Author's Note: Whew, File 4 done! To my friends from the forum: I've changed a lot of things from here, but hopefully you'll enjoy it! Keep up the writing in the board!

File 4

It was very late into the night. Above the quiet neighborhood, a white figure could be seen flying in the air, getting lower every foot. It glided down and landed gently on the window sill of the Kuroba residence, making no sound at all.

Kid let down his glider, letting out a relieved sigh. He was already quite tired, having to travel across Tokyo just to look for someone. He was also feeling warm inside his suit---but of course, he could not be himself now even though he was home. He had guests whom he could not afford to let know of his real identity.

He strolled over to the door, unlocked it and stepped out quietly. Just as he was going to lock the door again, he jumped when he heard a voice behind him. "Back already?"

Kid turned around in surprise. Conan was standing right behind him, looking up at Kid. Kid grumbled softly, not replying. "Where's Kogoro oji-san?" Conan asked.

"That idiot won't leave the studio, now that I gave him the message," Kid muttered in reply. "How can you stand being with him?"

"I can't, but I have to deal with it," Conan muttered as well.

Suddenly, they heard footsteps rushing up the stairs. They both turned to see Ran, who was already panting when she reached them. "Otou-san! Where's he?" she demanded.

"He won't come with me, but he's at a safe place," Kid replied. "Don't worry, idiots get all the luck." He grinned.

Ran glared at him. "You asked for it!" With a karate yell, she lashed out a kick. Conan was almost covering his eyes to block out the painful scene---but he heard nothing. Not a scream. He looked up, surprised.

Kid had dodged Ran swiftly, and snapped on the nerve at the back of her neck with one hand. She was instantly knocked out, and he grabbed her before she fell. "Very impressive, but not good enough to defeat Kiddo-sama. But it's not bad having a girl to protect you, is it?" he commented with a grin as he carried Ran into another bedroom. Conan just grunted. When Kid emerged out again, he looked around. "Where's the other girl?"

"Haibara? Checking some lab document downstairs, I suppose," Conan replied. "Enough, tell me the truth now. I want to know why you saved us and protected us. You aren't scared that we'd turn you in?"

Kid looked at him for a moment, thinking. Then he turned so his back was facing Conan. "You're a tantei, aren't you? Figure it out yourself." The truth was, he did not know himself, and it had been frustrating him during half of the day. He pushed the thought out of his head and looked at his watch. "Excuse me, I have a heist to complete tonight. Like to join me?" He grinned over his shoulder.

Conan gave him a look that seemed to say 'Do I look like I want to?' Kid laughed. "Suit yourself. See you in the morning!" He hopped out of a window, and his hang glider popped up. The wind took him to his targeted place.

Conan stood at the window, watching with distaste. "Never change...that mocking tone in his voice is still very annoying. I'm going to unmask you...I will..."

---

The window shattered. "Kaitou Kiddo-sama has arrived!" Kid announced himself grandly as he landed easily on the glass case that held the gem he wanted.

Nakamori-keibu whirled around, as well as his men. "KIDDO! Get him, get him!" he roared.

Kid took his time to break the case and take out the gem as the officers started running towards him. He leaped up, and they crashed into the case. "Really, you should be paying more attention to where you're going," he said with a smile as he stood on the window sill. He set up his hang glider and turned around.

"IDIOTS! He's getting away!" Nakamori-keibu screamed, running for him, but it did not matter anyway. Kid had already taken off, the gem safely in his hand.

"Fifty-first jewel," he said gleefully as he held it up to examine it. "I should celebrate when I get home."

As he passed over a tall building, he noticed someone on the roof. "Ehh?" He looked down in curiosity. It was a man in overcoat and had long hair---and he was pointing a gun at Kid. Kid's eyes widened. "Uso---"

"Goodbye, Kaitou Kiddo," Gin said with an evil, and fired.

Kid jerked, his hang glider breaking apart as well. He plunged into the river, and never came up again.

That night, boats and helicopters were sent to scout the river for Kid's body (Nakamori-keibu happened to see the incident from the window and gave his orders immediately). But wherever they searched, they could not find his body. The only thing left was his broken glider.

Kid had disappeared mysteriously without a trace.

---

The next morning, Conan yawned as he trudged down the stairs, scratching his head. He found Shiho in the living room, watching television expressionlessly. Hearing the noise, she turned and smiled. "Ohayoo, Kudo-kun. Had a good sleep?"

Conan shrugged, climbing onto a couch. He was not used to the house, but he had slept enough. He had been trying to break into Kid's private room, but it did not seem to work at all. "Did you sleep at all last night?" he asked.

"A little," Shiho replied. "What about Mouri-san?"

"Still asleep. I hope she'll forget most of the things that happened yesterday," he muttered. "How did the Black Organization find out about our secret anyway? It really seemed likely in the beginning."

"Who knows? They might have found the secret to APTX4869 or other. But some things are better off not known, don't you think?"

Conan frowned. "If you say so..." He turned to the TV, which was showing the morning news at that moment.

"In other news, Kaitou Kiddo, the infamous phantom thief, has disappeared last night."

Conan sat up very fast, his eyes widened. Even Shiho was watching with interest as the newscaster announced the news of Kid's disappearance. A footage of the scene came up, showing several officers at the river.

"Kiddo was last known to be at a heist stealing the Fame Ruby. Later, while making an escape on a hang glider, he was seen seemingly shot by something before plunging into Sumida River. For five hours, the police force had searched the whole river, but the body of Kiddo has not turned up. It is unsure whether Kiddo is dead, or alive. We see Nakamori Ginzou-keibu, whose job was to capture Kiddo, at the scene."

Nakamori-keibu appeared on the screen, looking very grim. "Kaitou Kiddo is known to be appearing and disappearing all the time, but even so, it is hard to believe that he had disappeared after the bad fall. We theorized that he was taken by the river current and fell into the sea. For now, we will assume that he is dead, and will not do anything else but wait until we have more of his news. KIDDO, IF YOU'RE LISTENING, YOU BETTER GET YOUR BUTT OUT OF HERE OR YOU'LL BE SORRY!" he suddenly bellowed at the camera.

"Poor keibu, seems like he had a major breakdown," Shiho commented.

But Conan didn't hear her. He was too busy staring at the screen in shock. It was now showing a footage from someone's camera where Kiddo jerked in the air and fell into the river.

"It's---it's impossible!" he suddenly exclaimed, jumping up. "He was shot, Haibara! You can see it very clearly from that! B-but who shot him and why?"

He looked at Haibara, whose face was almost expressionless. But he instantly knew what she was thinking. "...It's Gin, isn't it?" he stuttered.

"I'm not saying that I doubt it is."

Conan sank back into the chair, stunned. "Gin shot him...and it's my fault..."

Shiho turned to him. "What?"

"I-I dragged him into this. Gin saw him, and he shot him. H-he's dead because of---because of---"

Shiho narrowed his eyes. It was not that she pitied him---but it was very unlike the boy to blame himself for someone's death just easily. "Baka."

Conan looked up. "W-what?"

"Kiddo only disappeared, like he always did. He might not be dead at all, just wandering somewhere. He is, what you say, almost immortal. Besides, you didn't drag him into it---he himself did it to save you."

Conan bit his lip. "But---but---"

Shiho let out what seemed like a sigh as she turned off the TV. "Enough. He will turn up soon. If I'm wrong, then my antidote doesn't work."

Remembering that, Conan straightened up. "Wait, the antidote! You said you made one, didn't you?"

"Yes, but I can't say how long it will last."

"Do you have another pill or something?" he demanded.

Shiho looked at his determined face. She paused for a second---then nodded. "But it's at Professor's," she added, getting up. "It will be a risk to get it. The organization knows who he is, and we can't go outside either. Unless you get someone whom the organization doesn't know, you won't have any chance to turn back to yourself."

"That's right," Conan murmured, putting his hand to his chin as he pondered. "Otou-san and okaa-san are still in the U.S...who else knows who I really am?"

Then he lit up. "Him! He's our only hope now!" he exclaimed, springing for the phone.

---

"WHAT?! You want ME to get the antidote that can turn you back into your old self?" Hattori Heiji exclaimed a little too loudly.

Ikenami Shizuka peeped up from her magazine, looking at her son strangely. The detective of the west laughed awkwardly and turned so that his back was facing her. "Kudo, why don't you get it yourself? I'm still in Osaka, you know," he hissed into the phone.

"You're one of the few persons who know whom I really am, and while the men in black are on to us, we can't leave at the moment," Conan told him. "They don't know who you are, so you are our only hope."

"Wait, where are you again?" Heiji asked with a frown.

"Um, Kaitou Kiddo no otaku."

"KAITOU KIDDO---"

"Shh! Don't say too loud!"

"But, if he knows who you are, why doesn't HE get it for you?"

"He disappeared last night---Gin shot him."

Heiji stared at the phone as if he could see Conan through it. "Y-you're kidding me, right?"

"This is a very serious matter, Hattori. I'll give you the address now, and you better get on the next train to Tokyo immediately! I can't believe I'm saying this, but our lives depend on you!"

Heiji nodded. "Okay, okay. You can count on me, Kudo!"