"The reason behind my return, you ask? Why, it's to remind the world that I still live!"
A legion of reporters uttered sounds of deep interest and wonder. Hanging from the ceiling and snoozing away were the museum guards, tied and lifted by web-like nettings. A disturbance then interrupted the gathering of journalists that were throwing questions at her.
Shoving his way through the crowd was the inspector of the Kaitou Kid Task Force. "Outta way! Scram! Who the hell is this?" The man, along with the officers following his lead, had plastic imitations of centipedes and spiders stuck to his clothes.
The woman standing atop the empty display case high over the masses laughed, painted lips parting with a mysterious smile. "I'm afraid that your dear thief tonight has already escaped, inspector."
"Tch! I know that! All thanks to those damned traps you put out. Hey, I said move!" The inspector continued to trudge forward through the crowd, determined to reach her.
The thief's surprise appearance at a Kid heist had drawn a large amount of attention. "Ah, it's good to be back in action. And it seems I haven't lost my touch either. Au revoir, gentlemen. Let's play again another night."
Right on cue, the power shut down but only momentarily. When the lights returned, screams emanated from the people at the sight of where the woman had stood before. Blood covered the glass case and dripped down as body parts laid in the deep, red puddle slowly that was forming on the ground. This time, the crowd listened to Inspector Nakamori's orders and dispersed.
"Shit, how did this happen…" While his men were busy coordinating an evacuation of the area, Nakamori stepped towards the gory display. He kneeled down to take a look at the severed human hand resting next to an ear.
…
"Eh?" On closer inspection, it looked to be part of a mannequin.
Leaping to another rooftop, the Phantom Lady lookalike arrived at a quiet and dark corner. From the small pouch her costume had near her hips, she pulled out a phone and dialed one of the only numbers registered into it.
After a few rings, the international line connected and was picked up. "Mom, I did what you asked me to do."
"I knew I could count on you again!" Her mother's chipper voice answered back. "Merci beaucoup!"
Instead of pacing around, she chose to lean back against an elevated section of a wall. The cold from the hard surface quickly seeped past her clothes and onto her back. "Will you come back to Japan now?"
"I would like to, but I promised an old friend of mine to visit him in Spain next month. Then there's this sweet old lady that I still owe a few dinners to here in Las Vegas after she showed me the best spots in New York last year."
"All right, all right, I get it. You're busy." She refrained from sighing while on the phone. "Anything else you need done?"
"Nothing for now. Say hello to Aoko and the inspector for me, Mae. Talk to you later!"
"Okay." The call ended just as quickly as it had started.
Her mother had gotten into some trouble with someone suspecting her to be the Phantom Lady. To divert attention from herself, she had asked her to make a convincing 'return' appearance for the public to see. With that little spectacle done and over, Kid walked away from her current spot. It was time to retrieve the white costume she had left behind at the heist venue.
Inside her hideout, Mae stood by a large mirror next to the extravagant cabinet storing the Kaitou Kid suit and hat. A gentle pull later, and the rest of the bandage-like cloth covering her head came off.
"Whew…" The heist went without a hitch, allowing her to complete the errand task her mother wanted. As for the gem, it was not the one she sought. Unsurprisingly.
She turned to the low table where she had laid down the ruby. As she moved, the sight of her reflection caught her attention from the corner of her vision. The dark lipstick made her look more mature. That, combined with her current outfit, brought her many steps closer to resembling her mother. All except for her hair which was dark, and her eyes blue like her late father.
Looking down at herself, her figure definitely stood out more with the Phantom Lady's attire compared to her regular nighttime clothes. Since she was supposed to be out of costume now, the adult-ish lipstick looked off on her own face. Using the loose bandages in her hand like a napkin, she wiped both her mouth and jaw to get rid of every bit of make-up.
Tonight was a night where she technically had planned two heists, one for Kid and another for Phantom Lady. After stepping out of the secret room, a sigh of weariness slowly escaped out of her. Sleeping was probably the most logical solution yet a strong ache gnawed at her inside and kept her up on her feet.
"I should eat something." Aoko hadn't dropped by today, and she had no time to cook lately.
A quick check of her pantry yielded some snacks she had bought from the convenience store a while back. She looked over her choices but none of them looked good to her at the moment. Perhaps food wasn't what she truly wanted. After pushing the pantry door, Mae then shut her eyes for a moment to fend off the cold disappointment lingering from the heist.
Letting her mind wander, she walked to the living room. It was dim, allowing her to clearly see outside through the window. As a small act of housekeeping, she went over to slide the curtains close. Out of habit, she peered out to look at Aoko's balcony before covering the view. No lights came from any of the windows next door.
Leaning her elbows on the kitchen counter, she took out the ruby she had carried with her from the Kid room. All the gold vines encircling the thing added a considerable amount of weight to the piece, and looked super gaudy in her eyes but the gem shimmered quite nicely though.
"Why couldn't you be Pandora…then I can be done with this charade and put his ghost to rest for good." And maybe spend her time doing something more enjoyable and productive.
If she was honest, and she often was not, playing the role of Kaitou Kid had become harder over time. All the fun coming from the thrilling chases and the public's adoration was still present, but the reward afterwards remained nonexistent. Last she checked, being shot at and getting injured didn't count as a hard-earned prize. Nor did the guilt of ridiculing her surrogate father and lying to her friends make her sleep any better.
Once she returned this shiny thing to its rightful owner, the cycle would continue again.
Plan a heist, wow a crowd, escape the police, check the gem, and realize it wasn't what she hoped it was. Rinse and repeat.
How many heists had she held in total? Less than her late father, that she felt certain of. Her thieving career had lasted only two years, and she would never be as great as he was—both as a magician and a thief.
Especially after–
"I shouldn't think about it..." A crawling sensation brushed over her skin as goosebumps formed. No, she would rather not dwell too long on what happened with that damned witch.
Another troubling thought replaced the other one. Her mother had remained stubbornly mute about Kaitou Corbeau after she dropped by for only a day last winter. That one measly letter did no good at explaining anything. She should have abandoned all hope in getting an explanation from her own mother. By expecting one, she was only hurting herself.
Tapping the ruby rhythmically with a finger, she thought about distracting herself by chatting with Aoko or Jii. Then again, none of them were awake in the dead of the night and it was Jii's break day.
"I really am childish, aren't I? Needing someone's attention like some spoiled princess…" Pressing her lips together, Mae fell back on a last resort that had now become part of her regular plans if she were to consider the frequency in which she employed it.
There was only one other person who could tolerate her less than ideal character and schedule. This hollow feeling, like a plastic bag being swept away by the wind, would only dissipate when she was near him. Speaking with him through a phone call felt meaningless in comparison.
An excited throbbing warmed her heart at the thought of teasing him and feeling him react to her every touch.
"I'm home."
Shinichi said that to himself when he entered his house for no particular reason other than out of habit. After hanging up his blazer and scarf on a wall hook, he set down his school briefcase which was weighed down by a number of assignments and textbooks.
It was another day spent trying to catch up with all the hours of school he missed. Ran had tried to stay behind with him throughout it again, but he eventually convinced her that she didn't have to be with him during extra class time. No need for him to drag her down too.
Plus, it was becoming painful. She tried to remain loyal to him after she said she looked past the 'Conan' incident. Each time Shinichi saw her smile while she attempted to be near him as much as possible, he could see how it strained and wavered. Ran was also playing catch up. But unlike school lessons, the time with each other that had been lost can never be recovered.
To add to his day, a stabbing happened near the coffee stand he had been getting a drink at during the late evening. Luckily, the culprit was swiftly apprehended. Although it prevented Shinichi from heading back home for several hours because of all the investigation procedures and police questioning.
Shinichi dragged his feet in the direction of his room, wanting to lie down for a bit. He pushed open his door, and was greeted by the darkness inside. Rather than flicking the light switch on the wall, the idea of having his bedside lamp on instead sounded much better. However as soon as he walked into the dark, the door behind him closed shut and he felt someone grab him from behind.
"Wha– Oh, it's you." His heart was jumping from the surprise visit, despite it being almost routine at this point.
Her voice, soft and yet assured, spoke into the back of his ear. "Are you not in the mood for company?"
"It's fine." After a tiring day, her presence felt like a godsend. An undeserving one at that, but he welcomed it. "I got busy today, so I'm not too talkative at the moment. Sorry."
Her arms were wrapped around his abdomen as she squeezed herself closer on his back. "Don't overwork yourself now, Detective. Who else am I to talk to if you keeled over?"
"Can't say that I know the exact answer to that." He felt her hands slowly drag themselves down below his belt line, her fingers digging for the hem of his clothes. Being unable to see anything for now, he let himself be guided by her. "You're awfully impatient this time around. What brought you here tonight?"
"Nothing."
As she pushed him along, Shinichi stepped towards where she wanted him to be. "It's never nothing with you, Kid. You could at least—" Feeling the edge of his bed hit his legs, he fell forwards into it. He turned to lie on his back and face her properly before continuing. "You could at least tell me before getting down to it."
"Didn't you just say that you didn't feel like talking?."
Rustling clothes being thrown aside sounded out before she sat rather forcefully on his stomach, which caused him to smirk wryly. "Ah, right."
The warmth coming from her body soothed his nerves as it seeped past his shirt. Laying his head down, Shinichi then felt her breath getting closer to his face while a hand reached to his necktie. She whispered to him with silk-like tenderness. "Then relax, Detective…and let me handle things."
A few months ago—
Their first official meeting had taken place on the rooftop of the Haido City Hotel as a detective and thief both poised for a duel. Following that one, they had clashed on multiple occasions, showing each other their respective skills.
All that had been fun and game for Shinichi, a brief respite from the murders and the crime syndicate. At the height of his struggles, Kid had suddenly begun stopping by his house during the night. Oftentimes, he stayed out of reach and 'announced' his visit by lounging on a recliner or a sofa as if he was at home—in full costume too. Ridiculousness of the scene aside, Shinichi grew to look forward to their small talks. Kid had even offered his help by providing intel.
Little by little, Shinichi came to call Kid a friend.
Initially, the nature of the friendship was purely out of benefit from both the skill set and companionship Kid contributed. But it began to change once Shinichi had gotten his hand on the cure to his shrunken condition.
The distance Kid kept himself at grew shorter, moving on from leaving documents on a desk to playful pats on the back. Whether it was the result of him allowing Kid to approach or Kid inviting himself into his bubble, Shinichi had no idea.
Shinichi could remember the first time his heart leapt because of the thief, outside of the other's ambushes and pranks.
Despite the interaction between each other remaining the same as before Shinichi had considered him a close friend, Kid showed up in his costume less and less. The new norm became a plain dark-colored outfit with a cap, something Shinichi had seen during the preparation phases of heists.
He was sitting in his study room, looking over at the most recent compilation of suspicious individuals given to him by the small FBI team residing in Japan. A migraine eventually came on from the lack of sleep and his effort to spend more time with Ran outside of school.
"You okay, Detective-kun?"
"Hm? I, uh…" He jerked up, blinking away the blurry film that had taken hold of his vision. "Yeah, just a headache. Don't worry about it."
Kid quickly stepped back, but his image remained ingrained inside Shinichi's mind. He wondered if it was out of carelessness that Kid had bent closer to the light coming from his table lamp, allowing him to see his face clearly without any shadows for once.
With a soft jawline and a curve to his chin, Kid appeared more young than he had thought before. Feminine would also suit the description too.
The next time that his chest fluttered because of Kid happened when he thought the thief was nowhere close.
That day was a rare one, where he had both the time, energy, and guts to ask Ran to hang out with him. Technically, this break was forced on him by Megure and Jodie on two separate instances when they saw the state of his eyes pockets.
But his plan crumbled when Ran responded over the phone that she was feeling sick from a cold. Accepting that she couldn't go, he settled with continuing to research on miscellaneous cases handed to him by some classmates. Like always, he lost track of time quickly and afternoon soon arrived. Just then, his doorbell rang.
When he opened the door, he was shocked at the sight of who it was. "R-Ran? But I thought you were sick."
Wearing a simple casual dress and small backpack, she looked ready to go. "Don't worry, Shinichi. I'm feeling much better now after a long nap. Let's go before it's too late!" A warm autumn gust of wind blew by to shake her hair and clothes in a slightly fantastical way that complimented her smile.
And he bought her excuse out of renewed hope.
During the entire time they walked, she clung to his arm. After such a long time of feeling distanced from Ran, this seemed odd but not unpleasant to him. The truth, however, only dawned on him later when they headed out of the movie theater.
It began with her reaction to the horror-thriller film they saw. Her response was too tame—strange even. Throughout the movie, she occasionally remarked about the special effects and the actors' movements rather than immersing into what was shown on the big screen.
"Whew, my butt almost went numb. That movie was way too long." Fingers intertwined, Ran raised them high over her head as she stretched before swiftly returning to walk next to him.
Side by side, they headed to a plaza nearby. The place was fairly empty due to late hours, which gave them more than enough privacy. Finding a bench by a fountain, Shinichi brought her there to talk. Crickets chirped gently among the trees while the rushing sound of water occupied the background.
"You're not Ran."
The person pretending to be her widened their eyes. "But… I have my phone with me. Look here, you called me this morning, Shinichi."
He shook his head. "Oh, it sure is Ran's phone, but you could have stolen it when you were acquiring the dress."
Annoyed, they pouted in a Ran-like fashion. "That doesn't prove anything."
"All right." Challenge accepted, he got off of his seat and took a step back. "Stand up. Come on, you were complaining about sitting for too long back there."
"…" Still seeming only mildly perturbed, 'Ran' eventually complied. "Okay, fine."
Once she rose up, Shinichi had a good look at her without rose-tinted glasses this time. "I was right. You're too tall to be her." That would explain why she kept clinging to him so closely during their time together, making use of a trick he had seen before in the Fairy's Lip heist when Kid had disguised as Kazuha.
"Jeez, I thought my costume this time was close to perfection." Kid sighed, dropping the act and the voice.
"Not to me."
"Huh? What's wrong with it?" He looked down at himself with genuine confusion.
"It's, uh…" His line of sight focused itself on the first few buttons of the dress's collar which were left unfastened to show a vague hint of cleavage from either makeup or a prosthetic. "Your chest."
"Oh. Looking there, I see." His eyes then flattened as he smirked. "Pervert."
"Me?" Heat rose up in his cheeks at the subject matter. "You're the pervert for overstuffing it!"
The thief's mouth hung open, stunned by the accusation. But he soon found something to retaliate with. Not a hint of red was on his face due to the mask. "Y-you like them small?"
"No, I—" He quickly forced his lips together to stop himself from stepping on a figurative landmine that would trigger no end to Kid's mockery. "Forget about it. Your acting also slipped up when you were watching that movie."
"I was trying to enjoy myself too. Couldn't help it when I saw that terrible CGI monster and gore. It's unlike any other movies I've seen."
"I thought so too. And the script was written equally as bad." For a while, they chatted away about the film and its production value. Shinichi was heavily disappointed by the fact that Ran hadn't been there at all to begin with, but having another person he could be around somewhat compensated for it.
"How did you know about my plan to bring her out for a movie?" They had walked aimlessly around the whole plaza, now completely devoid of people.
"Well, she asked me to take her place."
His steps froze. "Ran requested you to dress up as her?"
"Uh huh, she called me through the number I gave to her in case of emergencies." Chuckling from remembering the moment, he shrugged. "It wasn't an urgent matter by any means but she sounded distraught that she was sick at the worst possible timing. She wants you to rest and have fun for once."
"Ah, so that's why..." Guilt stung him from making Ran feel obliged to be around him for the sake of his happiness. But he didn't want to push her away while they still had something going on between them.
"Shinichi."
Kid using Ran's voice to call him didn't exactly cheer him up. "What is it?"
"It's time that we part ways for now." A well-performed, gentle smile appeared on Kid.
"Of course, you're free to go. Thanks for hanging out." The half-day they spent lasted so short.
Hands held behind his back, Kid leaned to the side in an expectant manner. "A date has to end properly, Shinichi. Close your eyes now."
"Okay?" He did as asked. His eyes were further covered by Kid's hands cupping over them. "What's happen—"
Something soft pushed up against his lips, cutting his breath short.
It only lasted a split second, but Shinichi could swear that time had slowed down right then. Even the ambient sound from the fountain appeared to have gone mute like he had dunked his head underwater.
When he felt the touch on his eyes and mouth lift away, he wasn't sure if he should open his eyes. But once he did, Kid was nowhere in sight as if he had dissolved into thin air to leave him in the company of chirping crickets and rushing waters.
The lips felt real.