With the exception of the plot and the original characters that are depicted in the story, the author makes absolutely no profit off of this work of fan fiction, and no copyright infringement is intended on the franchise of Detective Conan that rightfully belong to its owner Aoyama Gosho.
I would to profusely thank OnyxKatana and Momochan77 for their ideas and support that have penned the twenty-first act of Paper Faces. And so without further do, let the intermission close and the chapter commence for our audience! :) For the readers who are enrolled for the fall semester, I wish you the best of luck in your studies!
The last conversation Hashimoto Yusuke had with his superior ended on an ominous note: bring results on Pandora or there would be dire consequences for incompetence. In addition, the Organization must only keep an eye on Kudo Shinichi and nothing further. However, the situation concerning the murder with Kusanagi Seimei would almost certainly cement the fate of the Organization's second-in-command. The portly man could only pray to the gods as the encrypted video feed on his laptop started to connect, then download to reveal the shadowed face of the Maestro.
"Report."
Black-hearted and straight to the point as always, their countenance never changing unless something or someone truly angered them. Swallowing the lump in his throat Yusuke spoke, his quivering voice bouncing off of the walls in his empty office.
"A-Almost two weeks ago, one of my men in Tokyo contacted me with a startling proclamation that he has found Pandora. Or at the very least, a lead on its whereabouts," Double-clicking on a file near his mouse, Yusuke sent a duplicate of it to the Boss through another, separate encrypted link in their online connection. "Here is the picture he has sent me. It's an antique that belongs to a mutual friend of the Suzuki conglomerate. This...'friend' claims that it cannot be pried open; there is neither a latch or keyhole, and as you can see, circular in shape. From the notes we had gathered, it greatly resembles the container that holds Pandora. The person who contacted me, Ishikawa Mamoru, will be meeting this client to confirm its authenticity in less than a week."
A heavy silence fell upon the two most important individuals in the Organization, and after what seemed to like an eternity, was broken by a low hum from the laptop. "It appears...that you have almost redeemed yourself Hashimoto, hadn't Snake allowed himself to become careless with the disposal of Kusanagi Seimei. He is under your command after all."
"Y-Yes I understand Maestro, and I have disciplined him -"
"Taking his firearm and keeping him busy in your compound with paperwork for almost two weeks is not discipline. It is a slap on the wrist!" The Boss snapped, glaring coldly at their second-in-command. "And I have the feeling that you have more to tell me. Be out with it or so help me -"
"Kudo Shinichi has been shot and is in critical condition!"
"...What?"
"I-It all happened so fast. One moment I've finalized the backup plans for Ishikawa-kun's meeting, and the next I receive a report from one of the scouts that the person of interest has been harmed!" Hashimoto blubbered. "I-I had just gotten off of the phone with Rat before our scheduled meeting, and this is what he's told me: the newest recruit, Boar, was making his usual rounds around the city when he saw Kudo Shinichi walking down the street to a ramen shop. T-Then he decided to go ahead and shoot her!"
"And what, pray tell, was his reason to endanger our operations even further?!" The Boss nearly roared over the comms system. Their second-in-command flinched and meekly responded. "H-He was apparently bored of the menial tasks that are essential to his training in our Organization, and wanted to shoot something so he wouldn't get rusty. 'So what better target than a detective who could possibly destroy us?' T-Those are his direct words, not mine, Maestro!"
On the other side, the man called the Maestro slowly exhaled, his entire body trembling with barely suppressed rage. "You mean to tell me, that the only kind of men that I seem to find in this organization are sloppy, reckless, trigger-happy idiots?!" His voice shook dangerously. "This could mean the end of all our plans if anything goes wrong! Kudo Shinichi, while she may be a thorn in our side, cannot be murdered at this critical juncture. Pandora is our top priority! We cannot afford to miss the Volley Comet when we are hunted down by the entire Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department for the attempted murder of one of their own men!"
The leader glared at Hashimoto, making absolutely certain just how displeased he was with his second-in-command. "All of the fools that are in your jurisdiction, is there one whose medical skills are acceptable? Enough to slip pass security and make doubly sure that Kudo Shinichi will survive without standing out too much?"
Hashimoto gaped. "M-Maestro you cannot possibly mean-"
"No, I certainly do. Find a competent person who can pass for medical personnel and get him on the hospital she is being treated. Right now. And one last thing… If the girl dies, you won't be alive for much longer." That was all the Boss said before cutting off the communication link. Hashimoto slumped in his seat. How could things have possibly gotten so out of hand within a matter of hours?
Swallowing the lump lodged in his throat, the second-in-command of the Organization picked up the phone on his desk and dialed a number he hadn't called in a very long time. It rang twice before a disembodied voice answered it.
"Who's on the table tonight?"
"A person of interest, shot and in critical condition. Your orders are to examine and treat them without being seen. These are direct orders from the Maestro, Dog. Prepare the tools you need for the job. I will call you back in ten minutes with more information on the target's whereabouts and an ID to allow you access in the hospital they are located at. Understood?"
A grunt on the other end was all the confirmation he received before hearing the telltale click, signalling that the other person had hung up. Hashimoto put down the phone and rubbed his eyes. It seemed that the only thing left to do was pray that the teenage nuisance survived.
xPFx
For the first time since his father had passed away, Kaito was at a loss for both words and actions. The symphony of low muttering, feet tapping against tile flooring as well as doors opening or closing were unconsciously blocked out by the speechless magician. It had been over an hour since Shinichi was wheeled inside the OR, and he hadn't heard anything else since he'd been informed that the bullet missed any vital areas but had caused enough damage to still be consider Shin-chan's situation critical by medical standards.
And that epiphany made him feel even more restless in his uncomfortable chair.
Was Shin-chan all right? Did something happen that no one expected? Hundreds of scenarios ran across indigo orbs, each worse than the last flittered through his mind. Kaito fought to banish the image of his dear detective, bloody and broken as she inhaled her last breath in his arms. Please just give him, anything to let him know that -
"Excuse me, are you Kudo-san's family?"
Kaito turned his head towards the double doors of the OR and saw a nurse standing near him, a concerned frown smeared across her pretty face. He immediately stood up. "I'm her boyfriend. How is she? Did she pull through the surgery?"
The nurse, whose name was Kaede according to the silver tage pinned against the left side of her uniform, nodded. "She's stable for now, but we can't be certain until tomorrow morning. We'd like to have her stay here for a couple of days, just to make sure there isn't a relapse."
The magician released the breath he had been holding and staggered back into his chair, almost slumping against the hard plastic, all the while smiling sheepishly, even hopefully, at the nurse. "Is there any chance I could...possibly see her? I know she's in critical condition...but I'd like to at least let her know that someone is here for her."
The frown on Kaede's face immediately turned upside down to a fond grin. "I don't see why not. You must have been really worried about her this whole time. Come with me."
Almost glowing with happiness, Kaito followed the nurse to Room 14 and nearly went weak in the knees at the sight before his eyes. Lying motionlessly in a cot was Shin-chan, an oxygen mask over her face and in a deep sleep, most likely from the medication given to her. The messy-haired teen thanked Kaede again for everything, whom brushed it off with a all-knowing smile and reminded him about the hospital's' visiting hours before she excused herself to tend other patients.
Once alone, Kaito grabbed a chair near the door and placed it near Shinchi's bedside. Against his better judgement, he smiled a little at his sleeping sleuth.
"Shin-chan...you have me quite a scare today."
He murmured softly as he reached forward to cradle her hand in his own, careful of the wires she was plugged into. Until recently, he'd never really thought about how small or pale his detective appeared under the dim, fluorescent light above her bed.
Kaito released a low growl as the grotesque memories from tonight's incident entered his mind again. Calm down Kaito, remember your Poker Face. Shin-chan is here. She's not going anywhere. He inhaled a deep breath, gripping her hand firmly.
"Now all I need is for you to get better. Can't put on a show without my number one fan in the audience."
Somehow, Kaito expected his detective to regain consciousness and say that she wouldn't miss his 'performance' for anything else in the world with that insufferable smirk on her face. However, the only sound that resonated in the room was the constant beeping of the machines attached to Shinichi's body. It hurt, both mentally and physically, to see her like this.
His Shin-chan should be by his side with that insufferable smirk on her face, not dancing between lie and death in a hospital. "You...you can't just stay here and sleep all day. You're a brilliant detective. And soon you're going to be an even more amazing writer. You've got too much to do in this world before kicking the bucket. Isn't that right, Shin-chan?" Kaito trailed off, his voice soft and even...scared. He was terrified that if he left this place, he might never see his sleuth again. Even though it was good news that Shinichi was currently stable after her surgery, the magician did not know if the Organization was directly involved on the attempted assassination, or worse, track Shinichi here to finish the job once they hear that she is still alive.
But if the latter possibility were true, why would the assailant try to kill Shinichi when the meeting with Ishikawa was less than a week away? Without Shinichi, the Organization would lose their only chance to get their hands on Pandora, both legally and in broad daylight.
It didn't make any sense.
He tightened his hand around Shinichi's even more. If they had done this...he wasn't going to let them get away with it. This was a new low, even for the Organisation. First, they killed his father, and now had made an assassination attempt on Shin-chan's life. If these...animals thought endangering and hurting the people close to him was the only method to relent his pursuit of Pandora, they couldn't be more wrong.
Forget about being hurt - Kait was incensed, royally and inevitably pissed.
The magician suddenly felt a deep, gnawing sensation tickle in his chest. He knew immediately recognized it as anger. Regardless of who the actual culprit was, these barbarians were going to pay. He could feel the turbulent emotion engulfing him, worsening with every feeble breath he saw Shinichi take. When he heard a very low and almost inaudible groan, Kaito looked down to see his detective's face contorted slightly in pain. Worried and confused, he averted his gaze to their hands to see that the grip on her hand had tightened to the point it was hurting Shin-chan. Shocked at what he just did, Kaito immediately loosened his fingers around the small wrist and raised it carefully in the air, placing an apologetic kiss upon it.
"I'm sorry, Shin-chan. I didn't mean to hurt you like this. Just...please wake up soon, all right? I'll come back to see you first thing tomorrow after school. I'll even bring notes from class so you're not behind in your studies. Okay? Sleep well, and sweet dreams."
Kaito stayed for a few more minutes before reluctantly he lifted himself up from the chair. He had to make sure her parents were contacted and informed about the situation. Plus he had to go to school like he promised. Though he knew that soon as he did those notes for Shinichi, he'd start looking for the shooter. Just when his feet were about to leave the room, he lingered at the door, just watching the coffee-haired girl sleep. If he blocked the plethora of machines that she was hooked up to, it almost seemed like Shin-chan was just resting from a very long day.
The magician took a deep breath and willed his body to leave the OR. The Organization was playing a dangerous game, and the stakes had just been upped when they had decided to take Shinichi's life.
He would see this situation to the end, no matter what it took to bring the Organization to their knees. He owed that much to the girl who had turned his entire world upside now, for the great Kaitou KID, this battle for immortality had just become more personal than ever before.
xPFx
"Your two o'clock appointment is here fifteen minutes early, Ishikawa-san. Shall I let her come to the office or have her wait in the lobby?"
The twenty-something man sitting behind a dark oak desk nearly the grip he had on his paperwork. "Kudo Shinichi...is here?" He repeated, receiving a hum of confirmation from his secretary slash receptionist. On the surface, civilians it may seem that being an appraisal expert might be an interesting and well-paying job, to examine priceless artifacts for their customers. However, those assumptions could not be any further from the truth; half of the time, clients that called him had items that weren't even worth examining. Furthermore, he invested more of his time doing research on Big Gems as well other menial tasks for Hashimoto-sama and the Maestro.
It was the least Ishikawa could do for the men who had given him everything. And all they asked for these 'gifts' were loyalty and competence. Was it really so hard for Hashimoto-sama to do these things? Apparently so, especially in light of last week's unfortunate...incident. Shaking his head at the thought of his superior's incompetence, Ishikawa cleared his throat.
"That's perfectly fine, Aoyagi-san. Please send her in and help the client as needed."
"Of course, sir."
That was the other male on the line said before it was disconnected. Ishikawa placed the phone back in its place on the desk and waited. When the door knocked twice, the antique dealer permitted entrance into his domain.
The door opened, and a figure clumsily entered. Their movements were stiff and blocky, on account of the crutches and the bandages visible on their limbs. She was around average height and skinny with long dark hair. The most recognisable feature were those blue eyes staring right back at him. Though even without these hints, the face was one that had been splashed across half of the newspaper syndicates across the great archipelago of Japan. This young lady was, without a doubt, Kudo Shinichi. Standing right behind her was Aoyagi-san, courteously carrying a circular-shaped parcel carefully concealed in a bone-white cloth.
Ishikawa felt his heart stop. This was it. The moment he and the Organization had been anticipating for a very long time.
"Ishikawa-san?"
Brought out of his reverie by the husky tenor of Aoyagi-san's voice, Ishikawa composed himself and nodded. "Thank you, Aoyagi-san. Please place the client's item of interest on my desk so that I can closely examine it. You don't mind, do you Kudo-san?"
The sleuth looked at her priceless antique and then back at Ishikawa before she shrugged. "Not at all. If your secretary could pull up a chair for me, we could get started with the appraisal right now." Ishikawa resisted the urge to smile like a fool as he watched Aoyagi-san faithfully carry out the client's request.
"Thank you, Aoyagi-san. I'll ring in a little while for some refreshments." The ebony-haired secretary bowed and left the room, closing the only entrance as well as exit from the office.
"Shall we begin the appraisal, Kudo-san?"
For a split moment Ishikawa could have sworn those blue orbs sharpened like a knife, though soon banished the thought when a small smile stretched across her mouth. "Yes. I'm eager the tricks that have made you the most prominent antiquity in Japan, Ishikawa-san."
Ishikawa did not know why but the way his client was smiling innocently at him with an excitement akin to a child...it sent a chill down his spine.
After a long journey, we have finally arrived at the final stage of Paper Faces. The question now is: who will be the winner in this game? Will it be Ishikawa and the Organization? Or have Kaito and Shinichi come up with a fool-proof plan to take down their common enemy once and for all within such amount of time? Only the actors on this stage shall tell us :)
Please feel free to review or PM me with any questions, comments, or constructive criticism. Thanks to everyone who has favorited, reviewed, and added Paper Faces to their alert lists.
See you next illusion. - (KID caricature)