in this how there must be something hidden that you need to solve."

"It also mentioned his dad… also KID, but… he's never shown us the den before! He told me about it, but I have no idea where it is."

"It said he hides behind the shame, gains fame and only finds endless pain, maybe which means something?" Kudo suggested.

"His dad!" Hakuba realized. He shot up the stairs and stared at the poster. Desperately he touched it and ran his hands around the corners, but nothing. How then… suddenly the poster swung open and there it was, the Kaitou Kid's hidden den. Now where was the puzzle?! His eyes widened when he noticed a silver card on the…car? In the middle of the room.

"He searched through the shelves and down and around; he pulled things off and threw them to the ground. He search high and he searched low, his actions were oh so slow. Tick tock goes the clock, play a song and let it rock. The ground shall split, should he find the right switch."

Hakuba crumpled it in his hand as he eyed the jute box. "Play a song and let it rock," he whispered and hurried over to it. Which one was it?! Choosing at random, he pushed a button. A song began, but nothing happened. He chose another and another and another. None of them seemed to be working. Finally, he chose another. This song, he recognized it as one of the thief's favorites. "Welcome to the Masquerade" was the title.

He listened to the words as the ground of the den began to shake.

"We've got the fire, who's got the matches
Take a look around at the sea of masks
and come one come all, welcome to the grand ball
Where the strong run for cover and the weak stand tall
I'm not one to scatter ashes
But there's some things that melt the plastic
Try and dig down deeper if you can
I'm not afraid
I'm not ashamed
I'm not to blame
Welcome to the masquerade
I'm not ashamed
I'm not afraid
I'm not okay
Welcome to the masquerade
Welcome to the masquerade"

Staring down into the darkness, Hakuba took a breath and started down the hidden staircase. Six minutes remaining.

Welcome to the Masquerade by Thousand Foot Crutch. Great song, by the way and one of my favorites! Anyways, it's actually the riddle for the next part of the challenge, so stay tuned, more to come! Possibly six chapters. I swear this thing keeps growing, but it's a lot to write and plan out in a single sitting, so I need a break. Next chapter coming soon!

Please Review!