The Vampire Detective
Chapter Twelve – Cruelty and Kindness
Disclaimer - *drops dead* I have no money...
Let the guns be mounted, make a brave show of waging war, and pry the lid off Pandora's Box once more – Amy Lowell
-
In a room about the size of his library back home, Shinichi was pacing.
It wasn't as though he was the only one who couldn't keep still, though – Hattori, wearing clothes that were easy to move about in and carrying his bokken in his hands, was half practicing kata and half arguing incessantly with Kazuha. He had seen Kaito only a short while ago, exchanging a few short words with Hakuba before going up to the roof. He wouldn't be seen again in the house until they had brought Aoko back, and even then he would be late getting in because of the need to keep up the cover story.
"Stop worrying, Shinichi. You're going to do just fine. I know you will."
He bit his lip, accidentally drawing blood with a suddenly sharp tooth. Licking the wound clean before it healed, he tried to force himself to relax, running a hand through his hair.
"This isn't just detective work, Ran. They expect me to do this. I – the closest I've ever come to anything like this was before Conan came, and that was just at a Kid heist! Kid didn't even know who he was up against!"
"And I'm sure they don't know what they're up against this time, either," Ran retorted dryly.
Shinichi stopped pacing to face her properly.
"It's not just that. Well, it is that too, but. . ."
He looked at her, lost.
"I guess my point is, do I even know what they're up against this time?"
Ran didn't answer. She held him close, but she couldn't answer.
---
"You idiot! What do you think you're doing!?"
"What do I think I'm doing? What about you? You damn well knew I was aiming there!"
Kazuha crossed her arms.
"Well, I had to get your attention somehow. You're just looking all serious all the time, and even if I do say anything, you just grunt like some caveman!"
"I do not! I just don't have the time for this!"
"Time for what, Heiji? Time to talk, maybe say goodbye to me? Time to let me say something to you?"
"Damn it, Kazuha! You're just so distracting!"
"That was the point, idiot."
Heiji let the wooden sword rest on one shoulder, blunt side down.
"Fine, then. What is it you want?"
For the first time, Kazuha wavered.
"I. . ."
"Well?"
"I just want you to come back to me, you idiot!"
At first, Heiji was taken aback. It wasn't that he hadn't expected it at all, really, it was just that he hadn't expected her to say it. He smiled.
"How about I make you a promise, then?"
"Hmph. Depends on the promise."
Heiji chuckled, taking off his cap and putting it squarely on her head.
"How about that kind? I'm comin' back for that, so don't you lose it, ya hear?"
Kazuha looked at him with stark surprise in her eyes for a moment or two. She nodded, wordless.
---
Kaito sat on the roof, overlooking the surrounding area. Everything that he would need for the night – as both Kid and himself – was stuffed into a medium sized rucksack on his back. He wasn't Kid now, though. Too obvious, too clear to see when he wanted to be unseen. Too much attention.
Plus, everyone else believed that Kaito was standing watch on the roof with Akako. So if anyone had noticed the radio device attached to his ear like a Bluetooth earpiece that had the exact same design as a certain three detectives, no one had said. Perhaps, as he had often been told by many people, his father included, it wasn't always what the audience saw that mattered, but what they – and the performer – wished to be seen.
Apart from the stars and the voices that steadily drifted their way up to him, he was pretty much alone. It was the highest place in, or rather on, the house. The best viewpoint, and the best place for thinking.
"Ah... so there you are, Kuroba-kun."
Kaito let out a long, sow breath.
"I should have know that you would be here, Koizumi. Admiring your handiwork?"
Akako gave a short laugh, but he could tell that her heart wasn't truly in it.
"Perhaps. Perhaps I too am merely admiring the scenery."
Kaito snorted.
"The day you simply do that, Miss Witch, will be a strange day indeed. Spill."
The witch huffed.
"I do have to keep an eye on these shields, you know. So many strong-willed personalities all gathered in one place makes my magic go strange."
Kaito raised an eyebrow in her general direction.
"And I thought you said I made things difficult for you."
"You do. Together, you make it go haywire." She sniffed delicately. "Lucifer can't even see destinies properly any more."
"So sad."
"I'm so glad you commiserate."
For a few minutes they just sat there, bathed in the light of both the stars and the magenta glow of the magick shields that she had put in place that would ensure at least some protection from those who meant harm.
Kaito smiled absently at the memory of how Hakuba had been able to diffuse suspicions as to its origins by saying that it was the result of various private experiments in laser technology. Some of them had actually believed him.
Slowly, steadily, the officers started to gather together into coherent groups to begin the relatively short journey to where they were keeping Aoko.
His eyes narrowed.
Aoko. They've got Aoko. I wasn't there when she needed me. Because of that, they've got her. Because of me. . .
Because of me.
With the grace of the thief he was, he stood, hearing the signal as he did so.
"Ne, Koizumi? Don't let them get hurt."
She watched him as he disappeared from sight.
---
Hakuba Saguru took one last look at his earpiece before putting it on. It was obvious really who had designed them – a four-way radio system hidden behind the design of a heart shaped leaf. A four-leafed clover. Kuroba or Hattori might say that it was lucky. Saguru simply thought it was egotistic. He didn't really mind, though.
It was a symbol. Besides, Kami knew they would need all of the blessings and luck that they could get tonight.
He sighed, leaving the warmth of his home for the steadily colder weather of mid-September. Until they reached the actual site, he would be travelling with Shinichi, Hattori and the others.
"So," said Nakamori senior. "Still going along with that crazy plan, are you?"
"Yes," he replied shortly. "And you don't need to tell me that it's crazy. It only has to work."
Nakamori grunted in understanding.
"The men are just about ready."
Saguru looked out and up, catching a glimpse of shadow-within-shadow on the roof.
"Send out the signal, then. We're heading out."
---
They left in staggered groups, some by car, some by train, some by other methods and some didn't even leave at all. Those who stayed did so to make sure that there was more than just magic to rely on to protect the ones who did not even know that they were involved at all.
They were there in less than an hour.
As the only person in their group who could move about silently and quickly, Shinichi went ahead to make sure that the Black Organisation minions were performing to type. So far, they had been and still were, but that didn't mean that they would continue to do so.
A small part of him, though, found itself almost wishing that they wouldn't. He ignored it, keeping the open mind that a detective needed.
A few minutes later, he received the signal from Kaito and Hakuba to confirm that they were both in place.
It was time to fly.
---
"So."
Facing the nondescript gates of the clichéd abandoned warehouse-slash-office building, Saguru hugged his arms close to his chest in an effort to keep the cold – and his nervous tension – at bay.
Kaito – or rather, Kid, now – wasn't saying anything. He was dressed as Kid mostly, anyway. Only the top hat was missing, and that was tucked safely away, er, somewhere. The rest of him was covered with a dark cloak that put any piece of white that wasn't sufficiently cloaked in deep shadows. His arms were crossed and there was an overall more serious than usual feeling about him.
He cleared his throat, somewhat unnerved about what he was about to do and who he was doing it with, even though he was well within the law. It was still breaking and entering, to a certain extent.
"What – how are we supposed to do this?"
There was a slight pause before Kid spoke.
"We start by waiting for the opportune moment, Tantei-san. When that presents itself to us, we act. How we act depends on how that moment shows itself to us. We might go through the front doors." A shrug. "We might not."
Saguru narrowed his eyes.
"That does not exactly help, Kuroba. Neither to the plan nor to my nerves."
"Good."
"And what exactly do you mean by that?!"
"Good, as in 'good, at least it isn't just me'. That kind of good."
"That's even worse, you know."
"The idea is that you either turn into a pile of nerves or get over it. So far as I know, you aren't the kind to break down that easily. So I suggest – move, now!"
The Kid grabbed him by the arm, dragging him all the way across the courtyard before he could even think to protest. By the time he could think, it was already too late and they were flat against the brick wall of the place. Out of the corner of his eye, he could only just make out the thief's trademark smirk.
"I thought we were going in through the front door, Ku- Kid! This is not the front door!"
"Really? I was so sure it was. And Tantei-kun told me he'd left it just – about – here."
With a smear of oil and a wriggle, the air vent slid mostly quietly free of its place, Kid putting the likely quite heavy steel barrier into the nearby bushes.
"I know what a front door is supposed to look like," Saguru said with slight misapprehension, "And that is not one."
"Could've fooled me." Kid gestured towards the hole that he had created in the wall. "You first, Tantei-san."
After a short glare at the guilty party, Saguru did exactly that, climbing head first into the air vent, feeling more self-conscious than he ever had, even at the first crime that he had solved without anyone else's help.
"White Wizard and White Knight in. Bloodhound and Samurai, do you copy?"
There was a crackle of static before Kid got a reply.
"We copy, Wizard. Everything going according to plan at our end. Contact us again in five minutes. Bloodhound out."
Good. That meant that the distraction was working. If the distraction kept on working, they wouldn't have to worry so much once they reached Aoko. If it worked well enough, then maybe they'd be able to leave by the front, rather than the air vents. It would, at the very least, do his head a little good. Too much sneaking around wasn't good for a detective.
The minutes wore on, radio contact with 'Bloodhound' and 'Samurai' continued, and something tickled at the edge of his thoughts. Especially when he didn't want it to.
I think that you had rather keep a look out for dogs. . .
But. . . there hadn't been any – out front, or out back.
. . .a look out for dogs. . .
He shook his head angrily, attempting to rid himself of the thought. It wasn't useful, and was only cluttering his mind. A mind which should have been on the rescue and safe return of one Nakamori Aoko. Not some wiccan's mind games.
Even if she could do some rather extraordinary things.
---
It wasn't long before guns, tranquilising darts, footballs and various other long-distance weapons the men lead by Shinichi and the others had been using to knock the snipers and grunts out weren't useful any more.
Within minutes they were methodically handcuffing the unconscious Black Organisation members, dragging them off by the cartload into the black and white police cars waiting nearby. Some, mostly through friendly fire, were found to be needing some medical treatment before taken anywhere.
Some, more in tune with their duty to the criminal organisation than others, did not need medical attention, and were not indeed even unconscious. Those were merely moved a short way away to be dealt with in a secure environment at a later date.
The waste of life made Shinichi angry.
They might be murderers, they might be a part of the Organisation that had made his life a living hell for months on end, but when it came right down to it they were just stupid, idiotic people. All that was wrong with them was that their leaders had fallen into the proverbial abyss, seen themselves looking back, and had liked what they had seen.
He growled at the way his thoughts were taking him and accidentally knocked a lackey into the corridor wall with one hand, where they fell unconscious and slumped to the floor. Several of the men he was with stared at him in stark surprise for a few moments before going back to their own minor battles.
Before he had the chance to berate himself further, he was nearly deafened by radio static yet again. He was going to have to do something about that.
"Oi, Ku- Bloodhound. How're things going on your end?"
Shinichi sighed.
"Fine so far, but I just had a minor accident. Nothing serious."
"Whose side?"
"Theirs. Like I said – probably only a slight concussion. Why?"
"I just got a message from Wizard. Seems like they're gettin' close."
"Right. Did he say where the security room was?"
"Yeah." Hattori proceeded to list off the directions according to where Shinichi was. "We still sticking to the plan?"
The eastern detective nodded, even though he knew that the other couldn't see him. "Yes, we are. As soon as I get there, you tell Nakamori-keibu to give the signal. As soon as he does- "
"I get over there on the double and we both go find the others. I got ya. I already got ya ten dozen times already."
Shinichi grinned. "So long as you have got it, that's all that matters. See you there."
Hattori gave a grumbled reply and cut off. With the directions laid out in his mind, he superimposed them onto the map he had of the place inside his head.
Seconds later, it was as though he had vanished from the corridor.
---
In the distance, Kid could hear the premises being vacated, leaving the four of them with enough people to deal with that it wouldn't tax them and, hopefully, they would be able to get Aoko out safely without too much trouble.
They were still in the air vents.
It wasn't too far, though – only a few meters, and he was counting them down. Trying not to think about what he might be faced with once he got there. Kid's motto was that No One Got Hurt, but if what he saw was bad enough, he was afraid that the Kuroba Kaito part of him was going to forget that.
Which was, in fact, one of the reasons why he had one stuck up, mostly pompous British detective almost literally on his tail. The guy was even still wearing a suit.
In front of the last grate in this particular 'corridor' of vents, Kid froze. Not expecting the sudden lack of forward motion, Hakuba nearly barrelled straight into him.
"Would you watch where you're going?"
"I was," Kaito replied softly. "We're here."
With a sharp hiss of breath, Hakuba fell silent. 'Here', the main purpose of their mission. Here, where Aoko was. He could see her. It was a small room, really – probably originally a broom closet or something. That at least would explain away the hooks on the walls that now held on to manacles, holding her hands above her head. She was dirty, tired – more like close to exhaustion really and looked as if she hadn't eaten properly in all the time that she had been missing, but apart from that she didn't look too badly off.
"You're still going to do it?" Hakuba finally said, voice soft in the echoing metallic tunnel.
Kaito swallowed hard and nodded.
"I have to."
Hakuba sighed but didn't say any more. The detective was the only one of the four who was new to all of this, who hadn't really kept secrets before, not had anything special to keep a secret for. He probably thought that Kaito was going to do the right thing. Kaito just wished that he was as sure.
---
There was a light.
There hadn't been light for too long. It hurt her eyes.
". . . Aoko. Ne, Aoko!"
She was hearing voices again. Why else would she be hearing him? It wasn't as though he'd be able to find her. No one knew where she was.
"Ne, Aoko. Wake up."
But she was awake, wasn't she? She was. Except her eyes were so tired. And she didn't want to see only walls and darkness when she opened them.
"Aoko?"
A gloved hand brushed her cheek, and she jumped, startled. Someone was here. But who? It was Kaito's voice, but why would he be here? How?
"Aoko?!" There was a rustle of something soft-sounding. "Did you see that? She's all right!"
Someone else sighed.
"That's a good thing, Kuroba, but unless we get out of here quickly we are going to have trouble on the way."
And that was. . . Hakuba-kun? Why was he here? The next thing she knew she'd be hearing Koizumi-chan and the teacher.
"Is there trouble right now?"
"No. Not yet, anyway."
"Good. Then you can come over here and help me."
Footsteps across the floor. She could practically feel Hakuba's – at least, she thought it was Hakuba-kun's – presence beside her.
"Here. You just catch her. Make sure she doesn't get hurt, right?"
"Of course."
Soft, smooth gloves moved to her wrists, bringing small bits of metal with them. Something caught in her memory, but fluttered away before she could try to grab at it. He smelled of Kaito. That smell that was just him. Of smoke and magic and starlight and the unknown. A mystery she had never been able to unravel. Her childhood friend who, she now realised, was more to her than just a childhood friend.
Click. Clatter.
One hand was free, her arm falling almost painfully to her side. Her hand felt tingly with pins and needles. But it would be all right soon. She nearly thought to wonder how Kaito had been able to do that, but then remembered – he's a magician. He can do just about anything.
With another series of clicks and clatter, her other arm was free, too. Unrestrained from the wall, Hakuba held her upright.
"Aoko?"
She tried to open her eyes, as the light from what she assumed was some sort of torch or the opened door was less blinding now than it had been before. Nevertheless, she was still too weak just yet. Too tired. So instead, she smiled.
Her unexpected response was to be hugged suddenly by Kaito. Only, she realised with a numb sort of feeling, it couldn't be him.
Because Kaito wasn't the one who wore soft, smooth, silken gloves, jacket and shirt. Kaito wasn't the one who had a monocle that had a charm dangling off it that chimed when it hit stray bits of chain. Kaito wasn't the one who bumped her head with the brim of a hat as he drew her closer.
Sensation and shock coming back to her, she opened her eyes.
She immediately wished that she hadn't.
The light was coming from the open door. From it, she could see bits of Hakuba, who was still holding her up. In an almost silhouetted form, she could also see the figure of the Kaitou Kid. The person who had just hugged her, dressed in his trademark suit and hat and monocle and Hakuba-kun wasn't doing anything, he was just watching them. He had. . . called Kaitou Kid . . . Kuroba. Kuroba . . . the Kaitou?
No. There had to be a mistake.
But there was no mistaking those violet-blue eyes or that unruly brown hair or that Kaito-smell.
Hakuba made a motion with his hand to something on his ear.
"White Knight to Bloodhound and Samurai. Do you copy?"
Radio static. Kaito-Kid glanced over at him.
"We read, White Knight. This is Samurai. What's your status?"
Both Hakuba-kun and Kaito-Kid looked relieved at the faintly familiar voice. She was sure that she'd heard it before – before all of this had even started. She wasn't sure where from, though.
"Status good, Samurai. We have Blue Birthday."
Aoko started. Blue Birthday? Who was - ? Oh. That's me. Her father had named her after that stone, after all. It had also been one of Kid's first heists since his return.
"Aoko? Please, Aoko. I need you to trust me. Us. Do you trust us?"
Her throat was still dry, both from not having enough to drink and from what she was seeing and hearing.
Could she trust them? Kaito-Kid was still talking to her as if he was Kaito, but she knew that he could imitate anyone he put his mind to. He could even imitate her. But then again, Kaito could imitate people too. He just hadn't shown it in so long. Ever since Kid had come back, in fact.
So that meant. . . if she thought for one moment that her best friend and the thief were one person, did she trust Kaito? Hakuba seemed to know who he was and still trust him.
"Aoko – please."
She nodded.
Kaito-Kid and Hakuba both seemed to relax a lot.
Then came the radio static, closely followed by the same voice as before.
"Oi, Ku- Wizard!" 'Samurai' seemed to be speaking quietly into the radio transmitter, almost as if he were afraid to be overheard. "You know what we were talking about before? I might be wrong, but I think we got a Code Four."
And then, there was madness.
---
Saguru frowned, unnerved by how the confusing news had upset Kuroba's balance.
"Kuroba. Tell me this – what, exactly, is a Code Four supposed to be?"
A little of the colour returned to the thief's face.
"Something I hoped would never happen, Hakuba."
He saw Aoko flinch at the returned Kid voice, hearing it for the first time since dropping into the room she had been held in.
"And what would that be?"
His tone matched Kuroba's for the steel in it.
"Ah. . ." The thief glanced speculatively up at where the grate had been to the air vent tunnels. "How well do you remember the way in here?"
"Of course," he replied, eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Why?"
"I suggest you get ready to leave quickly."
"Kuroba, if I don't get an answer soon you're going to regret- "
Footsteps echoed towards them down the corridor, joined with the bdump-bdump of what sounded like a ball. Namely, a football.
Ah. That should be Kudo Shinichi, then. Maybe he would have some sort of answer.
Kuroba tensed. Swallowed. His hand twitched towards his back, where he knew that Kid's card gun was kept under the hang glider and dress jacket. He did not, however, draw it out.
Sure enough, seconds later the figure of the other detective turned the last corner towards them, once-blue blazer grimy and dirty and both that and the pair of trousers he had been wearing were ripped in several places. Even so, not much blood showed through.
As he drew closer to them, however, Saguru noticed just how badly off Kudo Shinichi was.
He was bleeding in places. It also looked as though he had tried to mop up either his or someone else's wounds with bits and pieces of his own clothes, as there was unblemished skin underneath. His face was pale, paler than the last time he had seen him, and his eyes, while not bloodshot, were too bright, as though feverish. His hair looked so mussed up that it was almost as though he was looking at a Kuroba Kaito clone except for the damages he had gone through, and that there were no traces of violet in his gaze. An almost disconcerting gaze.
Kudo looked over at them, taking everything in. Saw Aoko. Kaito. Him.
"Is she all right?" He gestured to Aoko with his head.
Kaito inclined his head. "She's fine. Just needs to get out of here."
"I know the feeling."
Kaito crossed his arms and cocked his head to one side.
"Oi, Kudo? How long has it been since you've had anything to eat?"
Kudo was taken aback.
"What? Last time you did, I think. Why?"
Something about Kaito suddenly turned stony.
"Not like that."
The change was instant and visible. Kudo's eyes widened in a kind of shock, his body language changed from at ease and ready for anything to wary, unsure of himself, backing slowly away from them.
"No. No."
"Hakuba, take Aoko out by the way we came in. Go back. We'll meet you there."
Not for a single second did Kaito keep his eyes off of Kudo.
"Kuroba – would you mind terribly telling me what the hell is going on here?"
"Later."
"Kuro- !"
"I mean it. Later, Hakuba. Now go."
There was a sort of steel in those words that hadn't really been heard when he was the Kaitou Kid, hadn't ever been heard from Kuroba Kaito. He gave one last look at the scene unfolding in front of him and steered Aoko over to the where the air vent was.
---
Kaito waited until he couldn't hear Hakuba and Aoko anymore before advancing a short couple of steps towards Shinichi, who had backed all the way to one of the doorways down the hall. He was hugging his body with his arms, as if he was about to be attacked.
"What the bloody hell did you think you were doing!?"
"I – I didn't. Wasn't thinking. Just – did. I forgot."
Kaito sighed and looked away, hands finding themselves in trouser pockets.
"Never mind. Not your fault."
Shinichi looked up at him, sharply.
"Not my fault? I should have remembered! I should have -!"
"None of us remembered, Shinichi. We all forgot. You, me, Hattori, all of us who knew. No one's to blame. Either that, or we all are."
The detective shook his head.
"Then what . . . what do we do – what do I do now? I can't just go back there now. You know I can't."
"Yeah, we know. That's why you ain't goin' back yet."
Two pairs of eyes – one violet-blue and one not quite human – moved to look over to the end of the corridor, where Hattori Heiji could now be seen sauntering towards them.
"What are you doing here, Hattori?"
The Osakan grinned lopsidedly. "Nice to see you too, Kudo." He drew his attention over to Kaito. "How're things here?"
"Fine so far. Hakuba and Aoko are on their way back."
Hattori nodded sharply, once.
"Good."
A pointed glance of a look was shared between the Osakan detective and the phantom thief.
Code four was something that they had hoped would never have to be used. There had been other codes, but none of them had quite the same personal import as number four which, when said in Japanese, was the first syllable of Shinichi's name. There was a reason for that.
Hattori Heiji and the Kaitou Kid were the only ones going on the mission who knew about Shinichi's . . . condition. They were also the only ones who were quite so pointedly blunt about it, and the danger that came with it.
It had been one thing in particular that they had been thinking about at the time when the code was brought into being, except it hadn't been something that they should have been worrying about as a thing that might happen in the future. It had been happening right then and there, under their noses, and they hadn't even noticed. In the rush and clamour of moving Kuroba Touichi's old magic and heist tools over to their new base of operations at Hakuba's, the contents of the fridge had been overlooked. Forgotten.
And now they were paying the price.
With one hand nervously scratching at the nape of his neck, Hattori spoke up again.
"We didn't get all of 'em, you know. There's still one or two out cold over that way, you know."
Shinichi's eyes flashed. For a moment they reflected the steady light of the hallway and nearby rooms. When they turned back to what passed for normal at the moment, they seemed somewhat deadened.
Kid nodded, in understanding and resignation. This wasn't going to be nice. It didn't have to be. It only had to be done.
"Ne, Hattori?" His voice was quiet, with all of Kid's cadences yet without the nick-name Kid had for the Osakan. "You want to stay? If you don't, Hakuba should be back with the cars by now and starting back to base."
This earned him two sharp glances, one questioning and one more a glare, but Hattori soon looked away, bokken over his shoulder.
"Sure thing. I'll tell them we had a bit of tidyin' up to do back here. Doubt your friend'll believe me, but I can fake it fer the rest of 'em, at least."
Kid gave the detective a rather wan smile.
"I wouldn't put it past him to have figured that something is up already. Tantei-san does learn easily, after all. I'll say that much about him. Not nearly as fast as you, though," he said, the last aimed at Shinichi himself.
For the first time since the sensitive subject had first been breached, the vampire smiled wryly.
"I'm not sure whether or not I should take that as a compliment, coming from you."
Kid smirked and Hattori laughed, which turned not so subtly into a sort of cough.
"Whatever. I'll be seein' ya later. Don't anyone go dyin' on me, ya hear?"
"Don't worry," Kid said easily. Shinichi opened his mouth and then closed it again, startled at that ease. "No one will."
With that, he was gone, leaving Kaito alone with Shinichi.
Minutes dragged by in embarrassed, reluctant silence.
"I'm not going to do it."
"Do what?"
"You know what. I can't. I just – can't."
"Can't or won't?"
"You just don't understand, do you? I. Can't."
"No one's going to get hurt here, Shinichi."
"Hurt? People have died here! There are dozens of people hurt and unconscious everywhere! I helped. Ever since this started, I – I've been changing. I changed. You can't possibly understand how different it is to just wake up and everything that held you down is just gone."
"More than you'd realise – or did you conveniently forget that I wasn't always a thief? It came as just as much of a shock to me that I was who I was as it would have done to you, I'm sure. Don't think you can judge people as not understanding just because you aren't fully human any more."
"But that's it. I'm not human. I try. But I'm not. Not anymore. There's something deeper, and especially now, at times like these, when I don't have the energy to fight all the time. So don't think that if I start I can just go back. I'm different."
Kid shook his head. "You really didn't listen to me when I was speaking, did you? I said No One Gets Hurt. Not today. Not here, not now. I'm not going to let it happen."
"Let it? I'm stronger than you. Faster. Everything. How could you not let something happen? How would you be able to stop me? Because that's the point, you see. And if I was able to do it once, who's to say I'd be able to hold myself the next time? Or the time after that? Tell me, Kid!"
Kid looked into the vampire's eyes, finding only fear and desperation in their bright yet reflective depths.
"You," he said simply. "You would hold yourself back, because it's what you do. You fight criminals, you don't become one. You protect people, you don't attack them. You fight, and you never, ever give up. I know that. Even at two feet tall you bested me; you bet I know that. And I bet that somewhere in there, you do, too."
Shinichi looked away.
"I'm willing to wager you'd be able to stop yourself, Kudo Shinichi. You know what? I'm just here to tell you that."
"You trust me an awful lot for someone who kept trying to run away from me," Shinichi said eventually, quietly enough that Kid wasn't even sure that he had heard him right. "If only all criminals were as insightful."
Kid made a face.
"Feh. If they were, we'd both be out of the job."
That earned him a laugh. One which, however, was cut short rapidly by the flicker of a grimace of pain and a sharp glance towards the prone figure of a Black Organisation figure lying belatedly in the doorway of an office.
He gave one last desperate look, to which Kid could only smile lopsidedly. It was a smile that Aoko would have recognised as 'I don't care that everything's going ten kinds of wrong, or that I've just been hit too hard on the head by your mop. I'm staying right here'. Shinichi could evidently translate it as the same thing, as seconds later he was heading across the hallway.
The vampire's fangs glinted sharply once, then moved.
---
AN: And there's the end. . . NOT. There's going to be an epilogue. Which ties up several loose ends. But not all.
*Cackles evilly*
Some of you know what I mean...!