Chapter 6: Lurking Shadows

"What the hell did you guys get yourselves into?"

That was not an answer that Conan wanted to hear. The seriousness on Toshiro's face was more than unnerving; furthermore, it didn't help that he couldn't tell if the thief was acting or not.

"What did he say?" Hakuba pressed, concerned about Toshiro's reaction as well.

Toshiro looked up at the detectives, mixture of confusion and fear plain in his eyes, "I wasn't able to follow it completely due to the code-switching, but…" Toshiro looked down at badge, "but, this guy has killed several people now and whomever he is working for plans on killing more. From what I could figure out, this guy is part of a terrorist group. He was talking about his 'next target' and promised to keep the authorities running in circles. It was vague, but he mentioned something about the National Diet and the Cabinet."

Toshiro glanced up to the detectives again, "This needs to be taken to the authorities now."

The detectives absorbed what he said. It was clear that there was more to this, but either Toshiro couldn't translate or he wasn't letting on the rest. After a moment with nothing but chatter by the other occupants of the café, Hattori finally spoke up, "Do ya think it's that bad?"

Toshiro's eyes scanned them, and he nodded his head, "If anything, I think it's even worse than what I could understand."

There was more silence from the detectives until Hakuba sighed, "We only have your word to go by until this is translated completely. But considering you're Conan-kun's brother, I doubt you're wrong." He got up, looking at Conan, and pointed to the badge, "Do you mind if I take this? I think we should follow your brother's advice and bring this in."

Conan, who had not said a word yet, still going over all that was said, simply nodded his head. Hakuba thanked him and took the badge. Before he left, he looked at the remaining three and said, "I don't know about Hattori-kun, but I intend to continue on this case if it is this serious. However, I suggest that Conan-kun remains out of it." All three gave the Brit a different look: Hattori, confused; Conan, shocked; and Toshiro, relieved. Habuka continued, "While I know you are an exceptionally bright child and have been around much, Conan-kun, I think it would be best if you were not involved. I would rather not have a child in danger and I'm sure your brother would agree with me." Hakuba looked to Toshiro, who gave a gesture of thanks.

Conan was about to protest when Toshiro said to him, "As much as you think you are, you're not Shinichi, Conan." Conan gave him a look, not sure quite exactly the thief was saying. It seemed like a straightforward statement, but there was something in the words that seemed to give it other meanings: something not unusual for the thief. With Conan consenting, Hakuba nodded and left the café.

As soon as Hakuba left, Kid shook his head, his normal tone returning, "I'm starting to think that it's physically impossible for you not to find trouble, Tantei-kun."

"So how bad it is?" Conan asked, ignoring the comment, "With the way you're acting now, it doesn't seem that bad."

Kid looked down at him, "No, it's bad. But a common reaction to this sort of thing is to be quite a bit concern and Hakuba-san would be curious as to why I had not been concern for my younger brother's well-being."

"So ya just pretended?" Hattori asked, extremely confused yet impressed with the improvising.

Kid looked at him, smirking, "That is my area of expertise." Hattori narrowed his eyes. The tone in Kid's voice was careless, but implying a possible insult, but he wasn't quite sure. Between the smirking and the cryptic, carefree demeanor, he was starting to see why Kudo was so frustrated with the thief.

"Don't mess with Hattori," Conan snapped at Kid, "Just because you're the only one I know that can switch personas so easily doesn't mean you can mess with others."

"Why not?" Kid asked, smirk still in place, "That is what my occupation entails." Conan was losing his patience and he could see that Hattori was too. Despite himself, he grinned internally. He had told Hattori what a pain the thief was.

"Because it gives you away and I thought you of all people would know that," Conan smirked, but blinked as Kid laughed.

Kid looked down at the small detective, his grin wide, "And here I thought you didn't care for my well being, Tantei-kun. But don't worry, I've been at this far longer than you and I've come to know how to act in certain situations. Something, I see, you are still painfully struggling with." If it were anyone other than Kid, they would have cowered at the glare Conan was giving. Instead, the thief just laughed.

Getting them back on track, Hattori asked, "So, why don'cha tell us what exactly was on that tape."

Kid stopped laughing and Conan stopped glaring. A peculiar look drifted across the thief's face: something that neither Conan nor Hattori could identify. However, Kid glanced at both of them, resting his arms on the table, hands clasped. "I didn't lie when I said that I couldn't understand it completely. It's hard enough having to translate spoken word let alone many of them at one time. But that's part of the problem, I suppose."

"What do you mean by that?" Conan asked, not doubting the thief's words about translating. He may speak and understand English, but grasping the meaning after it was spoken isn't always the easiest thing to do. However, the last part bothered him.

Kid didn't move, "The using of multiple languages, particularly lesser know and grammatically different languages, as a means to code one's conversation. I've heard of that being used before."

"Ya mean that ya know who's behind this?" Hattori asked, very curious.

Kid shook his head, "No, it was just a rumor I've heard. That some underground group did that. I couldn't tell who they are or what they want."

Conan, however, noticed that there was a pause in Kid's speech. There was something he wasn't telling. "But?"

Kid took a quick side-glance and the small detective, seemingly weighing the option of continuing. Deciding, Kid spoke again, "But there was something in the conversation that I heard that I didn't like." Both detectives raised their eyebrows at this. It was common knowledge that Kid didn't like violence or death, so whatever Kid heard had to be other than the deaths that were talked about. They gave pressing looks towards the thief, but he apparently didn't want to reveal more than he already had. For Conan, who had spent much more time with the moonlight magician, it spoke volumes that how bad this was. Kid was no stranger to violent criminals, several of them wanting to kill the thief, and he had no problem with facing them. Yet, here he was, reluctant to say what was bothering him. That meant it was either a personal issue with Kid or it was that bad.

Hattori, having enough of the silence, pressed, "Come on, tell us! We can handle it."

Kid stared at Hattori with a look that Conan again had never seen on the thief's face before. The shrunken detective was stunned by it, though, as well as the Osakan. It was a look equivalent to one that a seasoned military officer would give to a subordinate going into battle. Not for the first time, Conan questioned how much of the thief's activity did he not know about. He always suspected that Kid had a lot of experience with criminals, but there was something with this look, one that he wasn't sure was real or not, that made Conan believe that there was more to the moonlight magician than stealing and messing with the police.

"Why aren't you telling us?" Conan finally asked. He already knew part of the answer. Kid, for all the trouble he caused, was not a malicious person, having a no one gets hurt policy for his heists. It this case was dangerous, Kid, despite his dislike for the detectives, was unwilling to send them on a case that would most likely put them in serious danger. Furthermore, the promise that Kid gave to his father was also a likely factor; Kid was a man of his word.

However, it seemed like Kid decided that the two would continue the case anyway so he answered, "I heard him say the name of someone I would rather not associate myself with."

"And that would be," Hattori asked.

"His name is Himura Katsu. He has his hands deep within the criminal underground. There probably isn't a single thing in Japan that he is not aware of, and that includes your Organization, Tantei-kun. In fact, I would not be surprised if he is somewhat part of it. Basically, if you want to put it into simple terms, he's a much more twisted version of Moriarty."

Conan and Hattori stared at the pensive Kid with wide eyes. Though neither knew the name, they both could understand that this man was not someone to take lightly, especially if Kid was unwilling to do so. And for someone who was compared as the modern day Holmes, Conan took this into account, knowing that the modern day Lupin understood the implications of what he was saying.

Hattori dared to ask, "So, do ya think that he's the one responsible?"

"I don't know, but even if he isn't directly involve, I have no doubt that he at least is indirectly responsible."

Conan narrowed his eyes at Kid, "How do you so much about him?"

Kid was quiet, silently refusing to answer. That alone told Conan that it was something best discussed another day.

There was silence between the three of them for a while. Finally Kid spoke, "Knowing you, Tantei-kun. You're going to ignore everything I said and still go after these guys. Am I right?" Kid looked back to Conan with a cheeky grin that showed that he already knew the answer.

Conan smirked, "Of course. It's my duty as a detective."

"Count me in, too," Hattori nodded.

Kid shook his head, "Detectives. You never know when to quit, do you?"

"Someone like you has no right to say that to us, Mr. thief who is borderline suicidal," Conan retorted, smirking still.

Kid smiled and raised an eyebrow, "Suicidal? What on earth would give you that impression?"

"Do you seriously want me to answer that question?" Conan asked.

Kid shrugged and got up, followed by the other two, "Suicidal or not, I'm still alive now, aren't I? You two can go chase criminals to your hearts content. I'm going to continue what I do best," he revealed a card that appeared out of nowhere, "and that is putting on a show."

Conan and Hattori stared dumbfounded at the thief, "We're in the middle of a crisis, a crisis you know more about than us. And you're going to pull a heist?"

"Of course. It will keep you off my back and besides, even if you are there, you can't catch me."

"I could catch you," Conan glared. But Kid only smirked, "Seeing that you have failed to do so, so far, I would say no. But that's not what I meant."

"What do ya mean then?" Hattori asked.

Kid's smile widened dangerously and Conan knew he wasn't going to like what he was about to say. "If I'm caught and my identity is revealed, so is yours, Tantei-kun."

Conan's eye began to twitch as Hattori, though sympathetic, was trying not to laugh. Kid had a point. If Kid's identity were to be revealed, then his identity would be in question. Basically, the one person Conan wanted more than anything to catch besides the Black Organization was now out of the question. Kid had him pinned. And he was pissed about it.

They left the café with Toshiro going one way and the detective duo the other. Despite Kid's usual careless behavior at the end, Conan knew better then to be too bothered by it. Because Kid's serious behavior was a novelty to him; the one person that knew the thief, besides Kid's accomplices, was him and this was a side of Kid he had yet to see. And for all of Kid's antics and heists, Conan wasn't going to overlook what Kid told him. If Kid was serious, deadly serious, that could only mean one thing: Kid was afraid.

Disclaimer – I don't own Detective Conan