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Summary: In which Kaito learns what they need to do next. And Aoko comes to a decision.
Twenty months ago:
"This case isn't something you can work on long term, you know. You can't do it, silver bullets only have a short range."
Shinichi turns at the voice - it's relatively new, this voice, although he's certain he's heard it before. When they'd talked the first time, over the phone, there hadn't been so much worry over who he was talking to. It wasn't like Kudo Shinichi didn't regularly get phone calls demanding him mind and asking for deductions.
Now that he's met with this person however, - each time in different disguises, the both of them struggling to remain inconspicuous despite forcing themselves to meet in public - he's been struggling with the lack of reasonable identity.
All he has is a codename. Vermouth.
"Get to the point." Shinichi says, as they're walking through Ueno park. Vermouth is disguised as a high school student today, wearing the same school uniform as him - it makes it seem as if they're on a date to any onlookers, although it's the furthest thing from both of their minds. "I don't have time to talk about stuff like this."
Every time they meet, it fills Shinichi with a nervousness that makes him unsteady. She's a member of the very organisation he's been looking into for months, yet she's made no efforts to dissuade him from looking into the case - not until now.
"You should find the time," Vermouth sighs, throws her hand out in the way adults do when dealing with 'difficult' teenagers. "You need to stop looking into the organisation for now. The water's getting hot, lay low, and come back to it."
"Exactly," Shinichi says, turning his head to Vermouth and narrowing his eyes. "Things are getting heated, I need to gather as much information as I can while you're all focusing on other things."
"No. You need to stay alive."
Shinichi turns, glares. He doesn't know why he hasn't called the police on Vermouth, told them about the crimes he's unravelled, and while part of him feels guilty for not telling, he also knows that he's got more important things. Like this organisation - the one he'd first spotted at Tropical Land, where he'd almost been caught taping the result of blackmail.
"Why do you care if I die anyway?" He snaps. It's not something he's thought about since she first sat him down in a cafe and explained that she wanted to see whether he'd be capable of taking down the organisation he's part of.
Vermouth purses her lips. After a few seconds, she brings her finger to her lips, whispers, 'it's a secret."
"And secrets make a woman right?" Shinichi rolls his eyes. They've only talked in person three times now, and yet he already knows this is the response to every question she doesn't want to answer. It's frustrating.
"Hide the information you've gathered so far," Vermouth says, when they stop in the middle of the park, looking up at the trees that are in full bloom. "Because they will come looking for you soon. And if they find anything…"
Shinichi lets out a low laugh. It sounds bitter, the sound scratching against his throat in a repugnant manner. It feels almost like it's being formed by a machine.
"They'll kill me, won't they?"
Nara - 8.47 a.m
"So… what's the plan from here?" Kaito asks, once Shinichi is awake - unwillingly, but supplied with coffee that's helping him wake up - and they've prepared instant ramen.
Hattori leans back against the wall, cupping his hands around the pot. His eyes are closed, although Kaito can tell from the tilt of his head that he's listening to the conversation as it happens. He wonders when the Osakan last slept, whether he'll have any time to rest before they set off again. The bags under his eyes tell Kaito that it's been a while.
"Before I was incarcerated," Shinichi says, swallowing down coffee like it's water, "I was working on a pretty high profile case. When things started to look like I might get arrested, I took the information I'd gained and hid it."
Kaito hesitates, places his ramen against the small table, giving Shinichi his full attention. Nervous energy bubbles in his stomach, but he doesn't smothers it, tries to ignore the dread that starts to build. His poker face masks the worry - well, he thinks that it does, he's not that sure - and Shinichi doesn't question it, so it's nothing he needs to think about right now.
"This case," Kaito asks, "the people you were looking into are the one's who framed you, right?"
A nod. "I think so. I was warned shortly before the murders began, that if I didn't stop looking into the case that… that… well… In a way I really am responsible for those murders."
"They'd 'ave killed 'em anyway Kudo," Hattori says, pausing from eating ramen to glance at the two. "That's the kinda organisation you said they were."
For a moment there is silence.
Then, "I know… It's because of those deaths that I can't give this up. I'm not willing to let their murders go unsolved, so I need to get the files I had and keep investigating."
His voice is urgent, raw emotion bleeding through each word, cutting deep into Kaito. It's no doubt difficult, Kaito thinks, to open himself like that - even with the closeness of a shared prison break looming over their heads. The thing about Shinichi, Kaito has learned, is that the ex-detective is the type to keep secrets if it seems like it'll benefit others.
He doesn't think about how the secrets will weigh down on him… and yes, Kaito knows that it sounds familiar, keeping secrets for the sake of others, but it doesn't matter anymore if he's had his secrets publicly announced. Shinichi however…
Shinichi is still living with his secrets.
"What can you tell me about this organisation?" Kaito asks, leaning forward. He almost knocks his ramen over, the movement reminding him that it exists and that he should probably eat before it gets cold - before he misses another meal.
The flavour is overwhelming - it's stupid, Kaito thinks, to let that affect him, but tasting food that isn't bland, that's actually got taste to it after months of prison food… sadness washes the nervousness he's been feeling away, leaving him with a cold nothingness.
It's not fair - not fair that he's overjoyed by things he'd once thought of as everyday. It's not fair that he's stuck here, breathing in freedom without really feeling free.
"Members go by code names," Shinichi says, drinking the rest of his coffee and placing his cup on the table. "The codenames are all based on alcohols. So far, I've discovered five codenames: Gin, Vodka, Tequila, Pisco and… Vermouth. Shortly before I was incarcerated though, Tequila was murdered in an explosion before I could get any information from him."
Neurons spark in Kaito's own mind, memories of his own organisation - Snake - flashing behind his eyes. It's almost as if he can see the man in front of him, his stache, the black suit he'd always seen him in. The black suits the organisation has solely worn, refusing to wear anything that doesn't resemble death.
"Is there any way of identifying them?" Kaito asks, once he's finished his own ramen. "Other than the codenames, I mean."
Shinichi nods, "I've been calling them the black organisation for a while now, because that's all they seem to wear: Black."
Siren's echo in the back of his head, and Kaito recoils, without meaning to. It's not until he hears a voice, similar to Hakuba's own, in his head telling him that he should wait until he's got all of the facts before he settles on any conclusions, that he tries to calm the sudden pounding of his heart. He's not sure why exactly, he's trying not to show any other responses, when they've already seen his first reaction.
"K-Kaito?"
The thief shakes his head, reapplies his mask and smiles. He says, "I've been working against an organisation stained with black as well. What are the chances?"
"Do ya think they're the same?" Hattori asks, wide-eyed. "Wha' do ya know about 'em?"
"I don't know," Kaito shrugs, turns away from them both. "All I know for certain is that they're the type of organisation who kill to get rid of problems, so it sure is possible…" He takes a deep breath, "if you explain what you've got on them, we'll be able to see if it really is the same organisation."
Another hesitant silence. "About that, I can't really remember without the case files."
"Eh?" Kaito turns back to Shinichi, shock registering on his face. "How can you not remember such an important thing!"
Shinichi frowns. "It's not that I don't remember… it's that so much time away from the files… I don't remember which bits of information are theories, and which bits are truth. So, I'd rather not throw any false evidence at you…"
"Then let's get the files!"
"If you'd have let me finish," Shinichi crosses his arms, leans back against the wall, "I'd have told you that getting those files are the first thing on our to-do list… If you're staying with us…"
Kaito lets out a small laugh, grins. "Of course I'm staying. I owe you. I'll help until your organisation can't mess with you anymore."
There are two sighs of relief - Both Shinichi and Hattori. It's almost as if they'd been expecting him to disappear as soon as things seem like they might be getting rough. Kaito wonders whether they've ever heard of the phrase 'honour amongst thieves'.
If anything, he is a gentleman. He'll see it through until the end, until Shinichi no longer has a use for the criminal, until he has to throw behind his identity of 'Kuroba Kaito' for good.
"Thanks." Shinichi says, before sharing a look with Hattori. "The case files are in Tokyo."
For a moment, Kaito stiffens - because, surely Shinichi has not suggested that they head into the most heavily policed and populated city in all of Japan. The look on his face must ask for some sort of repetition, because Shinichi repeats Tokyo once more.
"Oh yeah, sure," Kaito says, "what a brilliant idea. Why can't Hattori get the files?"
Shinichi falters again, scratches at his neck. Kaito narrows his eyes, repeats his question.
"Hattori can't get to them without raising suspicion," Shinichi mutters. "And if Hattori raises any suspicions, we can't have him help us anymore. So I - So we need to get them and then move on to somewhere we won't be found."
Kaito snaps his fingers, grins. "I've got a few safe houses in Tokyo, and some others around Japan. Give me twenty minutes and a computer and I'll be able to tell you which ones haven't been found by the police."
"That's something we don't have to plan then," Shinichi says, "we just need to figure out how to get the actual files."
Apprehension squeezes his bones, makes his skin feel tight, but Kaito manages to ask, "where are they?"
When Shinichi scratches this time, he's moved his fingers to his cheek. He's sheepish - it doesn't make Kaito feel any better.
"Tokyo's main metropolitan police department?"
Tokyo - The same time
"Aoko doesn't understand." Aoko says, and she's biting down on her lip, sat back on a chair watching as her father pours himself into his work. She'd thought that they'd finally been getting along better, had the capability of a better relationship now that he'd finally caught KID, had finally cut down on his own work load, but apparently he's as lost in his duties as ever.
"What don't you understand, Nakamori-san?" Aoko doesn't like that Hakuba of all people is the one trying to help, not when he's the reason she's been feeling lonely recently. He's the reason that Kaito is gone, and Aoko can't forgive him for that, even if Kaito is KID.
"KID… Aoko understands why he'd want to escape, but… Kaito would never work with someone who hurts others." Aoko shrinks in on herself, leaning back on her chair. She's been ushered out of her father's office, and is sat around one of the spare desks. Shortly after she'd been kicked out of the office, Hakuba and Mouri Ran had sat opposite her.
Mouri shares a look with Hakuba.
"Shinichi isn't… we don't believe he did it," Mouri protests, leaning forwards.
Aoko reads the belief on the girl's face, sees herself echoed between each crease on the other girls face. It's not that Aoko doesn't believe her conviction it's just… she also remembers how her own concrete beliefs had been shattered following the unveiling of Kaito's crimes.
"Aoko doesn't know…" She says, "because she doesn't think that Kaito would be easily tricked. But she also doesn't know what KID is capable of."
Hakuba leans forward on the desk. He says, "work with us on this. You know Kuroba-kun better than anyone in the world, and Ran-san knows Kudo-kun best. If you… If there is any part of you that wants to find Kuroba-kun before the police, I beg you to help us."
Aoko narrows her eyes, "why do you want to find them before the police?"
Mouri responds first. She says, "we think the escape had to do with Shinichi's upcoming death penalty… We're not sure why KID… er, Kuroba-kun, decided to help, but we do think that Shinichi's innocence might have had something to do with it."
"Hakuba-kun is certain that this Kudo-kun is innocent? He's not tricking Aoko?"
"I promise you that we're not tricking you." Hakuba says, "I've not lied to you before now, Nakamori-san, I'm not going to start now. We have questions that need to be answered before we let those two get caught… If you've got any questions for Kuroba-kun…"
This might be the only chance to truly ask them. The words are unspoken, but Aoko hears them ringing in her head - and she does have questions. She's had them since the moment she'd first learned Kaito was KID, back at the heist when her father had finally been victorious in catching him.
(Even now she knows it was a fluke, knows it wasn't so much her father but the vibrating gun shots that had left Kaito without a suitable exit.)
She has so much to ask - and she knows she should have simply asked when Kaito had phoned… but… She'd just been so glad to hear his voice at first, and then… Then he'd gone and acted like that - that criminal.
"Aoko will do it." She says, nodding her head. "Aoko will help in any way she can."
Hakuba nods, beside him, Mouri gives a smile, overwhelming with its intensity. The brightness is blinding.
"After all," Aoko continues, turning away from the duo, "Aoko still needs to hit Kaito for toying with the police."
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