It's like the crowding winds are gathering,
rushing toward the far-off waves ahead,
Going past the peaks of the waves racing toward him.
Aoko ruffled her hair, scrutinising her chestnut hair under furrowed brows as she pushed higher on her toes, leaning closer to the mirror until she finally smiled and jumped back. "I'm finish!" she shouted, head canted towards the cubicle Keiko locked herself in.
"I'm about too!" the toilet flushed and Keiko stepped out, looking rather worried. "I can't find my handkerchief."
"Maybe, you dropped it somewhere." Aoko pulled out her own, dangling it between her fingers whilst Keiko was busy scrubbing her hands. "You can use mine."
Keiko smiled, opened her mouth to say something but halted when the door banged opened.
"I'll tell you, Boy is a machine!" a woman came in laughing, her maroon coloured hair standing out behind the white wash walls and grey tiled floor as her hands moved lively, head turned back towards the refined lady walking besides her. "You should've seen him. He's got reflexes like a ninja!"
"That's hard to believe, Reika," the other mused, brows knitted. "When I saw Kuroba-san the other day he looked disturbingly ill."
Kuroba-san?!
Aoko's eyes flashed, heart slamming against her ribcage. Does she mean Kaito? A moment passed and Aoko shook her head vigorously. What were the chances? Many people could have that surname. Aoko tried to calm her beating heart, telling herself it doesn't refer to Kaito necessarily, that she was only overreacting. She breathed out heavily, attempting to tune out the two talking woman without success.
"You're exaggerating, Tachibana," the woman called Reika waved a hand as if to pass Tachibana's comment back and gaze into the mirror, standing next to Aoko. "He looked as though he had a fever at best. Nothing too worrying."
Aoko averted her gaze, stealing a quick glance at Keiko and grinned. Her hands looked as though they were wrestling the oozing water from the tap. She laughed quietly. Ever the hygienic freak.
"Haven't I seen you before?" Aoko glanced up, finding a pair of hazel eyes gazing at her through tick lashes. Reika hummed to herself before announcing more convinced, "I think I did. You definitely seem familiar," she turned to the woman standing next to her. "She does, doesn't she?"
Tachibana adjusted her hair, glaring at Reika from the corner of her eye. "You can't keep quiet about anything, can you?"
Reika waved it off, pressing once more. "She does, doesn't she? We have seen her somewhere- at some time before, have we not?"
Tachibana rolled her eyes and strode towards Aoko with quick measured steps. Bewildered Aoko gazed at the insignia Tachibana held out. "Excuse her for putting you in such discomfort. We work alongside your father. We must have seen you at one point with him."
"Work with my father?" Aoko frowned as she glanced at their attire. Both were dressed in the uniform of Suzuki's employees. Aoko's frown deepened. Shouldn't they be dressed as police?
Reika laughed, eyes twinkling as she pointed at herself. "We're in disguise. It's part of our ultimate plan to catch the criminals once and for-"
"Reika!" Tachibana yanked her arm, glaring at her with such intent Aoko took a step back. "We're not supposed to leak any necessary informations. What if they can hear?"
Reika brushed her off, waving manicured fingers through the air again. "The toilets are secured- Hondo told me. Besides, it's the Inspector's own daughter. Who would mind?"
"Reika," Tachibana warned but slowly released her grip on her arm.
"I won't tell any necessary information. No matter how good that Snake or Kid is, they wouldn't know what to do with it. It's practically useless," the hand Reika initially held up as a sign of oath took on the form of her usual, dismissive wave, "so don't worry." she turned back to Aoko, smiling brightly as she said, "We have a secret weapon, you know? We call him Boy."
"Could it be this Kuroba-san you mentioned earlier," a voice asked behind Aoko. She turned, finding Keiko staring sharply at them as she dried her hands and stepped forwards.
"Why, yes," Reika blinked, "could it be you know him?"
Aoko stilled as she took a quick glimpse at Keiko's glittering eyes and held her breath. Already anticipating what will come next based on the light curl of Keiko's lips. "That depends whether his name is Kuroba Kaito."
Tachibana's eyes widened slightly before narrowing down on Reika. The maroon haired coughed into her hand sheepishly. "Who could have known?" she tried to smile under Tachibana heavy stare.
So, Kaito is ill, Aoko gazed away, fingers clenching into a tight fist, and didn't even bother to tell me about it.
A slender hand fell onto her shoulders. Aoko looked up, staring deep into hazel eyes.
"Don't worry. He's a smart man." Reika reassured, squeezing her shoulder. "I'm sure Kuroba-san can take care of himself."
Aoko could only nod when Reika turned and continued to gaze at the mirror brushing through her hair. Turning, Aoko glanced at Keiko who was already walking up to the door and caught up to her.
"That was strange." Keiko mulled as they walked along the corridor. "I didn't know Kaito-kun knew people from the police force."
"Neither did I." Aoko replied airily, brows still furrowed. "But why is he helping my Dad when he's ill, though? Shouldn't he be resting instead?"
"What do you expect? Kaito-kun could never sit still for too long. I thought you knew by now." Keiko muttered before holding up Aoko's handkerchief. "Thanks by the way."
"No problem." Aoko stashed it away whilst Keiko opened up the double doors, walking into the main hall, squinting at the person strolling in front of them meters away. Aoko's eyes rose. "Isn't that Kaito?"
Keiko squinted through the distance, "Where?"
"There. He's about to step down-" her words hanged in the air as she saw a person reach out, stepping out of the crowd gathered near the banister and thrusted Kaito forward with a single shove, pushing him off the stairs.
A shrill scream.
Aoko vaguely registered it as she stood rooted in her spot. Legs stiffened and trembling with a sudden cold she never felt to this intensity before. A raft blew between her legs, two little heads were running past her. Keiko disappeared next to her too whilst Aoko was still overwhelmed. Masses of people rushed by, running towards the staircase, gazing and pointing and shouting. Aoko wanted to cover her ears. To drone out those voice and leave forever.
I don't-
Pictures bombarded her mind, filling it with images she never wanted to see. Never wanted to imagine. She could see him clear in her mind's eye. Sprawled on the stairs, motionlessly, eyes unnaturally wide open with a neck twisted at an angle that has her breakfast pushing up against her gullet. Aoko held a hand in front of her mouth, squeezing her eyes shut.
I don't want to-
She walked back until her back hit a wall she slowly slid down, a familiar cold creeping all the way up to her bellybutton.
I don't want to see it.
He breathing increased and suddenly she felt too hot, too stuffy, too sick. Stumbling onto her feet, she looked for the nearest exist. Wanting to go away as soon as possible. To leave the room and never come back again. To forgot this ever happened. To convince herself that it hasn't happened. That Kaito was fine. That he didn't fall. That it was a trick of the light. A joke of her imagination. An illusion. Orperhaps it was a mistake on her account. Mistook him for someone else. Misjudged the situation. Anything.
Yet her legs carried her forwards, stepping passed numerous people, staggering onwards until her hands clasped the railing, risking a glimpse southward- there,where he lay.
Her Dad sat in front of him, shouting at him from the top of his lungs. Aoko could hear his voice loud and clear, yet didn't hear a word he said as her eyes fastened on Kaito. Motionlessly Kaito.
She brushed a strand away from his unfocused eyes. Not knowing how or when she crossed the distance between them- when she has gotten so close, but couldn't particularly care at the moment. His eyes were trembling in its place and Aoko couldn't help but wave her hand in front of them. "Kaito," her voice quivered low and raspy, "Hey, Kaito."
No response.
Only a twitch of a hand.
Aoko's eyes widened when Kaito's eyes fluttered, hesitantly blinking before fully coming out from his stupor. He tried get up and Aoko's heart lunched up to her throat. Nakamori reacted almost immediately, trying his best to push Kaito back down despite the latter struggling against it. Aoko helped him too, hands still shaking as they fasted on Kaito. "Lay back down," soft and quiet the words flew out of her mouth- so unlike her, "just for a little while, Kaito, lay down-"
Kaito shrugged her off too, hissing at her to let him go and Aoko complied, retracted her hands as though he burned her and kept it by her side. Slowly gazing down on her laps as tears stung her eyes, slowly coming to realise what actually occurred during the last few minutes.
Kaito could've-
She clenched the fabric of her shirt.
Kaito could have died.
"Watch it!" Conan's child like voice screeched, holding out his hand out as if to stop the next several seconds from happening. No success. The wannabe Magician fell, but not as far as initially planned. His little shriek surprised the man enough to lose the most of the force he surged into his hand, driving the victim partway to doom. Yet, his shout-out caused also enough attention to the offender's surroundings to snap and Conan cursed himself for that.
His brows drew down. The man ran, bumping into the people that were still frozen in place. Unable to move or even notice the wrongdoer running passed them. Conan forced down his annoyance and pushed his legs faster, dodging the ever-widening legs that suddenly begun to move again. Rushing diagonally from him towards the scene somewhere behind him. He glanced back. Haibara was still running behind him, lips parted and breathing quietly with faint red tinges on her cheeks. Conan contemplated telling her to turn back- to find the others or even to take a short break from running. It was going to be a long chase. He had the man still in his view but given that the offender had still power in him judging on the frantic jabs of his elbows, Conan wasn't sure whether Haibara would be able to keep up. He turned around, about to speak up his thoughts when-
"Hold it!"
It was a woman's voice, coming from somewhere near him. Conan snapped his head back and squinted his eyes, still having the perpetrator in the corner of his eyes whilst he gazed around until a girl around Ran's age appeared between two rather tall people that were joining in the crowd's stream. Her twintails sliced through the air as she accelerated, glittering eyes glowered behind round lenses. Conan pushed down too, sprinting faster. Not wanting her to overtake him. Damn, it was his job to convict those criminals.
The man rounded the corner and Conan unmistakeably heard the crack of a pistol. Dread filled his stomach as he turned the corner too. Stopping dead in his track. Behind him Haibara gasped. With furrowed brows he walked closer to the corpse and felt for a pulse. It was faint, barely there for seconds until it diminished into nothing. His hand fell back to his side. Glancing around him, Conan discovered red splotches on the back of the man's head as well as a tiny hole where the bullet lodged in and a pool of similar colour streaming from it.
Conan turned around and saw the twintails' woman standing some feet away him, back facing him as she looked up at something he couldn't see. He stepped out from the narrow hallway next to the woman and gazed up, eyes widening at what he saw. On the banister leading up to the third floor near the railing stood a man, gun still raised, grinning crookedly through his untrimmed beard. Several men stood behind him with beige coats wrapped around them. They slowly dispersed into the dark that shadowed over the third floor. Conan gritted his teeth at his powerlessness. Even from below, Conan recognised the promise of malice glinting in those charcoal eyes of his. A man like him would definitely stop at nothing. And with this child-like body Conan now had, he definitely stood no chance. It was in moments like this he wished to have his original size the most.
"It's them." Haibara pointed then out, directly looking at him. "Those weird people from before that I was telling you about. The ones mumbling into their hands- It's them."
His eyes wandered towards the banister, a strange feeling bubbling in his chest. Quick footsteps resounded behind him and judging by the numerous echoes, Conan was sure there were many people coming his way. He sighed and rubbed his head, glancing at the corpse again.
"Cooonaaan-kuuun!" Ayumi's high pitched voice shouted with Mitsuhiko and Genta hot on her heels.
"What happened?" Mitsuhiko shouted, curiosity laced in his tone. "We heard the sound of a gun!"
They stopped in front of him and as if on cue glanced behind, spotting the corpse laying on the ground and immediately shouted, jabbing fingers in the air and pointing rather exaggeratedly at the corpse as they threw questions here and there. Conan rolled his eyes, a smile tugging on his lips nonetheless as he tried his best to explain. Now, if they'd only listen to him. . .
"Momoi-san!"
Conan turned his head, poking his head over the wall towards the corridor where the twintails' woman still stood, head canted behind her, seemingly awakening from her stupor. "Hakuba-kun," she blinked and looked around her, gazing into the narrow hallway where Conan stood and screamed. Her vocals echoing through the walls as she fell to her knees and scrambled away from the corpse. The excited blabber from the detective boys died out as they turned surprised. Hakuba jogged towards her, catching the younger's blue eyes with his own dark puce like coloured eyes when he turned 'Momoi-san' away from the crime scene after blocking her view of the dead man.
"What happened?" Hakuba asked, tipping his head at the corpse as he pulled the girl up to her feet. "Do you know?"
"H-he was shot." Momoi-san answered and faced the wall with her face pale as snow, with a hand covering her mouth. "He was-"
"What's going on?!" Nakamori howled from the end of the hall, running with such speed it shouldn't be possible with his age. Two people followed close behind him. Conan squinted his eyes. Was that a waitress and a steward?
"A murder," Hakuba mumbled, gazing back at the dead body.
"Hah? A murder?" Nakamori scowled, pressing his face closer to Hakuba as dark vibes rose off him. The blond motioned towards the narrower hallway and Nakamori glanced in, rubbing a hand over his face and mumbled who-knows what into his hand as he glared at them- all of them. "Just what on earth happened here?" he turned his head at Momoi-san and surprised Conan noticed that his glare lost its sharpness for a moment. "Keiko-san, explain."
"Well," she rubbed her eyes under her lenses before readjusting her glasses, letting out a wavering, prolonged breath, "that's the guy who pushed Kaito-kun off the stairs. I followed him along with these two." she motioned towards him and Haibara, acknowledging the corpse with quick flick of her hand yet still not dared looking at it. "That was it until I heard a shot. He was shot by some weird guys up in the third floor."
Kaito-kun? Conan's eyes widened and glanced at Nakamori and Hakuba, noticing how indifferent they were. Haven't they heard?
Hakuba's eyes narrowed. "Weird guys?"
"There were many of them." Conan voiced out then, pushing all thoughts regarding the victim to the side and concentrated on the here and now, stretching out his arms at either side as though to show the quantity. "With beige coat and strange hats! They were at the third floor and all armed too!"
"All armed?" Nakamori's brows rose before they furrowed as he glanced up the stairs. "Up there?"
"It's probably Snake's man." The waitress spoke up, placing a hand on her hips. "The witness spoke about having seen him with a large group of people. What were the descriptions again?" She rose a brow at the steward who glowered at her through his shades.
"Can't you remember anything, Tanaka? He has an untrimmed horseshoe moustache, a dark over coat and an equally dark fedora," he pulled out his phone, displaying on the screen a photographed sketch of a man with similar traits. The colour of Momoi's face drained as her eyes fell on the screen.
"It's him." Conan voiced out for her. "That's the guy we've seen."
"Is that true?" The man glanced at her through his sunglasses. "Is it him?"
She nodded, glancing uneasily up the stairs. A hand fell on her shoulder then. Momoi glanced up to see Tanaka smiling softly at her. "We'll take care of this. Don't worry, okay? Just make sure to stay away from the third floor, and to be safe the second as well."
It took a moment for Conan's head to snap at her face, wide eyed with mouth wide opened. From the corner of his eyes he saw Hakuba in similar state.
"Eh?!" The words fell out of him like running water as Conan pointed a finger at her. "You're a policewoman?!" Disbelieve was thick in his voice as he exchanged a look with Hakuba who looked now way more composed than he was. Could it be he knew?
"Ah, yes- no. I mean no! I am not." She coughed into her hands smiling weirdly and the steward behind her snorted, mumbling out:"You already ruined it- they've heard. There's no point in covering up now. You'll only look suspicious."
She whirled her head at him. "It's because of you! They wouldn't have known if you hadn't said anything now."
"It's because of your bad acting," he drawled, getting out his identification card from his pocket and flashed it around for them to see.
"Should you be showing your cards to us?" Conan asked. "If you're undercover, isn't that a bad thing?"
"You wouldn't say anything, would you?" he shrugged, looking at each person around him pointedly as if to memorise their faces. "Besides, if somebody else were to know, I'll know who'll it be from." Conan took a step back from the dangerous glint emanating from his eyes. "And I will act accordingly."
"We'll take of this matter." Tanaka clapped her hands, breaking the tense moment and caught everyone's attention, waving her hands as though to shoo them away. "You can leave this to us."
"Don't forget to call the first division." Nakamori glared at them before walking off, shouting over his shoulder, "I don't want to deal with the tanuki's shouts like last time."
"With whose shouts?" Tanaka called after but received no response. She raised her brows at the steward in disguise, who merely frowned at her as he dialled a number on his phone before pressing the device close to his ear.
"Whose? Whose? Whose?" She stressed the vowel, shaking the other man's arms until he mumbled an annoyed:"Inspector Megure's, whose else?" before shrugging her off and walking away from her, starting to speaking on his phone. Conan turned his attention away from them and turned around, belatedly noticing that the others have left. The detective boys seemed to have disappeared again and so had Hakuba as well as Momoi-san. Conan scratched his head before sighing, moving towards the corpse again and scrutinised it. Looking at the crumpled sleeves and fresh dirt on the sole of the offender's shoes and the closely shut eyes on his perspired skin. Did he know he will be shot? Was he bracing himself? Probably. Conan was sure the offender slash victim knew the consequences of having failed to achieve one's given job. So was death his punishment?
"Child, what are doing?" Tanaka's voice blared right into his ears. He yelped when two arms wrapped around his waist, pulling him up, carrying him away from the corpse. "As interesting as it is, you shouldn't be looking at a dead person like that. You'll get nightmares. Trust me, I would know!"
Conan snorted. Yeah, right. But ran away the moment she let him down. Right now, there was nothing he could do anyway. Not when he knew who the culprit was. And how many they were.
"What did you want to talk about Keiko?" Saguru asked, massaging his wrist that hurt from Keiko's vice grip. She dragged him all the way to the end of the second floor without letting him regain his footing. He was wading all over the place. Saguru rubbed the corner of his mouth with his sleeve before striving it over his lips. How embarrassing.
"What's going on?" She hissed with eyes blazing so bright Saguru was sure her initial shock of seeing a corpse completely subsided. "Who's this 'Snake'? Why is Kaito-kun helping the police? Why was he pushed down? Who are those people and why are you so unaffected by everything!?"
"I'm a detective." Saguru drawled, faintly amused. "I'm used to this kind of thing."
Keiko held up a hand as though to stop him, "Let me re-clarify. Why are you not surprised that Kaito-kun was hurt?"
"I'm not?" Saguru rose a brow and smiled somewhat at the corners. "I can't remember saying anything of that sort."
"You don't appear to be." she stressed, eyes glowering brighter. "Why?"
Saguru canted his head, slightly wondering when this turned out to be an interrogation, nonetheless he shrugged in a careless manner. "Kuroba-kun had it coming. It would've hit him sooner or later anyway. In all honesty, he should've been glad that all he got was a little shove down the stairs and not the barrel of a gun at his head."
He was meant to die. A tiny voice echoed somewhere in the back of his head. Kuroba-kun was supposed to die.
Keiko's eyes widened but before she could utter a word, Saguru spoke further, each words streaming from his lips made her eyes open a little wider until the light in her eyes completely diminished. "You're asking why I'm not surprised? Truthfully speaking, nobody would be if they'd knew little Kuroba-kun chose to make himself a target by playing the decoy. It was a foolish idea- I told him so. But what can you say to a man who refuses to listen? There wasn't much for me to do but watch in anguished anticipation."
They wanted to get rid of him.
"He was playing the decoy?" Keiko breathed out, brows now furrowing. "Decoy for who-" Her eyes widened. "Was it for that person? That snake?" Saguru nodded and Keiko's mouth opened in silent understanding. "B-but why was he pushed down? Even if he played the bait there was no need to harm him, right? He never did anything extremely bad. He never used, even when his action pushed the boundaries at times- we never once wished him harm, much less to die. So, how can anyone else?"
For him disappear forever.
Saguru's lips pressed into a thin line. "Have you not seen?"
"Seen what?"
"Kuroba-kun's magic show at the beginning." Keiko shook her head and Saguru elaborated, "His magic trick directed attention to him- too much, in fact. People suspected him of being Kid. Now that he's injured some are even questioning whether they'll be a heist tonight."
And you let them, Saguru.
You've let them.
I did not. Kuroba-kun had it coming. I warned him and he chose not to listen.
Saguru clenched his fist inside his pocket, face still calm on the anterior with his smile still soft at the corners. Kuroba was a fool. A very fool. Just what was he thinking? Was he not aware of the consequences? Was he not told? Kuroba should've known it'll come to this. He should have.
Or did I expect too much of him? Should I have been more direct? More forceful? Should I have made them pay more attention to me? Force Nakamori-Keibu to listen? To change his plans? Should I have gone out of my way and-
You should have stopped him.
Saguru breathed out from his nose. The sound inaudibly as Keiko's voice rose, speaking up once after a prolonged silence.
"Kaito-kun is not Kid."
Did something.
"I never suggested such a thing. I said- some do," he stared at her face, contemplating whether to tell her next lines but continued anyway. It's highly likely she'll be informing Aoko on all this. It will benefit him too if Keiko starts to doubt Kuroba too. "Have you seen Kuroba-kun's face lately? Someone looking like him couldn't possibly hold a heist." Saguru's voice was unnaturally soothing, "And considering his hurt from the fall, it'll his best alibi, no? That is to say, only if someone can confirm Kuroba-kun's whereabouts at all times. If Kaitou Kid were to appear as usual whilst Kuroba-kun is plain sight, any suspicion will be casted away immediately. It will be erased until someone can prove it otherwise." Until I can prove it otherwise.
"And that someone will be you?" Keiko rose a brow, hitting right on the mark.
How can you call yourself a detective. . .
"I just find it peculiar." His smile sharpened as he slightly shrugged his shoulders. "Kuroba-kun's magic rivals Kid- at least that what has been going around the crowd. He has been taking care of the security system from Nakamori as well. He even went as far as to establish a rather unfitting rules of conduct and a dressing code that lowered our chances of catching Kid near to nil, I might add." Saguru mumbled, finding himself still sore on the matter. "However, you should be aware by now that if anything were to runs smoothly- too smooth- for Kid tonight, it will undoubtedly be reflected of Kuroba-kun's contribution. Yet, there's also the slight chance that Kuroba-kun secretly planned for it to work out this way. What if we were to entertain the idea that he arranged for someone else to partake in his stead as Kid? But only if he were to be Kaitou Kid, that's it," he quickly added when Keiko's eyes were funny again- too glittery and way too bright for Hakuba's liking. "The person replacing may have face difficulties and in the worst case might be arrested."
"What are you trying to say?" Keiko's face distorted in such a way, Saguru was sure her brain suffered from overload from too much information. Maybe he should slow down a bit. "I mean what are you trying to say Kuroba-kun is doing?"
"I don't know yet. All I know for certain is that the only thing on Kuroba-kun's mind right now is to proof his innocence at all cost, as twisted as it may sounds." Saguru stuffed his hands into his pocket and gave her a sharp glance. "But from what I can tell, it'll be a conflicting battle, perhaps a long drawn out one in which either side tries too hard." He shrugged at last, smile still there with eyes glimmering. "It all depends how good the replacement is Kuroba-kun picked out."
"And what if there is no replacement?" Keiko pressed with a strange urge to her words. "What if Kaito-kunis not Kid at all?"
"Then the odd will be on our favours. Kid will be caught today and Nakamori-Keibu will be on a high horse for the rest of his life," he chuckled, drove his fingers for his bangs. "Based on what I've seen so far though, the only way for Kid to escape is due a break in system. Specifically, the system Kuroba-kun established."
"And then? If the system breaks, what happens then?" Keiko bit her lips and gazed at him through narrowed calculating eyes.
"Then," Saguru smiled. "We'll have my system to back it up."
I will not only catch Kid then. But expose you as well, Kuroba Kaito.
"But is it really necessary?" Keiko straightened up, twintails swinging as she raised her chin and to Hakuba's dismay her eyes were glowing again. "Why having Kaito-kun be checked upon this way?" Her brows furrowed. "He's hurt and not well at all. It's not fair on him."
"Oh?" Hakuba rose a brow at that. "What a surprise. To think that Momoi Keiko of all people would be taken with Kuroba-kun. Who could have known?" He chuckled. "What will Aoko-san think, I wonder?"
"I'm not!" Keiko almost screamed, cheeks spread wide crimson. "How can you even assume that I-I- would be taken with-?!"She made a sound from the back of her throat that Hakuba could only peg as pure distaste. " not. I'd never!" Hakuba chuckled until Keiko glared at him. "And you shouldn't either."
"I'm sorry?" Saguru gazed at her with his brow raised even higher. "I think I misheard."
"No, you did not." Keiko stepped closer. "I might not be around much but I notice things. And I'm telling you to stop. Leave Aoko alone."
Saguru's brows furrowed. "I believe I'm not following."
"Cut the act. I know what you're planning. Aoko told me." Keiko looked around sharply before, lowering her tone. "You've been wanting her to believe Kaito-kun is Kid."
"Is that wrong?" Saguru tilted his head. "She is hanging out with apotentialcriminal. I'm warning her. Somebody has to at least." He gave her a pointed look.
"If that really were so, she's better off remaining oblivious." Keiko huffed and crossed her arms over her chest, scowling at him with (still) glowering eyes. "Thanks to you she's all over the place. A girl like Aoko runs by her feelings, not her thoughts. Don't make her think of stuff she has no explanations for."
A raised brow. "No explanation for?"
You don't know the compromise, the fake shadow.
Keiko waved a hand in dismissal but kept insisting, "She oughtn't to know. You shouldn't have told her at all."
"Cruel, is what I think." Saguru retorted. "The truth is something you shouldn't be blinded from. It's within her rights."
"Her rights from what?" Keiko challenged. "Kaito-kun is not Kid. There's no way he is."
"Why can't he be?" Saguru threw right back at her, smirking when she couldn't come up with an answer. Saguru knew that Kuroba was the only logical explanation. They were more pros for him than cons and that could only lead to one thing.
"Because he is just not!" Keiko still insisted at last and the blond rolled his eyes in perfect precision. "Anyhow! The point is leave Aoko alone. Stop mentioning Kid around here. She's getting paranoid. I mean just look what you have caused!" She spread her arms out as if his deed stood right in front of him and in a way it was.
"What I caused?" Saguru's eyes narrowed as far as he knew he hadn't done much.
"Look what you compelled me to do." Keiko rubbed her face with her open palm. "I had to drag Aoko all the way her to ease her conscience, that you're only messing with her, that Kaito-kun is indeed Kaito-kun and does not have some kind of double persona.That everything is really alright!"
"Nothing is alright." Saguru stated and leaned against a wall. "You should really stop throwing dust into her eyes. It will drive her away from you."
"As if she isn't already." Her reply was so quiet Saguru was sure to overhear it if he hadn't paid attention. "Anyway, this is not what I came here for-"
"Why is so hard to accept the concept that Kuroba-kun could be the Phantom Thief. It makes rather sense."
"Oh, really?" The sarcasm was heavy in her voice as place her hands on her hips and gave him a deadpanned look.
"I assumed Aoko to have told you about my little DNA tester." When Keiko shook her head with furrowed brows and distrustful eyes, Saguru sighed. No wonder she was so resistant in her idea that Kaito was innocent. "I ran a genetic scan on a strand of hair I believed to be Kid's once. I compared the results to a database of all teenagers in Tokyo and guess what I found," Keiko wetted her lips as she gazed around the room, looked at everything but him. "Kuroba-kun was first on my list of possible Kaitou Kids."
"Technology can't be trusted. It must be a random error."
"I ran more than once. Trust me even I couldn't believe it." Saguru smirked. "Yet, the possibility for there being an error is decimated. The data speaks the truth."
"How can you know? Maybe there was mistake in the build-up, you know?" Keiko shrugged. "This can't be true."
"And why is that?" Saguru pushed off the wall and crossed his arms over his chest as he stood in front of her.
"For all I know you could be lying." Her brows twitched slightly. "Besides it's Kaito-kun we talk about. Kaito-kun. He doesn't fit the bill."
Saguru smiled. "He does. He's right on the money. I'll unveil the truth he's hiding from us. You'll see."
"I'd rather not." Keiko gave him a pointed look and turned to leave. "From what I'm seeing, you're squinting at minor places in hopes to see the world."
He shrugged and watched her walk steps away from him before speaking up again with an uncertain eyes. "Are you sure you're alright with this?"
She halt in her steps, seconds ticked by before she slowly turned around. "What?" Keiko scrunched her face in counterfeited confusion. "What do you mean?"
"Throwing yourself in the middle position like that."
"What other choice do I have?" Keiko waved a hand before she continued to walk, rounding the corner, her words echoing through the hall. "Those two will never get anything done if I don't interfere once in a while."
"Just don't let them storm over you." Saguru muttered as he turned around as well, stuffing his hands inside his pockets, as he walked towards the opposite direction. "It won't do you any good at all."
"What do you think?" Tanaka glanced at him once they were alone. "Was it really their work?"
"I can't be sure. As far as I know the witness claimed that Snake's ring was rash and brutal. But this piece of work looks rather too neat." Hondo mumbled, crouching near the corpse. "I expected it to be messier. It should've been, in fact." He canted his head back at her, light reflecting of his dark lenses. "Are you sure this witness saw the real thing?"
"Don't know. Tachibana questioned her." Tanaka shrugged her shoulders carelessly before levelling an intense stare at him. "Don't you believe her?"
"I can't be sure. Things don't add up. Although, the witness did seem to get Snake's face right- it was recognisable."
"Of course it was.I drew it." Tanaka blew her bangs away from her eyes before giving him an exasperated glance. "What's with you? You've been so grumpy lately. If you don't want to be here, then go. We're not forcing you to stay. Reika told me you've been looking forward to that mission with Hideki-san anyway. I'm sure wild car chases, deathly explosions and criminal hunting is far more amusing to you than catching a mere phantom thief but-"
"I know. I know. Jeez, will you stop? You've been going on and on about this since the day I came," he drove his hands over his hair and stood up, stuffing his hands in his pockets, he gazed up, eyes fixed at the minuscule camera planted at the end of the hall. "I'll be checking out the footage. Maybe I caught something on film."
"Will you let me finished?" Tanaka threw her hands up before huffing out, "You're always listening to Reika, so why won't you listen to me? The witness-"
"I know," he waved her off and glared, silently daring her to mention the details of that day. Hondo didn't want to hear it. Cared not to hear it. And with that he marched forward, swiftly and determinedly, drowning her voice out beneath the rippling statics in his ear, the familiar ringing that reminded him every night of that fact. Of that horrible, horrible, fact he tried to forget. Tried to shut out.
Your budding memories tangled with the inevitable thorns.
Hondo was about to step passed her when Tanaka's eyes narrowed down to slits and within a second she stood right before him, blocking his way with her whole body, arms wide spread out in either side, her finger tips almost touching the adjacent walls in the narrow hall way. "How do you know?" she spit out, and from that alone Hondo deduced that she was on high alert. He can't fool her now, he noticed. He needs to play his cards right and sooth her. He needed to bring her back to the lawn of ignorance he dragged in many before. He couldn't have her in any other state.
"Why else would I be here?" Hondo shot right back and kept his voice as cold as always, eyes glinting dangerously as he moved forward, slightly trying to break her defences down with his sheer presence but as it seems he misjudged Tanaka's stubborn nature. She followed all his advances suit, not backing down the least and guarded the path as though with her life. He breathed out sharply from his nose. Damn her. Seems like he had no other choice but to confront her directly. "I know about it, okay?" he said at last, and tried to keep the pictures roaming rampage in his mind at bay. Ignore it, he told himself, just ignore it. "It's about the witness Reika saw crashing down several days ago, isn't it? I've been told."
"By whom? Reika kept it a secret until recently. Hell, I was even told until this morning so don't tell me you knew because you couldn't have. Unless," Tanaka spoke slowly, now glaring at full blast,"you've been there when it happened."
"Or, perhaps she has lied to you."
"She did not. Reika swore on her life she told nobody but me. So how can you know?"
"You're logic is faulty." Hondo crossed his arms, his fingers, hidden from view, gripped the fabric of his shirtsleeve peeking through his waistcoat tightly, and barely kept himself from gritting his teeth as he remembered his best friend's stricken face clad in darkness, his usually ready hands trembled with uncontrollable spasms, feebly breathing out, "Michi."
Hondo shook his determinedly head, his glare hardening on her. "Why would I voluntarily have been with that cuckoo?" he challenged, raising his chin as he looked down at her. "I've got a life on my own- and I don't make it a habit to stalk people, if you think that."
"Oh, is that so?" Tanaka smiled so shady it was near corrupt. "Then why did I see you hiding behind a bookshelf days ago, when she was out reading in the library?"
"For a mission. And you know which one it was," he spit out, silently cursing at Reika for making him take up the drab quest, or as she liked to call it; the quest to stalk a stalker. Her excessive tears she liked to put on whenever she asked for a 'heartfelt' favour, were only a manipulative tool for her to control others. Unlike many others, Hondo knew that behind the performed stupidity lay the grounds for a shrewd mind- another person he needed to look out for.
"Do I?" Tanaka canted her head to the side, squinting her eyes in thought and Hondo could almost hear her brain working. Search the memory in her mind as she may, she'd never find it. Hondo was close to tell her that he had was a lie. That it was something he said to get her off his back, but held it inside him instead. It didn't matter after all.
"You should." Was all he said instead and he pushed forwards, breaking through her defences and stepped passed her yet stopping midway when Tanaka's voice carried through the air again.
"But you were there that day, were you not?" Tanaka gave him a pointed look but made no move to stop him. "That's how you know. You've seen the witness falling from the sky, too."
He stopped and slowly turned to her, a brow raised in question. "What makes you say that?"
"I don't know." Tanaka said, shrugging. "It's just hard to see you focused on trivial cases such as these. That is, unless something horrible is going to happened, after all you like the thrill of doom."
Hondo gave her a lingering look before resuming his walk. "I don't know what you're talking about." Tanaka huffed behind him, probably was rolling her eyes again too as he stepped farther away from her and stuffed his hands in side his pockets again, feeling the cool metal of his gun.
A trivial case, huh? Hondo snorted, tightening his grip on it. If only she knew he was out for revenge.
"I hope you had a good look." Snake crocked his head at them. "That's going to happen to any of you who decides to brick shit next time. Carry out orders the way I told you. If I get more half-ass stuff, you'll end up like your colleague over there. And if it were to happen again, I will be the one shooting you dead," he tightened his grip on his Ruger SR9 holstered underneath his mantle and glared at henchman number 237. "And I guarantee you it won't be as neat as yours."
Number237 straightened up. "My apologies, sir, but I couldn't have you direct attention to our fallen comrade. More people would have noticed if several shots rang through the air instead of one."
Snake's eyes narrowed. "Are you selling me that people won't come rushing when they hear one shot?"
"Psychologically speaking yes." 232 steeped forwards, saving the other's skin. "The first shot can often times be pegged off as one's imagination but the second, however, brings forth doubt, and we can't have that. I'm sure 237 was taking that under account."
"I'm already aware of that or why else did you think I didn't kill him for disobedience." Snake glared hard at him. "Next time you're a dead man, 237. And you too 232 for interfering."
They nodded. "Yes, sir."
Snake waved them off. "Dismissed."
The shuffled out, breathing out in slight relief as they left the thick tension behind.
"What are we going to do?" 264 spoke up as he closed the door behind them. "Now that they know we're here won't they be calling the police to get us?"
"They need back up first." 232 closed his book and pushed his glasses up. "No police officer is stupid enough to advanced without sufficient forces. It would be indeed a foolish move."
"Not all people move like pieces on a chessboard, 232," henchmen number 240 crossed his arms. "We need to take unpredictability into account as well. What if they had their forces mobilised nearby? After all they had information on us due to that girl you chose to date."
"Michi?"232 grinned. "I have taken care of her, haven't I?"
264 brows rose. "You killed her? I thought-" he glanced back at 237, "weren't you the one who was chosen to snipe her?"
"I was about to but then I saw 232 behind her." 237 snickered before slapping the said guy on the back. "That merciless guy, here, made her jump from the window with mere words. You should have seen her face: Terror-stricken," he laughed out loud. "It was priceless."
"How did you manage that?" 240 rose amazed, catching up to them. "I pegged you for a sissy."
"How do you think?" 232 rose a brow, adjusting his glasses again. "Give a mouse an option between suffocating slowly and being blown up alive. Naturally, they will try to find an escape route of their own. Stupidly hoping to scrape by death along the way. Too bad it didn't work out for her. Poor girl forgot she lived on the thirteenth floor."
"Must've been desperate to live on."
"Or to get away from you." 237 added, still laughing along with 240. Behind them 264 slowed down.
"But was it necessary?" 264 muttered, eyes casted on the floor, brows knitted together. "For her to die, I mean."
237 gave him a look full of warning. "Watch what you say. That girl bailed us out and even served witness to the police. She had it coming."
"If she hadn't snoop, she'd be alive like all those other girls under my belt." 232 sighed. "Shame, I'd say. She was a real beauty."
"You'll find another one, man." 240 wrapped an arm around him. "And whilst you do, hand me over the brunette you acquired recently. I'm sure I can show her a good time."
"I would rather die than do that." he threw his arm off his shoulders. "Besides, she'd ran away the moment she'd see your face."
"Agree." 237 smirked. "You not really the handsomest guy around."
"Whaddya mean?" 240 pulled out a mirror from his pocket and inspected his face. "I'm some good looking chap. Even my mum says so."
"Your mum is blind, if I recall correctly." 232 rose a perfect brow. "No offence but how can you trust her judgement?"
The chatter slowly faded away as 264 silently walked off to the opposite direction, moving back towards the room they deemed Snake's office. He knocked three times before stepping in.
"What is it?" Snake's gruff voice reverberated through the room and 264 breathed in deep before speaking up.
"I'm wondering whether we could start off our operation sooner than initially planned."
"Why is that?" Snake swivelled his chair back to face him, bud's end of his cigar alight.
"Although I've been told by the others that no action will be undertaken by them until sufficient forces arrive, I need to say that launching our objective sooner will be more beneficial for us."
"Explain."
"It's based on a hunch, sir." 264 swallowed. "It's difficult to explain."
"I'm all ears."
264 closed his eyes, recalling and then answered honestly. "When I was patrolling the building some time ago, I came across interesting people. The kid killer was among them and so was the members of the third division. I don't know the quantity exactly, but I have seen the guy in shades- Hondo was his name I believe, and with them around I thought it'd be easier for us."
Snake's eyes narrowed. "What are you proposing? That we get it done and flee?"
"No. I meant that they will take the pressure off on us. The police tends to focus more than Kid than anyone else, leaving us more room to walk. Certainly, we can vantage those points."
"Go on," Snake ground his cigar against the inside of the ash tray on the table.
"It might be a foolish idea, but if we start earlier than planned it might not only throw off Kid but perhaps the police as well. After all, the police coordinate their defence and attack based on Kid's actions. If he is flustered, so might they," he took a deep breath. "I therefore took the liability to change the locations of the bombs."
"I anticipated you might do." Snake crossed his arms. "Where did you place them? I assume they are in more lethal positions now."
"Not necessarily." 264 pulled out a blue print from his pocket and spread it out on the table. "Instead of only bombing up the front of floor one and back of floor three, I placed bombs on every entryway except the fire stairs on the second floor. Whilst the police will distracted to evacuate the civilians and busy to save their own lives, Kid will be heading to the gem-"
"What makes you think he won't run off too?"
"He will want to get the Mother Of Pearl's Necklace before us. Directly heading into our trap. I placed explosives near the doors on the first floor, he won't be able to open them back up again. And even if he manages to get to the second floor, he won't be able to use the fire exist as well. Once the gem is removed from the case, the bombs under the staircase and on the roof will activate, leaving him nowhere to escape. The building will collapse and squish him to death."
"You missed on important factor." Snake's glared, hands twitching for his Ruger SR9. "What if the gem were to be Pandora. Your plan leaves no space for us to check."
"I had the same concern, at least until I came up with an idea." 264 eyes darkened. "It's risky so I'm not sure whom to chose, perhaps you can aid me with the selection. It's needs to be some one quick with a good sense of judgement and wide shooting range as well as with no fear of rats."
Snake's grin sharpened. "Tell me more."
"I found an underground passage on the back of floor one. Whilst we're busy blowing up the place someone could rush over and grab the necklace before Kid does."
"The uproar will surely take around five to ten minutes. But the run back and forth can last up to twenty and that's without disturbances. I'm not sure whether it's doable-"
"Look at how much free time you have. . ." Snake's lips curved into a smirk."I don't give you enough work."
"I have done it at night, sir."
Snake held his hand up, silently shushing him. "I like your idea. Say, are there any stairs in that passage?"
"Yes. A ladder to climb down within this building and a small stair case outside. If you don't mind me asking, why?"
"What does it look like?" Snake rose a brow. "I personally volunteer. Have you thought about using a vehicle to cross over? It's more efficient."
264 scrunched up his face in thought. "I don't think a car will fit, sir."
Snake's brows switched. "Bring me a bike. A motorbike."
Seconds passed.
"Yes, sir."