Thanks for the comments/favs/follows! Okay, but serious, this time the next update really will be in July.
Summary:In which Kaito and Shinichi leave behind the police station. Kazuha demands an explanation. Aoko has her suspicions and Ran isn't sure what to think.
"What is wrong with you?"
Frankly, Kaito isn't sure whether this question is rhetoric, so instead of offering a response, he grabs hold of Shinichi's wrist, pulls him across the roof they've landed on towards the edge.
"You pushed me out of a window!" Shinichi cries.
Still, Kaito doesn't offer an answer - maybe seeing Aoko has rattled him more than he thinks. He's not sure, but it feels almost as if she's following after him, a ghost by his side, holding her place until the real one can take it's place.
He looks over the edge of the roof - it's a long drop, about five meters, but Kaito thinks if they lower themselves from the gutter and shimmy across to the drain pipes, they'll be able to get down to the ground in no time at all.
From there… well, all they need to do is get to the bags they'd stashed at the train station, change into a different disguise and get out of Chiyoda… Sure, no problem at all. It's not like there are infinite police officers right beside them.
"You won't even say you're sorry?"
Kaito glances up from where he's testing the gutters for any weak spots. There's one further down, but it should hold if they go one at a time - he'll have to go after Shinichi then, so that the other can get down without any extra time pressure weighing down on his shoulders in the form of police officers.
"Maybe later," he says, voice controlled despite his own feelings, "when we're not being chased by the police. Right now, I need you to climb across to that drain and slide down to the ground."
Shinichi blinks. Then, despite the tension in his shoulders, he lets out a sigh, drags himself to the grate and does as he's asked. It's doesn't seem difficult for him to get down - he's almost… quick… - and Kaito lets out a breath of relief as he places his hands back against the gutter, swinging himself across.
Metal groans.
Kaito curses as it turns from a groan into the sound of ripping metal. The gutters had already been weak… and with Shinichi…
"Oh shit," Kaito says, as it gives way above him.
It feels almost like there are needles hammering away at her heart.
Glancing out of the window, eyes wide as she mouths Shinichi's name, it takes Ran a while to register the tears rolling down her cheeks. His name burns against her tongue, and it's painful because he'd been so near, and yet, like always, he'd been so far from her reach.
"He came back," Ran mumbles, when she notices the presence behind her, a hand on her shoulder. It's a light touch – Aoko – and it leaves her feeling only vaguely reassured. "Why would Shinichi come back?"
Hand dropping from Ran's shoulder, Aoko pushes a piece of paper into her hands. It's A6, tiny, the size of a postcard, kanji scrawled across the page, with a little caricature. Ran takes a deep breath, reminds herself to breathe.
"KID…"
Aoko nods. "It's so like Kaito to announce a heist within two days of breaking out of prison. Aoko thinks he's probably been planning it since he was in prison, it explains the playing card he'd left behind. He was toying with the police before he even escaped, and this is just to bait them into coming after him."
Ran turns away from the windows, glances at the police officers that have raced down the corridor in their attempts to recapture the convicts. Then, she looks down at the heist notice – it's different to the ones she's read before, more blunt. Either KID is wilder now, prison having altered one of the key principles of his personality, or he's pressed for time.
The fact that he's left them two messages in the span of two days, forces Ran to think that maybe it's the former – especially if she adds the records of him during solitary that she'd skimmed through yesterday.
The note reads:
Let's not use pretty words with one another, detectives.
I'm taking the Cullinan Diamond. You won't be able to stop me – just like you won't be able to catch me again.
You've had one miracle. You won't get another.
Ran passes the note over to the first detective she can, shoulders through the crowd until she's at the end of the corridor, both Hattori and Aoko looking at her for what to do next.
"But why would KID bring Shinichi here?"
It feels like an incomplete theory. A heist note declaring KID's intentions following his escape from prison only accounts for KID's presence, not Shinichi's. And unless Ran assumes that Shinichi's working alongside KID…
There must be something else, something bigger than what Ran already knows.
"Maybe Kudo's workin' with 'im or somethin'," Hattori says. "what did th' note say?"
Ran repeats what she'd known, watches as Hattori scrunches his nose, confusion swimming through his eyes. Beside him, Aoko frowns, attempting to figure out whether the Osakan is sincere in his confusion. It's stupid, Ran thinks, to suspect the Osakan when they should be trusting him to help solve their case.
Plus, it's impossible to fake the level of surprise and confusion Hattori's currently wearing. He rubs the back of his neck, brows furrowed in attempt to figure it out. Not that the message itself is difficult – KID will come and steal the diamond. No fancy talk, just a warning.
"But why a heist…" Hattori asks, "surely they wanna lay low?"
Ran bites at her lip. Shrugs her shoulders. She's not completely sure, but from the subtle shift of Aoko's shoulders, she's pretty sure the other girl has an idea. It's KID's idea then, to not remain hidden, to act so suddenly.
"Kaito's very active," Aoko says, and she crosses her arms. There's a slight pause, as she tries to find the right words for what she's saying, "Aoko wasn't expecting him to lay low at all. He always needs to be doing something or else it drives him crazy."
Just by looking, Ran can see she's remembering the solitary reports. The grief of knowing about the topics KID had talked about during his time in solitary… the fact that he'd mimicked Aoko in particular… it shows in her expression. In the way her smile tightens.
"In fact, Aoko thinks the heist will be within the week… If Ran-chan and Hattori-kun have read up on KID, then they'll know that Kaito always conducted heists to a quicker time plan. The original KID would conduct heists every three months, but Kaito conducted them every month. He's always been impatient."
It still doesn't give Ran any answers as to why Shinichi was here… Unless…
"Are ya suggestin' we look for Kudo at th' heist and ask why he was here?" Hattori asks, leaning forward. It's not a bad idea… Even if it goes against what she knows about Shinichi, if he's come to the police station with KID, then logically, he'll be present at the heist as well…
Although, she's still not that sure…
"Aoko's suggesting that we follow the clues that Kudo-kun left behind." Aoko says, breathing a heavy sigh. "In his psychological assessment, he left clues, and Aoko thinks him coming into the police station with Kaito is a clue as well."
Ran bites down on her lip – again, it seems like Aoko is seeing things that she's overlooked because of her own emotions. She says, "and what clue is that?"
"Kaito would have left Kudo-kun if they weren't working together," Aoko says, turning on her heel so that Ran can't see whatever emotion is splayed across her face. "Since Kaito pushed him from the window to stop his reunion with Ran-chan, Kaito must have a reason not to want Kudo-kun to get caught."
There is a pause as Ran comes to grips with what she's hearing.
"And if KID wants something from Shinichi, then Shinichi must want something from him."
As the metal gives way, cracking beneath him, Kaito surveys the rest of the gutters – it's about a three meter jump from one wall to the next from where he is. The fall, however, is much further and he's not sure he wants to risk it.
Instead, he looks down. There's a window ledge beneath him. A metre – no, a metre and a half below, and it juts out far enough that he should be able to get a good enough grip if he drops.
Not that he has much choice.
His fingers scrape against stone, wounds from barbed wire screaming in protest as his palms smack against rock.
Body smacking into the wall beneath the window, Kaito lets out a hiss. He's not falling, no, but pain courses through him like the electricity he's learned to hate.
"You okay?" Shinichi shouts up, which… Kaito isn't sure whether he wants to thank the detective for thinking about his health, or whether to shout down at him for being a complete idiot. Giving away their location by asking if he's okay?
Kaito's pretty certain that Shinichi would not make a good criminal.
He doesn't give a response. Instead, Kaito glances to the side, shuffles to the left of the window and glances over at the drain pipe. It's not the furthest jump he's had to do before, but with little practise, it feels almost as if he's pushing the odds.
"I'm not going back to prison," Kaito mutters. He looks up at the sound of footsteps, decides he doesn't want to see the police officers when their heads appear over the side of the roof, and throws himself towards the gutter instead.
His fingers slip against the metal as soon as he touches them, and for a moment, it's as if he's falling again. Instead, Kaito lets out a pained breath, his fingers aching, and tries to find a better grip.
Two metres from the ground, he finds it. He pushes back from the gutter, jumps and dives into a roll. Before he even has time to blink, he's grabbing Shinichi's arm, adrenaline spurring him forward as they make their way outside of the alleyway.
"You know what," Kaito breathes as he drags them right, "I'll be great when we can get to the station."
The thing is though… Kaito's pretty sure that even if they run, they'll get cornered by the police before they can reach the station – where it'll take them fifteen minutes to run to Kudanshita station, it'll only take the police eight minutes to drive there. Even with the busy traffic, the police will be able to get there before them.
Unless…
Kaito glances across the street. He glances at the cars, tries to guess when to run in order to not get hit by any that are actually capable of moving, and drags Shinichi across the busy road without a second thought.
"Bikes," Shinichi says, when Kaito grabs hold of a bike that's been left outside of a shop, "we can't…"
"Get over yourself," Kaito snaps, throwing his leg over one of the bikes, "if we run, the police beat us to the station. If we ride the bikes, then with this traffic, we'll get there at roughly the same time."
Shinichi takes one of the other bikes.
Making his way back to the CCTV room and to his best friend that's waiting inside, ready to receive an answer, Heiji lets himself hold a breath. It's not every day that he has to explain himself to Kazuha, usually she gives him the benefit of the doubt, goes along with his decisions.
Now however, she wants answers. And… Heiji isn't sure whether he's got the capability to make her understand. Not fully, not… not in a way that will make Kazuha agree with what he's done.
"Okay," he tells himself, "you can figure this out."
He's not sure where Aoko or Ran have gone, which… is difficult on his end – he knows from the looks Aoko keeps giving him that she's suspicious. Especially with him being early to the police station on the same day Kudo and Kuroba have broken in… Hell, he'd find it suspicious as well, if he were her.
At least Ran isn't suspicious – Heiji can see that there's a degree of influence there. Had seen the way she and Hakuba had worked together. They won't get suspicious because of the phone call… He's glad he'd changed his mind on the second call, the sudden burst of inspiration that he might need an alibi if anyone came asking.
He's smart about that, at least.
Stepping into the CCTV room is chilling. Kazuha drags her gaze to meet his, lips pursed, and offers him a small glare. Her headphones dangle from where she's threaded them up through her jumper, abandoned, just like Heiji's phone that she's left on the table.
"Kazuha listen-"
She shakes her head, raises a hand to stop him before he can start explaining and says, "this really isn't th' place. We'll go somewhere else."
Heiji bites his lip – a police station isn't really a smart place to explain why he's aiding two high profile criminals, he knows. But then, he doesn't know whether it's a smart idea to just leave before working on the case.
Kazuha however turns, points a finger at one of the CCTV screens. The camera shows Inspector Nakamori squinting down at Kuroba's heist notice, barking out orders. At first, there's a blankness, Heiji having no idea what he needs to say. Then, it clicks.
"The gemstone. If we go there, we can say we're planning counter strategies, while I can explain…" He says.
Kazuha nods, crosses her arms over her chest and pulls at the ribbon in her hair, adjusting the bow until it looks perfectly symmetrical. Heiji doesn't know how she does it without looking in the mirror, but she manages it.
"And… Kudo-kun… If he's innocent, he'll come convince me too."
Kudanshita station is busy. Busy enough that Kaito reckons they can blend into the crowd pretty easily as long as they ditch the disguises – he's glad at least that he'd left a bag hidden inside the station when they'd shown up.
He doesn't stop the bike the way he usually does, and he knows Shinichi will be angry about any damages, but the instant they reach the station, he pulls the handlebars down to the side, lifts his feet up to the seat and rides the pavement until the bike comes to a stop.
The force throws him forward, not overly so, but enough to give him the right momentum to keep running.
He'd shouted to Shinichi as they'd been riding their bikes that they'll have to meet on Platform 5, where he's hidden their other disguises, and right now, he surges forward, not thinking about whether Shinichi's abandoned his own bike or has rested it against a wall.
Morals, Kaito shakes his head at the prospect of never adapting them.
His feet dance across steps as he pushes his way past civilians, and Kaito takes off the ring he's been wearing on his finger. He feels almost like he should be pulling off his mask, even though he knows his face is more well known than Detective Sato's is. Frustrating, he thinks, and jumps the final step.
He has to climb down to the 4th basement level, races down the staircase as quickly as he can. He waits a minute for Shinichi to show, before turning on his heel and racing across to receive the bag he's hidden. It's in a small storage room that he's had to pick the locks on, and Kaito quickly steps inside to change his disguise.
He pulls the disguise from his back, tears the mask of Detective Sato from his face – some of the mask sticks to his cheek and he grimaces as it pulls at the faint stubble he's not gotten around to shaving.
Then, as quickly as he can, he discards Sato's uniform, replacing the skirt for jeans and the blazer for a shirt and jacket. Then, throwing on a hat and a pair of glasses, he forces his way back outside of the room, carrying the bag he'd brought with him in an attempt to look for Shinichi.
He opens the door and is met with Detective Takagi.
Except, with the way his fingers curl in over themselves, almost as if protecting themselves from burns, he quickly realises it's Shinichi.
"In here," he hisses, and pulls Shinichi in by his tie, closing the door behind them. It's a small room, and there's not much space, but he manages to pull off the mask he'd applied earlier, revealing Shinichi's face.
"What were you thinking announcing a heist," Shinichi hisses, as Kaito undoes his tie, pulling it off and throwing it into the bag. He seems to take offence when Kaito attempts to undo his shirt, shrugging him off and raising it over his head instead.
Kaito holds out a hoodie for him to throw on, before leaning forward and plucking a bit of mask that has stuck to his eyebrow.
"The police realised we were there," Kaito replies, as he leans forward, adding a quick mask to Shincihi's face, making his nose rounder and less sharp. He also pulls a eyebrow brush out, adjusting the shape of his eyebrows. Basic things for a disguise, he knows, but it's the smaller things that help. "We needed a reason."
"Yeah right," Shinichi hisses, as he changes from trousers into a pair of jeans, the fabric ripped at the knees. Kaito adds a bandage to his cheek for extra effect, before forcing Shinichi into a wig and pulling his hood up. "You did it because you want to cause trouble."
It's not… entirely untrue.
There's an element of truth in there, somewhere, but Kaito thinks that it'll be better in the long run if they just overlook it.
"Listen," Kaito says, as Shinichi changes work shoes for trainers, "as far as we know, your organisation have enough power to get you on death row. The crimes you supposedly committed… they weren't enough for death row, and yet you still got it – if they can make that happen, then they obviously have people in the justice system."
Shinichi glares, but it's not as heated as before. There's anger there. But not as much. Instead, he scratches at his neck and sighs.
Kaito continues, "And if they have people in the justice system, then you don't want them to know why you were really there, do you. The heist note is a valid excuse."
"You're putting a target on your back…" Shinichi says, weakly, as they leave the room – and the bag – behind. They make their way over to the crowd, standing beside other students who're travelling during the holidays.
"Oh please," Kaito says, glancing out of the corner of his eye for any movement. He resists the urge to smile as he spots three detectives race out of the stair well: The real Takagi, followed by Inspector Megure. "I've had a target on my back for a very long time now."
The detectives push through the crowd, and Kaito has to mutter under his breath for Shinichi to stop glancing over at them. It's not long now, he knows, until the next train is due.
Megure takes another step in their direction – another detective bundles out from the staircase as the train pulls into the station.
The doors open.
Shinichi and Kaito manage to lose them in the crowd, blending in to the crowd of people who've just gotten off the train on their way to the stair well. It's almost amusing, Kaito thinks, to walk right past the detectives who're about to assume they've gotten onto the train.
They will be – but not from the platform they're on.
"Come on," Kaito says, as they reach the second basement level, making their way to platform two, where he's anticipated the next train will be arriving any second. "We've got a train to catch."
The text comes later, when Shinichi and Kaito have gotten off the train.
"It's about Kazuha," Kaito says, when they step off. He receives a blank look, as if there is no reason to bring up Toyama Kazuha, and Kaito thinks that maybe to the detective there isn't. He hadn't heard her voice on the other side of the phone. "She knows."
Shinichi's face drops. He doesn't say anything as Kaito leads him right onto another train. His skin is pale, worry creasing his eyebrows but he doesn't say anything.
"She's giving Heiji an opportunity to explain his side of the story…" He adds, before looking up. He offers a supportive look – it's not like all hope is gone, Kazuha knowing doesn't leave them in any trouble only Heiji.
"But…?" Shinichi says, as they sit back on seats. He digs his nails into his neck, and Kaito wants to tell him to stop, but there's nothing he can do to alleviate the other boy's worry. It's impossible. "There's something else isn't there?"
Kaito nods. "She wants to hear your side of the story as well."
Shinichi seems to regain some of his colour – Kaito's guessing that he's caught on to Kazuha's want to believe in Heiji's decision. They're obviously close then, Kaito thinks, for him to be able to have such sway over her.
That, and the fact that she'd been willing to help them escape.
"Where does she want to meet…?" Shinichi asks.
"Ueno station." Kaito says. "It's a short walk to the heist location from there."
There's a short nod. Then, Shinichi says, "Text Heiji that we're on our way."
Kaito sends the text, but lets a complaint rise on his tongue. If he goes, then he knows that Kazuha's only going to remain conflicted – Shinichi, he knows, will be able to convince Kazuha that he's innocent, mainly because he is. Kaito doesn't know how he will, but there's faith there, that the detective can convince her.
If he goes, he counteracts that. After all… He is guilty. He shouldn't be walking around in freedom, he should still be inside the prison, no matter how boring and monotonous it was.
"You're going alone." Kaito says, when the he's managed to send the text. It's difficult with the service on the train, but he manages to send it when they're in a station. "I need to go prepare for this heist."
Shinichi frowns.
Kaito reads his look, fidgets in his seat. He taps his foot against the floor, a succession of anxious movements that only helps any awkwardness grow. He says, "I'm going through with it."
"It's a stupid idea." Shinichi says, and he turns to look out of the window, teeth grinding in an attempt to remain calm. "They want you dead, don't they?"
There is fear in his voice, and Kaito emphasises, even if he doesn't share the emotion. There isn't time for fear, not now – Being scared or hesitant will only hinder his search, and he can't allow any of his emotions to restrain him.
"They do." Kaito says, "Which is why I need to be prepared."
Shinichi doesn't say anything else on the subject. Instead he says, "where are you going?"
"After I leave you at Ueno station?" Kaito shrugs his shoulders, throws his poker face back on to throw away his upcoming anxiety. "Ekoda."
The train ride to Ekoda feels like it drags.
From there, the walk to his house takes even longer, as if it's stretching time through a loom, forcing him forward even if the clock hasn't moved onward. There's a moment, when he almost wants to break into a run, spurring himself forward until he reaches the old familiar block of houses he's grown up exploring.
He needs to get into his house – back window will do. He can't go in through the front door without gathering any unwanted attention, and as long as his mother hasn't fixed the latch on the back window, he should be able to open it within seconds. His father's secret room – KID's room beckons him forward, and his mind scrambles in an attempt to remember every detail of it.
"Okay," Kaito mutters to himself as he makes his way to the back of his house, to the small back garden. The grass is uncut – he doubts his mother's done much in the way of maintenance since he'd been imprisoned. "Lets do this."
The latch, as expected, is still broken, and Kaito pulls himself up, shimmying in through the window and across the kitchen counter. It feels nice, he thinks, to finally be home again.
He lets out a deep breath. Closes the window behind him, and decides that since he's in a rush, his mother will forgive him for keeping his shoes on and not swapping them for slippers.
"What do I need…" He asks himself, making his way to the staircase, creeping upstairs. It's a habit at this point, keeping quiet, silent. He forces himself to list everything inside his head: he'll need his suit, his card gun. He'll need his hand glider and-
And-
Kaito's pretty sure he's going to try and bring everything he's got back to his safe houses. His home after all… He knows he won't be able to return again. He's already risking so much coming here now. But well, he's already broken into a police station, why not go all the way?
His bedroom door is ajar, and Kaito pushes it open – slowly at first, to avoid the creak it usually sounds when it's first opened, and then the rest of the way.
His eyes widen at the sight he sees.
"Aoko asked you to stay," his best friend says, sitting on his bed. She's frowning, looking down at her phone that lays in cupped hands. "When you didn't, she thought she'd just have to track you down instead."
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