Masks of Identity

by RedHerring1412

Between the new student at school, Edogawa Conan same age as him , and his new odd rival for his night personality, Kuroba Kaito's life has just become a little more hectic. AU and later shonenai.

21. Chapter 21

Title: Masks of Identity

Author: RedHerring1412

Rating: T

Warning: AU, stressful life, romantic pairing, and possible spoilers for those not familiar with the series

Pairings: Kaito/Conan(older)

Disclaimer: All rights and privileges of Meitantei Conan and Magic Kaito belongs to the great Goushou Aoyama. (At least while certain fans aren't in power.)

Author Comments: Okay, I made a promise that I would write this chapter before going on my vacation for the summer. So for the next couple of weeks, I'll be in Japan. Hopefully though I'll get some writing done on the plane or something . . . if I don't sleep. So, here is chapter 21.

Dear Ran-neechan,

As more time continues on as it always have, the more I wonder about the differences between coincidence and fate. Though there are times that I also wonder if I did some things differently in the past, if other things may have never occurred now. I may not regret my actions, but . . .

Chapter 21:

Surprisingly enough, people didn't react to seeing Kaijin Red sweep across the sky as much as they did to the shadowy appearance of Kaitou Kid. Overall, people concluded that it was some sort of publicity stunt and didn't think much of it as people mingled. The bride and groom already left, and it has already been several minutes since the bouquet was stolen.

However, Kaito and Aoko knew that things were not as they seemed. What was just witnessed was a crime that Red said he would do in the note he left with the vase that he returned. Still, with as strange as the note was . . .

With eyes still wide in surprise, Aoko turned to Kaito. "What was that? Did Kaijin Red just . . . ?"

Eyebrow raised, but still with an unconcerned expression on his face, Kaito said in response, "Grab the bouquet from mid-air and escape? Yeah, he did."

". . . But . . . but why?" Aoko still couldn't believe that what she just saw with her own eyes.

Placing a hand under his chin, the young magician contemplates the possibilities. "Well, Hakuba-kun did mention that Kaijin Red have committed some strange crimes before. I guess that this was one of them. Though I wonder . . ." Looking over at his childhood friend, his expression turns curious. "Was taking a bouquet that was thrown a crime?"

"Um . . ." Yet before she could come up with an answer to his question, the snap of a twig from the tree above them made her pause. However, before either one of them could do much more than to look up, the thing that made the noise came crashing down between them.

Letting out a startled cry, Aoko exclaimed, "C-Conan-kun!" Bending over the crouched figure that fell from the tree, she asks, "What-what are you . . . Are you okay?"

Tilting his head up towards her, Conan gave her an embarrassed grin, "Hm? Oh yeah, I'm fine, just making sure that I didn't break anything." Holding up the video camera that he has been carrying around all day, the bespectacled boy lets out a little laugh. "Sorry if I surprised you. I didn't expect that one branch to break like that."

Kaito on the other hand, looked down on the other boy with concern in his gaze. "What were you doing up there? You could have been hurt quite seriously when you fell."

"But I didn't, did I?" Giving the young magician a slight grin, Conan stands up and brushes loose leaves out of his hair. "Anyway . . . After the marriage ceremony, I remembered that they were going to be doing the throwing of the bouquet over here. However, the problem was (that as I am sure that you have also noticed) was that when that event was to take place, this area would be packed with people. Thus it would be difficult to have a good camera shot without being jostled by the crowd. It was then that I remembered that there were the trees out here that lined the walkway that led out of the front doors. So I spent a little of the extra time I had to climb a few of the trees and see if there was any that had a good gap in the branches. As it so happens, the tree I ended up using is the same one you two also choose to stand under. Weird, huh?"

"So you decided to do your filming up there? Are you sure it wasn't because certain people won't notice you up there?" With amusement gracing his features, it was obvious what Kaito thought of Conan's idea of a good filming spot.

"Ah . . . well . . . heh heh . . ." From Conan's answer, it was obvious that Kaito guessed correctly.

While the classmates were standing around and talking, the crowds around them slowly dispersed as the bride and groom left. When Aoko notice this, she pulled on the sleeves of the two boys to get their attention before asking, "So do you have any plans for the rest of today?"

Scratching his cheek, Conan said, "Nah, not really. Most of my itinerary for today consist of relaxing and to finish reading a book I bought earlier this week."

Turning to the bespectacled boy, Kaito asks him, "Oh? What book did you buy? Another mystery?"

"Well, it is . . ." Trailing off into silence, Conan zones out of the conversation.

When the others saw this, Aoko questioned him. ". . . Conan-kun? Is there something the matter?"

"Hmm?" Seeing his blank expression, it was obvious he was only concentrating partially on her. ". . . I'm not sure . . . There is just this feeling that I have that I'm forgetting about something . . ."

Snorting, Kaito makes a comment. "It can't be too important if you can't remember. Though I do have to admit, I am curious about one thing . . ."

"?"

Seeing that he was at least partially paying attention to him now, Kaito continues. "Did you manage to tape Kaijin Red catching the bouquet earlier? If you don't mind, I would like to see that again sometime. It went by so fast . . ." Trailing off, he again thinks about what they all saw not too long ago.

"Hm? Yeah, I should have it captured . . . Ah! That's right!" At his classmates' curious gaze, Conan explains. "I forgot that I left the bag that I kept all of the extra film stuff inside. It would be annoying if I will have to make more than one trip to this place, so I really should go back and pick it up now. . ." Turning his eyes back to the church they just exited, Conan says, "So . . . I suppose that I'll see you two at school then tomorrow."

However, before the bespectacled boy could do much more than turn, Kaito told him, "Oh no, we'll wait right here for you. Then we can talk more once you get back."

"Ah . . ." Giving the other boy a strange look, Conan says, "Alright then, if you are okay with that . . . Still, I'm not too sure on how long I'll be. I can't quite remember just where I left the bag . . ."

Grinning, the young magician says, "As long as you don't keep us waiting any longer than necessary, we won't mind. Of course, if you don't leave now, you will probably be making us wait even longer."

"Right . . . I should be back soon then . . ." Turning his back on them, Conan walks back to the church and enter, supposedly to get the video camera's bag.

After counting to a hundred in his head, Kaito then turn to his childhood friend and says, "Ah, you know what Aoko? I need to go visit the bathroom real quick. So if Conan-kun gets back before me, just tell him to wait a minute, okay?"

Blinking at him, Aoko says, "Huh? Oh, okay then. Just hurry back . . ."

After giving her a jaunty wave goodbye, Kaito jogs the same path that Conan took back to the church. Once he reached the interior of the building however, it was obvious that he had no need to go to the bathroom. Thinking to himself, and if he understood the clues that Conan gave him while Kaito was dressed as Kid, then things were not necessarily what they seemed to be. In some form or fashion, Conan knew Kaijin Red. That much was clear. The problem was, were they friends, foes, or something else all together? So today, Kaito planned to have at least that question answered. If he was to be what Ran asked of him, he had to understand the bespectacled boy better. Though Kaito was quite sure that she didn't mean it like this . . .

Five minutes later of trying to figure out where Conan was in the building, the first stirrings of doubt started to cloud Kaito's mind. There was always the chance that he misunderstood something along the way. Whenever Conan was around, he never could think quite as clearly as he is normally able. Thinking it over, it was possible that Kaito was hoping to find . . . something that he could relate to with the other boy. Could that be why he was starting to feel discouraged?

Deep in his contemplations, the sharp clicking of heels didn't register in his ears until they were very close. Reacting quickly, Kaito slipped into a nearby room and peeked through the door. Moments later, a rather voluptuous foreign woman dressed in a tight black dress walked down the hall that Kaito was in just moments before. Yet before the young magician could breathe, a flash of someone dressed in red following the woman caught his eye. Hearing the swish of the deep red cheongsam made Kaito, as well as the woman dressed in black pause. Watching silently, Kaito views the confrontation between the single color toned people.

Turning around with a grace very few beautiful women have, the black clad woman stares into the scaramouche mask of Kaijin Red. Pouting her lips briefly, the woman says, "Kaijin Red. Still as silent as you are bold as you have ever been I see."

Inclining his or her head in reply, his cloth covered mouth spoke in a voice that betrayed the use of a mechanical voice changer. "Carpano's child. It is an honor to encounter such a favorite. Though is this meeting coincidence, fate, or something else entirely?"

Reaching into her purse, the woman pulls out a gun and levels it with Red's head. With a look on her face that sent chills down Kaito's spine, the woman said, "You know quite well that your message was deciphered long ago. So let us dispense with the usual riddling talk and get right to the point."

". . ." For someone that had a gun pointed at his skull, Red acted rather unconcerned.

However, it seemed that this tactic made the woman frown slightly. "Nothing to say? How . . . out of character . . ."

"Merely contemplating . . ." Brushing off some nonexistent lint off the blood red elbow length gloves he wore, Kaijin Red said, "Many faces, many crimes . . . one color, one purpose for their existence." Watching the woman raise an eyebrow, he tilts his head to one side before continuing. "When the goddess hides her face, the scarecrow will be erected in the fields. The parallel I just mentioned will continue to exist, even through the conclusion of the long night."

Kaito had no idea what Red could be referring to, but from what he could see of the woman's expression, it meant something to her. Waiting silently, he waits for more information. After a few moments, it seemed that the young magician's patience paid off.

Reaching up with a gloved hand, Red pushes the gun that the woman held away from his head before speaking again. "Juniper berries and the bloodless Mary would remember the place where sons of Falstaff's addiction dripped. The resting of the San Jiao's path should restart their memory."

Narrowing her eyes, the black clad woman asks, "Why tell me this?"

"If a risk wishes to be taken, a chance will be available for the parallel to be broken. However, should the karasu not perch at the specified time, the fields will be safe from them forever more." Somehow, despite the fact that his voice being spoken through a mechanical voice changer, the seriousness of his statement was made clear.

Hearing his answer however, seemed to have raised the ire in the woman as she leveled the gun again with his head. "Those masks that you wear may deflect the bullets that we have shot at you, but another thing was discovered after watching you. You may protect you head, but your heart is wide open for a bullet to pierce it." Making her point, she changes the position of her gun so that it pointed at the said area. However, when that action didn't cause any reaction, she asked, "Could it be that you believe yourself to be truly heartless? With all the murders we have done in your name, I would have thought you would be more eager to come after us in revenge."

". . ." Turning his head to one side, Red spoke in a nearly quiet voice that barely was understandable through the voice changer. "Is life worth living if you can't live?"

Narrowing her eyes, the foreign woman tightens the grip on her gun before firmly saying, "Either you accept the offer that was given to you previously or . . ."

However, it seemed that Kaijin Red was finished with speaking with the woman as he turned his back to her and said, "Until then." With a flash of light that caught Kaito by surprise and made his eyes water, Red disappeared from the scene.

Once his eyes cleared, he watched the woman clad in black smile with an odd expression on her face. What the emotion was that was portrayed there, he didn't know, but he waited.

After a few moments, the woman nodded in the direction she faced Kaijin Red and said in a quiet voice, "Until then . . ." She said something after that, but her voice was in the smallest of whispers that Kaito couldn't quite hear it. Then, turning around, she resumed the path she was walking before she ran into Red.

Holding his breath, the young magician waited for the click of heels to fade away before letting out a puff of air. Reaching out with a hand, he made to creak open the door he was hiding behind to see if the hall was truly empty. However, before his fingertips could even feel the grain of the wood, a gloved hand the color of freshly spilt blood encased his hand in a grip stronger than any he has ever felt before. The gloved hand's pair soon found it's way to cover Kaito's mouth in a similar fashion. No sound, much less air could escape the gloved hand's grip, but at least the nose was free to breathe air. Only a single moment passed before Kaito found himself standing in the middle of the room as the rest of Kaijin Red's body moved his own away from the door.

Tense minutes past as Kaito breathed in and out to keep himself calm. With a firm poker face plastered on his face, the young magician gazed into the mask Kaijin Red while he contemplated if he wanted to escape. However, before he could even shift a muscle, barely audible footsteps followed the same path that the black clad foreign woman took a few minutes ago.

It was when Red noticed that Kaito heard the footsteps did he finally realize him. After waiting for another minute to pass, Kaijin Red then takes a couple of steps away.

Tilting his head toward the door to the hall outside, Kaito asks a silent question.

However, it seemed that the red clad person understood him. Speaking in a low voice that was no longer changed by a machine, Kaijin Red said, "It should be safe for noise to be created at the present time. Though it would be preferred if the level of volume is kept to the same as exchanged secrets."

Nodding to show his understanding, Kaito whispered, "You are Kaijin Red, correct?"

"Just as you are Kuroba Kaito, the only child of Kuroba Touichi, correct?"

"Y-yes." The young magician could barely keep his poker face in place as the man in the cheongsam addressed him by name. However, he had different questions to ask at this time. "What was that all about?"

Chuckling a little, Red brought a hand up to his chin before saying, "Surely you realized it. Despite the fact that I wear the popular color for blood, it is sometimes difficult to draw the attention of certain people without innocents getting in the way."

Thinking over his statement, Kaito says, "Attention? Wait . . . was that woman some sort of criminal?"

With a voice that the smile could be heard in, Red said, "Yes and no." Walking up to Kaito, he grabs the front of the jacket that he wore. However, before the young magician could even protest, Red lets go. Except in his hand was something that Kaito had stored in his pocket. Holding up the card gun, Red says, "This is the same sort of thing that Kaitou Kid carries around. In fact, it is designed exactly like it. However, would having such a thing in your possession make you Kaitou Kid?" Not waiting for a reply, Red tosses the gun back to Kaito and turns to walk away.

This action however, made the young magician speak up. "Wait!"

Turning his head sharply back, the long nose on Red's mask seemed even more bird like than ever. "Let me give you some advise. While you may admire your father, you shouldn't follow in his footsteps in their entirety. You are much too young for that."

With an eyebrow twitching, Kaito said, "What would you know of Oyaji?!"

"Absolutely nothing. He was before my time and I never got the chance to meet him." Turning his back to Kaito once more, he continues saying, "There may be one truth, but only in a world with no heart. If the person that taught me about truth was here now, he would be telling you such a truth right now. However, if he was to do that, I doubt your heart would be in the same condition it is in now."

"What . . . what do you mean?"

"My . . . master has very little use of a heart nowadays, and some things are better left unsaid. Especially about the death of your father."

"Y-you know about Oyaji?" Kaito's eyes widened in shock.

However, he was disappointed when Kaijin Red shook his head. "No . . . As I said before, he was before my time." Turning his head slightly to eye Kaito once more, Red hesitated before saying, "Though if you wish to know more of your father, I suggest seeking out Kaitou Kid's elder brother. He knows more about the truth than most people, so he would have the answers that you seek."

"Kid's elder brother?"

Nodding his head, Red walks to the door. "They share a parent, as he was the one to give them their names, so they are brothers. However, I wish you the best of luck should you wish to seek him out. The last I heard of him, he was in the midst of dying."

Thinking over what he said, Kaito jerks his head up and calls out to Red before he disappeared into the hall. "W-wait! What about that woman? What's going on with her?"

"It is no concern of yours, and soon it will not be the concern of anyone ever again. For more than seven years have I kept my eyes on them, and I do not plan on having them escape from my carefully laid trap, so do not fret so. Of course, when they no longer exist, I will no longer exist, no matter what the outcome will be."

"You . . . you plan on dying?"

When silence greeted his question, Kaito wondered if he prodded into Kaijin Red's life too far. However, it seemed that Red was just contemplating his answer. ". . . I have been dying for some time now, so I might as well make it truly worth something." Nodding once more to the young magician, Kaijin Red exits the room.

Letting out a sigh, Kaito left the same way that Red did, and was unsurprised to see no one in the hallway. The encounter he just had with that strange person left many questions running through his mind while he walked back through the building. While he never found out about Conan's relationship with Kaijin Red, he did find out some more riddles to solve.

Contemplating things so, Kaito was so deep in thought that he didn't hear his name being called from someone behind him. So when a hand clapped down on his shoulder, the young magician jerked in surprise. "C-Conan-kun! I didn't see you there . . ."

Grinning slightly, Conan said, "I noticed." Nudging the other boy forward, they continued walking back to where they left Aoko. "By the way, what are you doing in here? I thought you were waiting with Aoko-san." "Ah, I was . . . that is, I just needed to make a visit to the bathroom real quick." Looking over at the other boy, he takes in his expression. "Is something wrong?"

"Hm?"

Frowning slightly, Kaito pokes the bespectacled boy in the arm. "You look upset about something. What's the matter?"

"Oh, that." Holding up his empty hands, Conan continues talking. "The police here confiscated the video camera I had along with everything else because of all that happened today. You know, with Kaitou Kid and that Kaijin Red guy. I can understand it if they wanted to see the video I took for evidence, but did they really have to?"

"What's wrong with that? It will be returned eventually, right?"

"Yes . . ."

Raising an eyebrow at Conan's attempt to delay talking, Kaito prompted him on. "But?"

"But while I was waiting up in that tree for the bride and groom to come out, I may have said thing that . . . were a bit criticizing."

"A bit?"

"Well . . . you know . . . about the lack of security at the wrong times and all that . . . So, um, I get the feeling that Aoko-san may want to try to hurt me if her father rants about some of the things I said. Unless you think otherwise, you are her friend after all." Conan looked over at the young magician with the question in his eyes.

Wincing at the imagined reaction, Kaito shook his head. "Sorry, but you are probably as good as dead."

"Great . . ."

Letting out a laugh, Kaito patted the other boy on the shoulder. "Don't worry, from what I've seen of your reflexes, you should be fine. Just keep a sharp lookout."

"Still . . ."

Seeing the other boy look so down, Kaito decides to change the subject. "Hey Conan-kun? May I ask you a question?"

"Sure."

"Um . . . Over here, I don't want to get interrupted." Pulling the other boy into a nearby room next to the exit to the building, Kaito almost closes the door behind himself, but leaves it slightly open so he could hear if someone comes. Turning to the boy by him he asks, ". . . How well did you know Kaitou Kid?"

"What?" The expression on Conan's face told Kaito that he wasn't expecting that question.

However, the young magician wanted to get straight to the point. "Look, I know you knew him a lot better than most of the people he associated with. The police and so such. Still, after all that I read about your meetings, I can't believe that you two are just passing acquaintances."

Shrugging his shoulders, Conan looked at the floor while he said, "I really have no idea. He seemed to have developed some sort of interest in me after the first couple of times that I met him. Who knows . . . perhaps he felt like a child and a 'Kid' should play together. Children do tend to have more fun when they play with each other more than any other sort of person."

Eyebrows furrowed, Kaito asks, "Then what about . . ." However, before he could finish his question, the door slams open.

"Kaito! Conan-kun! What's taking you two so long?! Why have you made me wait?!" Aoko, in full fury mode, apparently was the cause for the door to be slammed open.

However, unnoticed by Aoko when she entered the room, door rammed into Kaito, who fell onto Conan, concluding the pile of two bodies on the floor. Aoko, once she noticed the two of them on the floor, would have continued yelling at them if she didn't notice the very still way the two boys were laying on the floor. Seeing only Kaito fallen on top of Conan from her current angle, she goes to one side so she could see the two of them better. Once she gets there though, her eyes widened in shock once she saw the position that they were in.

With his legs tangled with the bespectacled boy's under him, Kaito was very much pinning Conan underneath him. However, with one of his hands on Conan's hip and the at the joint between the other boy's shoulder and neck, overall the positioning was rather . . . sensual looking. Of course, with their lips locked together the way they were . . . the wide eye expression of shock on their faces completely ruined it.

By the time that the two boy's faces were fully red, Aoko let out a gasp as her shock wore off. When Conan heard her gasp however, he flipped his position with Kaito, so he was on top instead of the other boy and sat up. Taking in a few breaths of air, the red in Conan's face quickly went to white. Yet before either of his classmates could blink, the bespectacled boy bolted and was gone.

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

Author's Endnote:

Yeah, I know, some people have complained that there haven't been much . . . yeah. So there you go. Now suffer while I continue writing the next one. Just expect that my replies to your reviews may be delayed because of my trip. Still, I hope you enjoyed this chapter though, so don't forget to review. Such things really motivate me.

-RHK

Reference Notes:

- none

-Look for some references in previous chapters.

-Ask me if you want me to add some more.