Chapter Three:
Accident
It was the day of the next heist and Hakuba was feeling much the same as he had on the last one. Apprehensive. Something was off about today. He couldn't place a finger on what it was, but something big was about to happen.
Of course, it didn't help that the same strange old man from last time had decided to make a repeat appearance.
"Good evening Detective", he greeted Hakuba in a calm and casual 'la-dee-dah' sort of way.
"Evening", the blonde greeted back, watching him as the man glanced up at the sky.
The silence seemed to settle around them and Hakuba finally decided to break the tension before he lost his mind.
"Last time we spoke, you said some…interesting things that came true."
"Oh?" the old man asked, smirking just a bit, "Did I?"
Hakuba frowned, a bit irritated by his attitude. "You did. The fact you're here now must mean there is something else going on tonight. Something that involves Kaitou Kid."
The old man stared at Hakuba without saying anything for a long moment before sighing.
"Tonight…Tonight will be an oddity that not even I can explain. All I can tell you, young detective, is that tonight is about you as much as it is the young thief and through it, you shall grow to understand one another like you never have before."
"About me?" Hakuba repeated, startled.
"Heed my advice. Beware the fires that may, for they bring only destruction and change in their wake."
Confused, Hakuba turned to question the old man some more when he found that again, the stranger had vanished without a trace.
Shaking his head, Hakuba gazed at the sky, wondering what tonight might hold.
Bloody * Rose
Kaito gnawed at his lip as he thought over what Akako had told him earlier.
Colors? What did that even mean? What colors? That barely even gave him anything to run on if there really was something dangerous going on tonight.
He shook his head, trying to clear the rambled thoughts. For now, he had a heist to perform and he could not let his fears get the best of him now; not when he needed to focus on the task at hand. Whatever the problem, he would face it when the time came.
Bloody * Rose
Hakuba sprinted, trying to catch up with the white clad thief. Honestly, he couldn't believe his rotten luck tonight. The entire heist had gone without issue, when suddenly, the building next door, a research laboratory, caught on fire just as the thief was about to make his great getaway.
Coincidence?
Hakuba didn't think so and neither, apparently, did Kaitou Kid who took off towards the building in an attempt to help those who might be trapped inside, having disguised himself as a police officer along the way. The thief was angry that someone had dared to use his show as a distraction to commit an arson, but that didn't mean he would just ignore the situation.
Kaito stopped just short of the laboratory when he noticed a fountain outside the hotel across the street. The magician jumped down from the balcony he had been standing on and dashed towards it, drenching himself in water before sprinting towards the front doors of the research center where the fire was most active. Hakuba followed the thief's lead, drenching himself in water, before hurrying after him.
The two teens covered their mouths and noses with their sleeves as they waded through the thick, rolling smoke. The first floor was clear and so they moved on to the next one and the next one, searching for any sign of someone trapped within.
"Hello?" yelled Kaito, his throat burning, "Can anyone hear me?!"
Behind him, Hakuba was coughing violently, his own throat feeling like ash.
"Hello!?" the thief called again.
"What is this building anyways?" asked Hakuba, his voice raspy and barely above a whisper.
Kaito shrugged, answering without really thinking. "A lab or something."
"Help!" came a voice from out of nowhere. "Please help me!"
"We are coming! Hang on!" yelled Kaito, rushing towards the sound.
"Help me!" the voice screamed again, sounding terrified.
Kaito and Hakuba rushed into the room, only to freeze when they came face to face with a gun.
"Oh do help me, Kaitou Kid", laughed the man in black; his voice losing its frightened pitch and becoming much more amused.
"Snake", growled Kaito, his eyes narrowed in fury.
Hakuba was startled by the venom he saw in the thief's eyes. He had never seen the other with such an expression so consumed by hate.
The man apparently named Snake, chuckled.
"I knew it would be easy to lure you away from your precious heist if you thought someone was in danger because of you. I did not expect you to bring someone with you though", Snake said glancing at Hakuba, "No matter. Both of you can die together."
Kid growled, realizing he had inadvertently placed Hakuba in danger with the very people he had been trying to protect all of his friends and family from all this time. Such a stupid mistake on his part and one that might possibly cost them their lives.
Snake aimed and pulled the trigger, a grin stretched across his face. "Goodbye, thief."
Kaito jumped forward just as the gun went off, grunting in pain as the bullet entered his shoulder. Still moving, he tackled Snake as the man struggled to get another shot off; this one hitting the ceiling above.
"Get off me brat!" the assassin shouted, kicking the thief back.
"Kid!" Kaito heard Hakuba shout, but as he flew back into the shelves behind him, he watched with wide eyes as a cluster of colors from different chemicals spilt out and ran right into the path of the open flames.
"Ah crap," he whispered, just as the world around him exploded into fiery chaos.
