Ladies and gentlemen! I humbly welcome you to the next chapter of this story.

The heist goes very wrong, so KID is forced to do what he is best at – escape. Can the detectives reach him before he vanishes again? The race against the time starts again!

Hello and welcome~ I'd like to declare that I have turned the clock back a little to show the detectives' perspective – hope you won't mind~

Phew… I honestly had doubts if I would manage to get this done on time (not only the boys were racing against time this time xD). The beginning was just hellish for me here... Unfortunately the short time came with a price – as you all know, my grammar is not as good as I've want it to be and I had very little time to make the corrections. And because bad luck likes company – my dear beta reader is very busy lately as well, so… hope you'll excuse me any awkward mistakes you might stumble on – I'm really doing my best, but when it comes to updating on time, or being a week late - I figured you'd prefer to get your chapter ;)

Not to stall any longer – the review reply section – and I must admit – I was so surprised by how many I received! Thank you very much! It really helped me overcome my frustrations and get the chapter done on time~

Cerlinfia - Well... I don't think he has it far to get to the 'too exhausted' point xD Yep doing my best~ Glad you appreciate it :D

Meitantei-Clark - I did already answer this, but in case somebody else wondered about it - well... no. Kaito wasn't around to overhear about Ai's discovery.

april-list - Oh~ It was so nice to read that~ I'm happy you like my story this much :D Hope you'll be satisfied with what happens in this chapter xD

Mists - Bingo~ But I won't spoil the fun about what happens here :D I'm glad you liked the tiny line~ Wanted to make something special for a Suzuki heist (despite that atm Kaito hates the guy for choosing this time for his challenge xD) I too can see Kaito watching cartoons, gears already rolling about how to make it happen and then just eager to put it in motion xD Hope you'll like this idea~

Strawberry - Oh~ That is so nice of you to say something like this~! You really made my heart grow~

HalfafanD - Well... I mean you can't be prepared for everything. Especially when you're dead tired and the only thing that comes to your mind is sleep xD Just decided to show here that, despite all his plans, he isn't perfect. But yeah – basically this is what he did – snatch some food and then eat it in the bathroom – not the nicest place for a meal, but oh well ;)

Kensy Echo - Yay~! You're back :D I missed you~ And such a long review again! I have no idea where to start xD Yeah - you probably could be surprised that he didn't manage to pull it into a 3 day or even a week long one, right? (Nope, Kaito says that he would screw it xD) Hm... I might spoil a bit - but in all honesty - Kaito got rid of his detectives on the first day simply because - he was too unprepared and he simply couldn't have his pursuers discovering the trick while it was on.
Oh~ He does know the meaning - he just ignores it xD Honestly speaking - I have no idea what is possible with IP tracking, but there is so much unrealistic stuff going on in canon, that I decided I could have a little something like that slip, even if this is not fully possible ;)
Well... The problem for Shinichi is that it's not so easy to blend in as a child. They simply change too fast and Conan does get a lot of attention. He is too well recognizable, so sooner or later somebody will start wondering why everybody his age is changing and he's not. It is fine about those who know his identity, but there aren't that many around... But let's not worry too much for the future~ A lot can happen before it comes~
If everything goes according to plan (and I can't promise that xD) you will find out what Kaito was up to in the next chapter... Unless my muses will run wild again. Seriously, this story changed so much from what I've planned at the beginning ;) Oh right, I probably should have pointed at the start that it was already Friday... Ups? But yes - this was the beginning of the last heist in the series ;) I'm glad you are able to see the differences between POV's~ It is sometimes hard to get that right ;) And I'm happy you liked it~ Well - don't yu think it would kind of suck if Kaito was actually still there? xD I mean Ginzo, Kogoro and Jirokichi were there xD And if he did fall asleep they would totally catch him xD

So without further delay…

Please enjoy and review! :)


Chapter 32: The escapist


There was still some time left until the Friday heist would start, when Shinichi had to turn away tohold back a snort, while watching his two friends. Heiji was currently making another attempt to bring Saguru over to taking on a bet with him, about which of the guests was Kuroba disguised as. They ruled out any other possibility for his entry rather fast, because although KID would be able to avoid impersonating anybody for this heist, it was the easiest way and the kaitou was most likely tired after the marathon with Suzuki challenges. More so, it should be especially alluring since the police was forbidden from disturbing the guests. They were allowed inside only under condition that they would blend into the crowd. This also unfortunately restricted the detectives as well, narrowing their actions to mere cursorily observations.

In the end, after gathering all information they could, they chose from the crowd four most probable suspects. Well, actually they narrowed it to three, as Heiji was reluctant to believe that Kaito would let anyone grapple him, as Kakita Tohimoko did to his wife – Kakita Rin, who was one of the suspects. On the other hand, Saguru was having a hard time witnessing the obvious harassment, especially when he overheard bits and pieces of what the man was saying to keep her in check. At one point the Brit did attempt to approach the woman, to make sure that she didn't need any assistance. Unfortunately, Tohimoko didn't allow them to talk freely, but after seeing their interactions up close, Hakuba decided to back off. It was clear that although it was a toxic relationship, both were agreeing to it and he had no right to butt in. Although it did leave a distaste for Saguru, so Heiji focused more on distracting him, rather than looking for Kaito.

Shinichi smiled softly, realizing how friendly the two became towards each other. It was a nice thing to witness, especially considering how impossible a result like that seemed after their first meeting. His smile faded, as his gaze moved to the Kakita couple. Conan still had this irrational gut feeling that they shouldn't rule the woman out yet. Especially given how she seemed to tense each time the detective's gaze lingered on her. There was also something about how she acted and moved, although Shinichi wasn't able to explain why he found it suspicious.


Time for the heist was slowly drawing near and the detectives would soon abandon their posts, to take more strategic positions, when Shinichi noticed the Kakitas struggling. Out of the corner of his eye he saw that his friends also noticed it, but before either of them could react there was a sudden burst of smoke. Somewhat confused, the boy took a step back, wary of the pink color, that usually indicated the sleep gas and glanced at his watch. There was still about 20 minutes left! He didn't even get the time to let the thought sink in, when KID dressed now in his full regalia and with a gas mask on his face, jumped out of the cloud and threw more pellets in various directions, causing mixed white and pink eruptions. Hakuba cursed under his breath and turned on his heel to get the windows open, shouting to the stunned officers to do the same. The other two detectives boldly ran forward, covering their noses with sleeves. Nobody expected the kaitou to use large amounts of sleep gas, as he preferred to let his fans admire his magic, so no oxygen masks were brought to the scene.

'The Dresden Green' was still suspended in its locker under the ceiling, as it was meant to be lowered only ten minutes before the heist would start. This way there was no option for the detectives to try and prevent KID from taking it, so they didn't even think about attempting it. It would be very hard for the kaitou to get it in the first place, but they didn't even bother to wonder how he would achieve it. Instead in flash second each of them separately focused on predicting his escape path and dashed towards it, attempting to beat him to it.

Unless KID managed to tinker with the building, as he did with Suzuki's museum, there were only three ways he could leave the room. Either by the windows, the door or use the commotion to blend back with the crowd. If this was any other opportunity it would be hard to decide, but with situation as it was now only one seemed probable. Shifting back into a disguise, no matter how tempting was discarded nearly immediately by both detectives. Although tempting, it would require time to pull, as KID would have to feign being fainted and then slowly get out with the guests. And something obviously forced the kaitou to hurry. He wasn't likely to use the windows either, since most of the police officers were there, since he cut them off with his sleeping gas and only a few decided to try their luck against it. The smokescreen wouldn't help him to pass them, since the light breeze was dissipating it too fast and Nakamori's men were ready for flash bombs this time. This left only the door and two corridors behind it. Even before the heist started all three detectives agreed that taken that choice KID was more likely to use the one going to the left – which lead further inside the mansion. This one granted the kaitou with more possibilities to lose his chase and due to the owner's wishes, was only barely guarded. It also lead to the roof and upper floor, making it possible for the thief to use his glider.

Unfortunately, before dashing into the smoke, Shinichi didn't take into account how small he was. Usually his tiny frame allowed him to pass crowds faster, as he could simply duck under peoples' legs to reach his destination and he was used now in taking advantage of it. But he couldn't do that when he could barely see. Also he didn't have the weight to deal with running into other people. And it was just his luck, that some big guy collided with him, while he was running in opposite direction to the boy. Conan fell on his back and was forced to take a full gasp of the sleeping gas. He tried to stay awake, but the last thing he recalled before darkness took him, was a sensation of being lifted and carried away.


Suddenly Shinichi woke up, jerking away from the stench, coming from a cloth pressed to his mouth. Frantically he swapped it away and looked around. Saguru was kneeling at his side, prompting his back with one hand and pulling away the other, with the smelly thing. The boy blinked comprehending what happened.

"Smelting salts?" he asked, still slightly confused from his slumber.

Hakuba gave a nod and helped him to his feet. "Yes, I've build a custom carrying a bottle with it around. I'm honestly surprised that there are still Kaitou KID Task Force members who don't."

Shinichi took in the information with little attention, more busy with looking around the ballroom. The smoke was nearly gone now. In the background he could hear damped voices, coming from the radios, of the few officers left at the scene to secure the empty locker, discarded on the floor. Some guests were still unconscious, mostly laying prompted on the walls, where they must have succumbed to the gas. From the ceiling a huge and colorful sign 'Happy Birthday' was hanged and the sprinkles were still trickling water, but upwards instead of downwards. The floor was littered with equally colorful and sparkly pieces of paper, some were still swirling in the air, lifted by the gentle gusts of wind. Cumulatively the place was a rather sad view, showing definite signs that KID had something completely else in mind. The boy swallowed tickly.

"How long was I out?"

"Only about three minutes. Soon before I retrieved you the smoke activated the sprinkles and they shot some liquid with low pressure upwards, somehow causing the ceiling to burst with small flames. I expect he had stuck flash paper there, which held the confetti and the sign. I heard some yelling in the corridor, after KID seemed to have left. It seems that Hattori managed to join the chase. I haven't tried contacting him yet."

Hearing that Shinichi turned on the tracker in his glasses. He had given the other two detectives badges, similar to ones the Detective Boy's had, to make the contact easier, in case they got separated. This also would allow him to track them, in case KID would try to get rid of, or impersonate them again. Hattori's red dot was currently moving, so he didn't try calling out to him either.

Hakuba cleared his throat and continued. "I didn't follow him, since I wanted to check something here. And I was wondering, if you would be willing to give me a hand." He turned his gaze to the other side of the ballroom.

Conan followed his stare and noticed the unconscious man who was harassing his 'wife' before the whole mess started. The boy's face turned serious, as he recalled what happened. Most likely Tohimoko did something to scare the fearless kaitou so much, that he was forced to abandon his carefully prepared show. The problem was, that it didn't have to be the case. He could have been played, so that he would look as a suspect, allowing KID to work in shadows, as their attention was turned somewhere else. He wasn't sure Kuroba would want to use an innocent as a scapegoat, but if he needed to send his pursuers on a goose chase… They had to be sure before taking any actions. Which meant it would be best, if they managed to gather evidence fast, without raising nobodies suspicions, so they could prevent the police from making an unnecessary arrest, or overlooking some crucial hints. Fortunately they could leave it to Hattori to chase down the kaitou in the meantime. Shinichi gave a nod to Saguru, already having a plan.


Only after Heiji managed to get through to the corridor and got away enough from the door to be more or less safe to take a breath, did he notice that Conan wasn't with him. He took out his badge and called out to it, but there was no response. He wanted to turn back to make sure his shrunken friend was safe, when he noticed the characteristic white blur recede towards the other direction of the corridor they predicted the kaitou would run to. With a few officers on his heels, he ran after it, still clenching on the tiny metal in his hand, only to stop violently and collide with another pursuer, who failed to stop, when he heard a yell behind them. All he managed to see was a glimpse of KID jumping over a shocked guard and disappearing behind a corner. Heiji cursed and scrambled off the floor, angry that he got tricked with a dummy, while the kaitou from the beginning intended to take the path they predicted he would!

He was slowly gaining on the few guards, who stayed behind and were now (hopefully) chasing KID. Unfortunately, Hattori had yet to see as much as a glimpse of the white cape, so he couldn't be sure that they weren't send on a goose chase as well. With his blood boiling with rage, he managed to sped up and soon was rewarded with a flicker of white, disappearing into the staircase. Suddenly, when he jumped on the stairs there was a burst of white smoke that covered the whole well. Following his instinct rather than reason, Heiji immediately turned and jumped over the railing. He rushed downwards only to collide with KID, who nearly fell on his head. The thief's body twisted violently, making it impossible for the detective to get a firm grip. The kaitou managed to break apart from him in a matter of moment and rushed away with Heiji hot on his heels.

The detective felt a pang of worry, as he was close enough to hear the other wheezing heavily. It was definitely odd. The kaitou was usually silent as a ghost during a chase (unless of course he wasn't laughing like a maniac). Heiji knew for granted that KID was in perfect form and the chase now was simply too short for him to be this exhausted.

The duo rushed into a closed off room, where KID stumbled on a dead end and turned immediately to face off the detective, with his card-gun already raised. He was visibly forcing himself to stand straight and still and breath normally. Heiji stopped in his tracks a few steps away from him and raised his arms, to show that he had no ill intentions despite the chase.

"Hey..." He started softly, but cut himself off as KID raised a finger over his mouth requesting silence.

Heiji didn't miss the slight tremble on the thief's hand.

Seeing that his silent request was fulfilled, the kaitou reached to his vest carefully, his eyes never leaving the detective. Heiji tensed and held his breath, readying himself for whatever KID would try to unleash at him, but all he heard was a soft click and while smirking slightly, the thief took out a police radio. Downed voiced spoke out of the device, barely loud enough for the detective to hear them.

Hattori wasn't all that interested in what the police was saying anyway, he was more busy observing the worrisome symptoms on the other teen. Apart from what he saw before, he noticed that the kaitou's facial features seemed more feminine and as far as he knew, although KID did sometimes use masks in addition to the monocle, he always dumped the female ones. What's more, his suit was more ruffled than the tiny squabble and the chase usually resulted in. He couldn't help but wonder, what made the kaitou draw his toy-gun either. Sure, getting cut with the card would hurt, but that's all and they both knew Heiji was aware of this. This was no real threat, but it probably felt reassuring to hold even such a flimsy weapon… It was more worrisome, the thief only acted aggressive when there was something really bad going on and he felt that, he was simply left with no other choice. It was obvious that now KID was thrown off balance. But what could have caused it? Kakita Tohimoko? Who was he and what did he do to scare the thief this much? Hattori kept quiet, knowing full well that before he could safely ask any questions, KID had to get rid of his other pursuers and he wasn't going to hinder him.

The kaitou quietly cleared his throat and while holding his steel glare on the detective before him, he spoke up, with a lot deeper voice, breathing heavily, sounding as if he was still running.

"Sir! We caught a glimpse of KID running to the roof! Requesting back up!" He clicked the radio and swallowed, before turning it back on and shouting with a different voice.

"We're on the roof- Shit! KID just deployed his glider. No! There are two of them! One going west other south! I don't know which one is him!"

"The south one must be the dummy - with today's wind the glider can't go that way! Yuuri, Jagura, Yuzu, follow it just in case! Everybody else after the other-!" Nakamori roared, but before Heiji could hear anything more, the magician turned the radio off.

KID showed a tiny smile and crooked his head slightly, dropping his gun, as if he was questioning Hattori, about what he would do now. The Osakan lowered his arms, seeing that the kaitou's posture seemed to relax and give him a smirk in return. But before he could say anything KID tensed again as his gaze shifted onto something behind the detective. It was the oldest trick in the book and Heiji shouldn't have fallen for it. But out of reflex he did, only to notice empty corridor behind him. Heiji turned back right away, expecting for the thief to be no longer then, but instead he was startled by the loud clatter of the falling vent crate and caught a glimpse of white shoes disappearing in the hole. He immediately jumped to the entrance and saw the kaitou quickly crawling away through the narrow passage, already out of his reach. He cursed silently and hit the wall, but refrained himself from giving chase. He wasn't bulkier than Kuroba, but he had no idea how to move so fast with so little space. And hopefully he had another way to get him anyway. Without a second thought, he rushed out of the room and dialed Kudo's number, praying that his shrunken friend would pick up. He did.

"Kudo, is my badge moving?" he asked with a whisper, skipping any explanation or a greeting. He was glad when the call went through, proving that his shrunken friend was fine and awake.

"Hattori? Yeah, what-?"

He grinned. "I'll explain later, meet you at the back entrance. Hurry." He urged and disconnected the call.

Only when he was on his way there, it occurred to him that his friend might think it could have been KID calling, trying to lure him into a trap. He clucked with annoyance and hoped that Kudo would come anyway, even if only eager to get a chance to talk with Kuroba.


Heiji didn't have to wait long at the back entrance when he noticed his shrunken friend rushing towards him.

"Where's Hakuba?"

"He stayed behind. We found out something about Kakita-san, but don't want to make any rash moves against him. Yet." Shinichi answered warningly, coming to a stop a few steps away from the other detective. There were red dots faintly flashing on one of his lenses, indicating that the radar was turned on. "Why did you call me out here?"

Hattori grimaced, not happy that he was right about his friend's conclusion. He leaned closer to not get overheard and whispered. "Kudo it's really me. I've put my badge on KID. We need to hurry in case he'll ditch it. It had to be him, but there definitely was something wrong with him again. And this time I want to reach him, before the events from May will repeat. There's no time to waste, come on, lead the way." He urged him, noticing that the boy was hesitating.

Conan weight his options. He doubted Vermouth would have mixed her up in this (unless something went very wrong and then they were screwed anyway) and since Hattori had a very characteristic accent, not many people originating outside from Osaka could copy it. So in worse case he would end up being kidnapped by Kuroba. Which would be annoying, but not dangerous and could prove to be fruitful. Hakuba was more than enough to take care of the investigation now, so Shinichi's absence wouldn't hinder it. And judging by the red dots' movement, there wasn't much time to make a decision anyway, so he gave a nod.

"Alright, let's go." He said briefly and started running through the garden.

Heiji followed him, easily keeping up. "Just wondering… What did you get from the guy?"

The boy shook his head, watching the teen by his side from the corner of his eye. "I didn't get to talk to him, or listen to his excuses, as he was only waking up when you called. But I did get to search him, when Saguru-niisan was checking on him and other unconscious guests. Found a few previously folded paper squares and one with some powder in it."

Hattori cursed. "That doesn't bode well… Hope you had your gloves on?"

Conan replied with an unimpressed glare. "What do you take me for?"

The Osakan smirked in response. "So what is it that you found? Poison?"

"No idea. It could be something KID planted to keep us distracted. If it's not…" He hesitated for a brief moment. "I hope it's just some kind of sedative. We'll know when, either Hakuba will get a confession from the guy, or we'll ask Haibara to identify the sample. So what did you notice- Oh shit, the signal stopped! Hurry!"

They sped up and didn't waste any more breaths on talking, hoping that it didn't mean that Kaito found the badge and got rid of it. Fortunately this wasn't the case apparently, since soon after they crossed the fence and ran not far away from it into the adjacent park, they noticed a figure, warped in back cloth, wheezing heavily. He was bend forward, holding a tree for support. As they quietly tried to get closer, he pressed his fist to his stomach and bend lower in an obvious attempt to vomit.

"Oh hell..." a whisper, voicing the thoughts of both detectives, escaped Heiji's lips.

KID immediately turned his head towards them and before either could react a white cloud of smoke restricted their vision.

Shinichi cursed, as he started running, focusing his gaze on the signal to guide him, while calling out. "KID! Wait! It's fine, it's just-" he cut himself off, hearing violent coughs from before him.

Both detectives stopped, looking with shock at the choking figure before them, while the smokescreen dissipated fast in the wind. Maybe it wasn't Kuroba after all? Maybe a copycat, or an accomplice? But Hattori was positive he was chasing the real thing. The boy turned a suspicious glance at the tanned teen, but discarded his suspicion. If he was KID, he would have reacted somehow after they finally caught up. And Heiji was currently looking as stunned as he felt. So did it mean that KID was in such a bad state, that he inhaled his own smokescreen? The frantic musings were stopped by the kaitou's voice.

"Tantei-" He coughed again. "Sorry, but I'm not in the mood for a chat now. Meet you some other time."

But Shinichi didn't listen to his words really. He was more interested in the body language, of the person before him. The detective couldn't clearly see his eyes, but judging from the slight head movement rather than looking directly at the boys, he was looking around, probably searching for an ambush. And while it might have been reasonable for anybody else, it wasn't for KID. He always did his best to hide behind his Poker Face and this was definitely showing too much. Kudo didn't miss either that the kaitou's hand was touching a tree behind him. The grip wasn't strong enough to support him, so it most probably meant that he was so dizzy, that he needed an external stabilizer. Out of the corner of his eye he noticed Heiji silently step to the side, with a deep frown. He brought a finger to his lips when their eyes met and made a hand motion signalizing chatter. Conan gave a slight nod and spoke up airily, hoping to stall and distract the thief, while watching carefully both of the teens.

"Maa, you know the drill, give back the jeweled setting and I might consider your request."

His frown deepened as he noticed a twitch of KID's hand, when he visibly stopped himself from showing where on himself he had the gem hidden. This was just too sloppy, but he couldn't believe that Kuroba would willingly stood up his accomplice or anybody else like this. What was more disturbing… The kaitou didn't seem alarmed that the other detective was slowly circling him around. Shinichi repressed a heavy huff, after he realized with worry what it meant.

KID took a small step back, as if he was considering making a run for it. "I can't do that yet Tantei-kun. I'll have to ask for your patience this time."

"Why not?" he retorted immediately, not allowing the other much time to think. "Is it what you've been looking for?" Without moving his head, he glanced at Heiji, wondering what did the Osakan intend to do.

"I don't know. I haven't checked yet, so if you'll excuse me-" He was already backing away, when Shinichi intentionally stepped forward on a branch, making it snap and forcing the kaitou to freeze.

"So check it now." He demanded.

"I can't alright?!" The kaitou snapped, with slight desperation in his voice. "There's no moonlight today to show me the red glow, so just leave me-!" He suddenly cut himself off and cursed. "I didn't just say that." he mumbled, while driving a hand over his face.

Shinichi let out a shocked chuckle. "Yeah, you did…"

This night was turning into a bigger surprise then he could ever imagined. But this wasn't the time to get distracted. The detective's face turned serious. Whatever KID was drugged with, it wasn't only wearing him off, it clearly affected his coordination, vision and was also messing with his mind heavily, making him too confused to think clearly. Conan just hoped the kaitou wouldn't start hallucinating. Whatever it was, they had to hurry, as the symptoms seemed to be worsening fast. He couldn't have been in such a bad state in the mansion. But it didn't seem as if Kaito wanted to cooperate. He was clearly on defense and was more probable to run, at the first opportunity they gave him. The boy automatically reached for his watch, but thought better of it. They had no idea how the two drugs would react with each other and Shinichi didn't feel like risking it.

"Whatever…" the thief growled with anger. "Just leave me alone, I have to hurry." He tried to walk away, but Shinichi followed him with loud steps, keeping his attention on himself.

Heiji was already waiting a few steps behind KID, but seemed to be either hesitating, or was just giving his friend the chance to convince the kaitou peacefully. At least this way he was in the position to prevent the thief from running away.

"KID… I'm not trying to catch you. Let us help you…" he spoke softly, like he would to a scared and wounded animal.

The kaitou cursed and hissed towards the detective. "Haven't I helped you enough already?" he cried out, with desperation in his tone, strong enough to surprise the detectives. "This is the only time I'll ask this of you. Let me go. Now."

Shinichi stopped in his tracks and bit his lip, thinking fast. This was true, he did have a debt towards the thief. And he did feel bad, realizing that he was currently cornering KID when he was at his weakest. No matter what their intentions were, the drug was apparently also multiplying his anxiety, pushing the teen into panic. This wasn't good. He decided on another approach.

"Alright, alright. Listen, the heist is over, you won, ok? We'll just escort you to your accomplice and let you go then." It didn't seem that there was much point in trying to reason with Kuroba, but hopefully they could talk with his helper and either convince him to allow them to help, or at the very least give him the drug sample, so they could be sure the thief would get proper treatment.

"No… just leave me be. Please…" he mumbled, slumping over a tree. It seemed that his state was worsening even faster than Shinichi expected, but when he made some noise trying to step closer the kaitou tensed, regaining his defense again.

"KID come on. It's obvious you've been drugged. I don't want you to faint somewhere. I promise I won't try to unmask neither you, nor your friend. I just want to make sure you're safe, ok?"

The thief shook his head, trying to push away the dizziness. "I don't have an accomplice, Tantei-kun. And don't worry, I'm just tired. Too many heists, I'll be fine after I rested. Leave me be."

Shinichi gave him a flat look. 'Who are you trying to fool?', he thought, but asked something else to keep the focus on himself, while Heiji slowly started moving in. "What do you mean by that? Come on, you don't think I'll buy that, do you? I already saw your accomplice twice with you." And he had a good guess who it could be, but he hardly had any intention confirming his speculations now.

KID let out a bitter chuckle and pushed away from the tree, tucking a hand under his cloth, apparently preparing a trick to help him escape. "Past tense, Tantei-kun. I used to have one, but I don't anymore. Now, if you'll excuse-" He cut himself off and turned suddenly, when Hattori accidently stepped on a dry leaf patch and jumped at his target.

A flash blinded them and Conan cursed. He blinked away the white dots, still hearing the two wrestling each other. Soon he was able to recognize the white suit flashing from beneath the black cloth, as the thief was losing the battle, but still held on his feet somehow. This wasn't a good situation, but there wasn't much they could have done to prevent it. They had to hurry and couldn't allow KID to start running. Chasing him around would not only take precious time, but would wear out the thief even more. Helpless, Shinichi tried to call out to calm the kaitou down, but it didn't seem either of the teens paid him any attention.


Hattori intended to grab KID from behind, immobilizing him easily, but this didn't work out clearly. Even though, overpowering the weakened teen should have been easy, Heiji had to hold back. He didn't want to trip Kaito, worried that he might hurt himself in the state he was. And despite how feeble, the kaitou was still doing his best preventing the Osakan from securing a firm hold over him.

"Damn it, Kuroba! Calm down already!" He hissed, as he finally managed to somehow grab the magician's hands. "Like it or not, we are going to help you, you ahou! We're not going to hurt you, or turn you in!"

The kaitou wheezed out loudly, trying to catch his breath. "I'm… I'm not-"

The Osakan cursed not in the mood to deal with this crap again. He pulled the other teen roughly, throwing him off balance and grabbed his hood. He pulled it off, revealing a famine face. Without pausing, he swat away the thief's hand away and grabbed the cheek, ripping the mask apart in a swift move. He pulled off enough to uncover Kaito's sickly pale face.

"Game over Kuroba." He pinched his cheek, leaving a red mark on the irritated skin, just to make a point. "You agreed to give it up, if I ever catch you and rip your masks off, so give it up already!" he growled, securing his hold on the magician's hands, while the other weakly tried to pull away.

"I… I'm…" he staggered, before crying out with complain. "That's cheating and you know it!" He nearly fell over as his legs gave in under him, but Heiji managed to support him.


Seeing that it was over, Shinichi sighed in relief and pulled out his phone to text Saguru, so the other detective would get the guy who drugged Kuroba arrested, in case he haven't already. There was no longer any doubt that he wasn't a friend of KID and Conan wasn't going to let a potential kidnapper/murderer run lose. Done that, he dialed Agasa. They were going to need a ride and fast. He also had to convince Haibara to lend them a hand. It would be preferable to take Kaito to a hospital, but once the word would come out that KID got drugged, it would be too much of a coincidence. Especially when the police would check the substance and it would be confirmed that it was the same that Kaito was drugged with. And the detectives couldn't risk Kuroba's secret leaking out. He would be as good as dead, if it did.


Heiji snorted with bitter amusement, while he pulled the other's arm over his shoulders, to keep him upwards. Only Kaito could make a situation like that even in the least funny. But this wasn't the time to laugh. Judging by how the other's head was lulling to the sides and how slack his body felt, the detective could easily guess that the magician was barely holding on to consciousness. This wasn't good. Up close, he noticed that Kuroba's pupils were so narrow, that he could barely see them, which explained why the magician was now nearly blind in the dark. What's more, he was covered in cold sweat and his breath was quick and shallow. Heiji also didn't miss the slight tremble, shaking the thief's body constantly. The detective adjusted the black cloth to secure him better, although the night was warm.

"Yeah? You can complain about it to me later. More importantly, are you cold?" he asked with worry in his tone.

Kaito weakly tried to pull his hand away, to free himself from the persistent detective. He sighed heavily as it failed and licked his lips, making Heiji pay attention to how chopped they were. "No, I'm fine. Just tired, give me a break already." he mumbled, clearly putting a lot of effort to speak clearly.

Hattori snorted. "Yeah? So how was this cheating now?"

The magician growled with annoyance. "… Buzz off…"

The detective wondered, how comprehend of what he was saying and doing Kuroba was. Probably not that much. "Yeah, yeah, whatever. You'll get your rest soon. But now, you're going with us, so we can make sure that you're fine- Would you quit that?" he snapped, as the magician groaned hearing his reply and tried to push the detective away.

"Leave me… I don't want to be in debt again, I can handle myself…" he cried out weakly, but instead of continuing his attempt to get free, he slumped down.

The Osakan pursed his lips recalling the evidence, he found with Hakuba around the robbery cases, that pointed at the kaitou's involvement with them. He adjusted his grip to make it harder for the magician to push him away and support him better. He cast Kudo a questioning glance. The shrunken detective was still on the phone, but he noticed it and gave a nod in return. Heiji pulled Kaito and started slowly making his way towards the parking lot, that was next to the park.

"You said it yourself that we owe you. So it's just evening the score, alright? Anyway, any idea what have you been drugged with?" he added hastily, hoping to distract the thief.

"I don' do drugs... only sleep gas an adren'line..." he mumbled, reluctantly moving his legs, so he wouldn't be dragged.

Heiji made a confirming sound and asked another question, wanting to keep the other talking. "Makes sense. What happened there anyway? All we saw was that you suddenly started struggling with the guy and then made a run for it. Did he inject you with something?"

"No… I misjud-ed 'im…" His speech was getting too sluggish and it was getting hard to understand him. "On'y wh'n I sa' someth' wron' wit' me… He want' to dr'g me off, so I ran… Stupid… Shou've go wit' 'im an gas 'im 'ere…"

"Yeah, that would have been less suspicious." Heiji replied out loud, internally glad that it turned out as it did, since in other case Kaito might have managed to escape from them and disappear in one of his hideouts. "So he just slipped the drug to your drink or something?" The magician gave a nod. "Damn, that's sloppy for you~"

"Bite me… I w's de'd tired…"

Hattori snorted, glad to get a stronger reaction from the half-awake teen. "How did you manage to pull the heist, if you were in such a bad state already?

Kaito swallowed, with difficulty before answering with a quieter voice and Heiji wondered how dehydrated he was. "Had inj-on adren'in wit' me… jus' in case…"

He noted the answer just in case it was needed, hoping he understood correctly. "What were you up to lately anyway, huh? You just disappeared all of a sudden and we didn't see nor hair nor hide of you for nearly a month!"

He didn't intend to interrogate Kuroba. In truth he wouldn't care much, if the magician started describing his most doubtful vacation in Las Vegas. He just wanted to keep the other talking. But he didn't respond. Heiji might have thought that Kaito was trying to cook up some lie, or got annoyed with the question and simply refused to answer, but his legs were also barely keeping up. Heiji stopped and turned the magician's face towards him. His eyes were closed and he looked very much unconscious.

Hattori cursed quietly. "Oi, Kuroba! I'm not gonna drag you all the way! Oi! You hear me?"

He snapped his fingers in front of Kaito's face and the magician jerked away weakly. He opened his eyes and tried to focus his gaze on the fingers before him. Then he snorted.

"You suck...~"

"Huh?" he voiced with surprise, but internally sighed with relief.

"You cn't jus' snap y'r fing's n' not do a tr'k." he replied and slumped again, letting his head drop.

Heiji patted him gently on the cheek to wake him back up. "Yeah, yeah, but guess what? At least I can snap my fingers and I doubt you could now."

Kaito tried swatting his hand away, but didn't even manage to raise his own high enough, so instead he chose to glare at the detective. Hattori snorted at that and pulled him again in the parking direction.


Shinichi finished his conversation, but kept quietly walking beside them. He was concerned over the information he got and wanted them to get to Haibara as fast as possible. He kept it to himself, as he didn't want to add worry to the two teens, especially that they seemed to be moving as fast as it was possible for KID anyway. He was only happy that Hattori managed to wake the magician up.

"So what were you doing?" the Osakan asked, hoping to get back to any topic, but Kaito only made a questioning sound, so he clarified. "I mean for the last month, after you disappeared. So cold of you, man! We threw you such a nice party and you didn't even say your goodbyes before leaving!" he moaned, hoping to improve the magician's mood.

Kuroba tried to chuckle, but instead he hissed and jerked, trying to curl himself, while holding his stomach, with his free hand. Heiji bended with him to allow him that, keeping him supported at the same time. Shinichi jumped to them and reached to the magician, pushing away his bangs from his forehead. He cursed.

"He's burning up."

Hattori looked in shock between the two. "What? Damn it, he was freezing just a second ago…"

"Can you carry him? Hakase should be at the parking lot soon. We need to get him to Haibara, as soon as possible."

The Osakan nodded and Kaito didn't even try protesting, as he got picked up. They heard only a quiet whine of pain escape his lips. Heiji would prefer to carry him on his back, but it didn't seem to be possible in this situation.

"What the hell did that bastard feed you with?" he growled with anger, as he did his best to hurry after Shinichi, focusing to not trip.

The boy kept silent, considering if he should answer, before finally replying. "Hakuba texted me that he got a confession from Kakita. He used a slow working poison, mixed with a strong sedative. After the party he was going on a business trip and wanted to leave his wife to die in her sleep, while he was away. He hoped to make it look like an overdose. The poison shouldn't have done much damage until after a few hours, but the adrenaline from the heist could have accelerated the effect…" he added with worry.

Heiji cursed and fastened his grip on the wheezing magician in his arms. "He said that he used adrenaline injection to manage the heist…" he grumbled through his clenched teeth and tried to run faster.

Shinichi cursed as well. No wonder the poison started working sooner than expected. Kaito's blood pressure and metabolism must have been insane when he led on the chase after him.

"Stay with us KID. Just stay…" he mumbled, busy listening to Kaito's frantic gasps in case it stopped, while trying desperately to force away a persistent thought.

But it didn't want to go away.

No matter how close Shinichi came to capturing the kaitou, he somehow always managed to get away. Even when it seemed impossible. And today he finally caught him. It seemed that the only way KID could slip from his grip now, was… through death…


And cut xD

So yay~ Kaito talked with the detectives and he is now depending on them xD That's what you guys wanted, right? *innocent smile* I wonder what should happen now…

Unfortunately, I'm not sure if I will be able to update next week – but no worries, in worse case scenario I should be able to do it in two weeks. I will do my best to write it as soon as possible of course, but I do expect it to be kind of hard and I might have a busy week because of my job. So… keep your fingers crossed ;)

See you next chapter *grins*