I do not own the characters of Detective Conan and Kaitou Kid Series. Nor do I profit from them.
Reference from the Black Star Heist, the Magic Lovers Club Case, Clocktower Heist and DetCo Movie 3
Chapter 1
The first time he met Phantom Thief 1412 on that fated rooftop on the first of April, he didn't know he had been about to meet the infamous Kaitou KID.
Thieves were never much of a highly sought interest for Shinichi Kudō. While he was never one to reject any sort of mystery waiting to be solved, homicide had been his go-to quandary because Shinichi's whole life was shaped by stories involving murder mystery (and a dash of romance but don't tell anyone he has a soft spot for love stories) you could say it's a matter of preference.
So when Conan Edogawa first heard of Kaitou 1412, he was about to dismiss the whole thing until he heard about a cipher. Conan can dismiss a thief but he can never dismiss a mystery.
The moment he read the interesting code, Conan resolved in wanting to meet the arrogant thief who could be so brazen to announce his crime to the world as if he was some untouchable phantom. Not only to prove the phantom thief wrong but because the irrepressible demon inside called Curiosity wanting to quench the question before him.
Who is he?
A simple question yet it drove Conan to the top of the building with a mini firework and a plan of capture on hand.
Thus, marked the beginning of the ongoing showdown between a thief and a detective.
He made a last-minute call to Professor Agasa to glean information of what the world knows about him, only to reveal him to be Kaitou KID. The crazy thief he faced a few months ago, who boasted of stealing the old clock tower across the station simply because he didn't want it to be torn down.
'I finally get to see your smug face.'
Conan wanted to laugh but he forego that to examine the man, no, the young man instead. Possibly his age, dressed in an all-white suit and silk cape, the shadow of his top hat obscured any notable features, and his monocle did not help by reflecting the light of the city. He landed on the roof with such grace and poise without alerting his sudden presence at all, impenetrable stance that left no gaps to his guard, and the moon behind gave him an almost mystical presence.
But most strikingly was his smile. That fearless smile, as if the thief had foreseen everything.
In hindsight, Conan had been a bit arrogant himself that night. Just because Shinichi managed to corner him in the past, he thought he could do it again. Turns out, KID has more tricks on his sleeve rather than a one-trick-pony.
Conan admits he had been… err… awed by his skill and tactic to immediately figure out the simple misdirection that was one of the basic magician's tricks after the chaos died down. Embarrassing, he knows. By the time he caught on to his trick after KID disappeared, the police had scattered and no way Inspector Nakamori would listen to a child. The man barely listened the first time when Conan was a high schooler.
'As expected of the Magician under the Moonlight.' It was like that during the Ekoda Clocktower as well — with superior memory, great attention to the smallest details, as well as the skill to escape from the direst pinch — he would disappear into the night without leaving a trace of his presence.
A thief you can't help but keep chasing after.
It was a learning moment for Conan. To outmaneuver KID, he can't read him as only a criminal, he has to read him like a magician too. Criminals made an effort to hide their crimes and erase the evidence, making sure their actions never see the light of day. KID is like a firework. Bright and showy so everyone knows who he is and what he did to the point people chase after him. However, get too close and you'll be blinded by the light to spot him among the shadows, slipping right under your noses.
In the end, by the time he'd stolen the Black Star from Madam Suzuki, it didn't matter whether the criminal was hiding in the darkness of the shadows or the intensity of the light. As long as the evidence presents itself, there will always be one truth.
Conan genuinely wanted to give him an applause because truly he acknowledged the brilliance of Kaitou KID as a criminal artisan. Not only did he manage to disguised Ran, his childhood friend, flawlessly, but he used himself as bait to keep Conan's mind preoccupied with the thief. It resulted in Conan failing to even realize the obvious ruse made by Madam Suzuki that was riled by KID's heist notice.
Which was why cornering KID had been a blast more than any other culprit, having to trick the infamous thief who outsmarted the police force for so long into a trap of Conan's own making. A form of salute to his craftwork.
So Conan granted the man the chance to surrender with enough honor and dignity for the 'gentleman' thief. Determined to pull the curtain down on the saga of the Magician under the Moonlight.
Until the ass tricked him using Ran.
Conan Edogawa swore that day he was either going to tranquilize or kick a soccer ball on that bastard's face.
. . .
Kaito was cursing up a storm at the damn brat after making him swim through the cold sea at night. Kaito doesn't care that Tantei-kun is a child, that detective is on his shit-list and is going to pay for forcing him to swim with the… the fi… the finny things.
And to think Kaito's first impression of him was that of a bright, innocent kid. Ha! What a joke. That brat is a demon who carried the soccer ball from hell. The image of that last kick was enough to make Kaito shudder.
He wondered though why being faced with Tantei-kun made Kaito sharply remember a once heist in the past. Was it because he talked about it with Jii-chan before or because yet again he escaped with the skin of his teeth?
No, not the latter. This wasn't the only time he had been cornered nor will it be the last. But this was different. Call it a gut feeling but those bright blue eyes, so unlike the wide innocent look of a child seemed to pierce through the fake guise and fearlessly gaze at KID.
The same gaze he felt during the Clocktower Heist. Faced with an unknown detective who seemed to know Kaito's every move. Back into a corner, little to no escape, yet he felt the shivers of a gaze, keen and intense, and giving him a chill-like fear as if the slightest slip would sink his teeth at the mystery that is Kaitou KID.
True, the child was terrifying in his own way (who knew a soccer ball could crush a phone like that?) but there was no way those two people were the same, right?
To think the great Kaitou KID got shown up by a detective brat! Pops would roll in his grave finding out he underestimated his audience.
Kaito would not let some snot-nosed kid tear apart his father's legacy.
Still… Conan Edogawa… the boy sure made an impression.
Kaito was expecting a lot of things at the forewarned arrival spot (it was one of his most difficult riddles that his civilian self had to help Inspector Nakamori pinpoint the place). Maybe a trap or two, but not facing a little boy that barely reaches his waist.
Reasonably, he thought the kid had gotten lost until he lightened up a firework using a bottle rocket in a pop can. Guiding the police force with childlike innocent combined with the confidence of someone who has the control of the game board.
It was so... so... eerie.
Poker Face almost went sayonara for a moment there.
The boy knew exactly what he was doing and had the look of someone who was expecting him that KID had to ask, "Tell me...you're not an ordinary kid, are you?"
"Edogawa Conan," he'd introduced himself with that self-assured grin, and in that instance, Kaito forgot he was facing child, "Detective."
Seeing him proudly announcing himself as a detective on top of the Haido City Hotel, Kaito inwardly rolled his eyes for having another critic. Another one to add the list of people gunning for the Phantom Thief, this time a kid after the KID. Kaito wanted to laugh at the irony. He also lamented over the child's choice of occupation as bore as detectives who couldn't enjoy a show without pointing out every little mistake.
Either those critics get bored after prying open the tricks with a superior attitude or get annoyingly angry because their ego couldn't stand for being successfully duped. Truly a nemesis for magicians.
But Conan Edogawa was different. Since the kid wanted to be a critic so badly, Kaito gave him the respect of treating him as one and gave him a show the boy would not forget. Fully resolved to have the so-called detective tuck his tail in defeat and amazed him with Kaito's magic. Not holding back even to a child.
Looking back, Kaito had been overconfident because he was so, so wrong as the night ended the other way around.
After Conan dissected the clues presented and the method of narrowing down the suspect; figuring out who has the Black Star, his tricks, his riddles, and chosen disguise without a shred of doubt in his stance. Instead of being received with an arrogant scoff or scorn from being found, the little Tantei-kun sounded almost… impressed?
That never happened before.
Inspector Nakamori made it his life mission to capture KID. The Bastard Hakuba wanted to stroke his ego by arresting the only criminal who eluded him. Other detectives gave up the first time once they failed to catch KID. All of them are a challenge in their own way, they make the heist more interesting even with the occasional close calls. Yet, there was something different with this kid compared with any other critics that Kaito couldn't put a finger on.
More than wanting to know who this quick, skillful, observant, intelligent young boy is. Kaito wanted to know:
'What makes you different, Edogawa Conan? '
It's a question that plagues him but Kaito wasn't a detective. He wasn't one to waste time with idle curiosity.
So Kaito Kuroba continued life. If people know him, some might assume it consists of school and heist but they would be wrong.
Kaito Kuroba, for better or worse, is a magic nerd. He would watch the nearest magic show in town, follow updates of famed magicians, and gush over them on the internet with fellow magic lovers. Tōichi Kuroba will always be the number one magician in his heart and in the world, but it's always good to appreciate what others have to offer.
So when a dead magician came to life in the forum, call him crazy but something smells all the way from Denmark.
Kaito did not expect to meet the damn Four Eyes again.
Fortunately, Lady Luck gave Kaito a reprieve since the kid wasn't staying in the same villa. Kaito admits he's an adrenaline junkie but that brat is scary~
During a heist is one thing, but three days and two nights in the same building? Yeah, no. He wasn't testing his luck that far.
Though apparently, the one that needs his luck tested is the kid because he came back and fainted by the entrance door with a heavy fever while telling her pseudo-sister to run like a cliche line in some B-list horror movie.
Well, talk about a morbid entrance.
Though Kaito has some grievances with the brat, he noticed there were burnt edges around his clothes when 'Katsuki Doito' examined him. His stomach plummeted not only at the possibility of their only exit gone but the fact this kid ran through a burning bridge for Ran Mouri.
Kid's got guts is what he's saying. Kaito can respect Conan Edogawa for that.
Then the murder and attacks started and things were getting out of control. And the moment he figured out how the impossible murder was done, he knew Tanaka Kikue was responsible. Kaito wanted to punch himself. The signs were there, yet again he was helpless to stop a heinous crime from happening and Kaito felt useless.
But then his gaze turned to the tiny detective and thought maybe, just maybe, this boy can find the truth. He might be a kid, but he's the kid who followed the Sleeping Kogorō around and single-handedly exposed his magic trick. If anyone can point out the culprit and find proof, it'd be him.
And speaking of Sleeping Kogorō… Boy oh boy, was it a shock to find that truth when Sleeping Sonoko started her deduction show. But it was more shocking that Kaito believes that makes way more sense. The brat is too freaky to be on the sideline.
Note to self; additionally with his Demon Soccer Ball beware of the Sleepy Dart Watch.
KID supposed his fake name was too on the nose if it didn't take that much effort for Tantei-kun to see through his mask with only that. Usually, he would deny such a thing until further proof, but after helping to reveal the truth, KID can at least shed his disguise for him.
"You really like to dash in and out to trick people like your username; Red Herring."
"It was never my intention to trick anyone," he said while hiding his bristled feeling. Kaito came because he was worried and didn't want a stranger disrespecting the late Furui Fuden. He explained more or less as such while admitting to figuring out his niece and the trick that was made.
'I should have expected it. I could have prevented this tragedy,' Kaito unbindenly thought.
"Emotions often prevent us from finding the truth," said Conan, "No one wants this kind of tragedy."
It took all of Kaito's will to keep his poker face intact. He was sure he kept that thought to himself. Alas, not even his heart escaped from the detective's keen eyes. It's more shocking to find Tantei-kun saying the words he needed to hear.
'Being consoled by the enemy,' Kaito couldn't help smirking, 'How pathetic Kaitou KID.'
"True, what could we do? I'm not a detective and you were sick." He locked eyes with the small detective, and his determined gaze told Kaito everything left unsaid.
'I don't have my tools to capture you now, but the next time we meet, I'll expose the truth of who you are.'
"Let's meet again, Tantei-kun." 'I'll be looking forward to you trying.'
. . .
"Idiot," Conan thought as the arrogant bastard flew away with his glider. Honestly, for a so-called international criminal, the guy can be soft-hearted. It's normal not to expect a person capable of murder, especially coming from the niece of a magician he seemed to respect.
'Because he had faith in her,' Conan surmised the thief's feelings. He wanted to snort at the tenderhearted thief.
But more irritatingly was the fact the thief was looking forward to meeting him again, and Conan did not like the look on KID's face when he said it. As if he's planning a show for the sole purpose of messing with his head, and the chase was a game they're playing.
'Nah, I'm thinking too much.'
Life went on, filling his life with murders, playing with the Detective Boys, robbery, vacationing with Ran and Kogorō-occhan, clues on the Black Organizations, and more murders. Until the next KID Heist Notice that was seeking after the Memories Egg, which piques Conan's interest. KID usually goes after Big Jewel. So what caught KID's eye in the Romanovs' Treasure that's currently owned by the Suzuki Financial Group?
His riddle for the heist was trickier to solve this time and his tricks had been grander and bolder to the point of concern for Conan. Bombing the power plants just to single out the warehouse that hides the treasure? That was dangerous enough that KID would be lucky if no one got seriously hurt from his stunt. Conan firmed his resolve to make sure the thief wouldn't get away with that.
But the thrill of the chase came to a screeching halt at the sound of a gunshot and his heart plummeted at the thought of who might have gotten hit. His suspicion was confirmed at the sight of a broken monocle, the stolen Egg, and an injured dove.
KID nowhere in sight.
There is no evidence he's dead but neither evidence he was still alive. Conan could only hope that he is. His small hands clenched tightly, feeling the helplessness he so hated at the thought of the phantom thief injured or dying with nothing he could do to help while in the body of a child.
"You better be alright, idiot thief," he whispered while cradling the hurt dove in his arms. If those words sounded more like a prayer than a curse, then it's nobody's business but his own.
. . .
After the murder investigation onboard the Suzuki's ship and promptly writing the reports, like the diligent officer 'Shiratori' would do, the police were finally allowed to go home at the end of the day where Kaito finally tore off his mask in his lair.
He sat on his bed. Took a deep breath. Deeply exhaled to his hand. Then slowly and emphatically said, "What the fuck."
Again, his mind ran through what he found out today and once more cried, "WHAT THE FUCK?!"
Conan Edogawa is Shinichi Kudō.
Shinichi Kudō is Conan Edogawa.
What.
The.
Fuck.
A smart 7-year-old who's good at solving riddles and seeing through magic tricks. Amazing! Who would have thought a kid is capable of that?
A genius 7-year-old who knocks out adults in an attempt to have his deduction heard on murder cases using a voice changer while flawlessly mimicking their speech manners. Freaky, but hey, to each their own.
A 17-year-old high school detective disappeared from the limelight because he shrunk into a 7-year-old. 'Why does this make more sense?! What kind of hocus-pocus and sci-fi world I live in?! At least Pandora had the grace to be a myth!"
Kaito breathed in so he could build his nerve back up. He had been busy being smug from finding out Kudō's secret and keeping his Poker Face that it took being Kaito Kuroba again for the existential crisis to hit after getting his worldview shattered.
Mentally, Kaito put that knowledge aside to focus on tomorrow's treasure hunting, possibly with Scorpion on toe, and Kaito suspects that things won't be smooth sailing. 'The storm might hit even worse for us tomorrow. I have a feeling I'm gonna perform in a shit show.'
. . .
Conan knew firsthand why KID was called a master of disguise, but his first-rate skill never ceased to amaze him while impersonating people he knew without giving away any telling hints. And this is coming from the son of Yukiko Kudō, whose pastime hobby included deceiving her son with her masquerade as her form of pranks (he inwardly decided then that KID and Mom should never meet under any circumstances).
He had his suspicions, but it took a professionally bandaged bird for Conan to be certain KID was alive. The hard clench in his chest that carried his self-reproach guilt finally loosened at the evidence before him. "I knew you were still alive," he whispered to no one.
It was a strange feeling. Shinichi had only met the thief enough to count with one hand, but there is a stubborn conviction in the detective that KID wouldn't go down simply from one sniper. Or to put it in simple terms, Conan didn't want to believe him dead.
The boy couldn't help but scrutinize why the idea of the thief being dead gave Conan an odd sense of loss. Not the person in general, but KID specifically. Despite knowing little to nothing about him.
His train of thoughts began revolving around the Phantom Thief and Scorpion. Conan became more hung up on the reason why KID would still be after the Egg even after getting shot. While he can understand an ego of not wanting to lose to another thief, he didn't think the treasure was worth risking his life when it's not even a Big Jewel that he usually goes after.
'So what is he risking his life for?'
The answer he found was surprisingly simple and kind as Conan watched the black-and-white photos hidden in the Memories Egg within the tomb under the Yokosuka Castle, craftily hid by the Last Wizard of the Century. Conan was floored by the implication. The thief had gone beyond acting selflessly by sticking his neck out to help return a treasure to a stranger who didn't know the Egg was her heirloom.
There was no other logical reason needed for KID's action aside from because he can. Shinichi felt an overwhelming kinship with the phantom thief that he rarely had with any other person.
It also stands to reason why he was desperate enough to use bombs for the heist if he knew Scorpion — who could risk harming Natsumi-san, the Task Force, or anyone involved buying the Egg — was after it.
'This is bad, I'm starting to like that thief.'
His thought shifted in a flash to the second thing that was in concern, which is Scorpion, who on cue tried to kill Kogorō-occhan, stole the Egg, and burned the castle down. 'Goddamn, Seiran-san doesn't do things by halves .'
The thing about Conan Edogawa is that in contrast to his calm collected manner and level-headed mind, he is an impulsive young man who is too smart for his own good. He is the type to dive straight into trouble in the heat of the moment when dealing with things alone before coming up with a solution on the way.
Which is why despite preparing the bulletproof glasses for his encounter with the serial killer thief, Conan miscalculated the time needed for her to reload and got shot.
Or at least he would have, had a hidden card not come intercepting in the nick of time and followed by the fake Shiratori. Even though the master thief was in front of him, goading him to hurry escape, Conan couldn't help but linger at KID's card ammo a second too long before it caught fire.
'KID saved me... Even though we're supposed to be enemies, yet he came all this way…' He knew that wasn't an easy decision, at least not for most people. But the thief seemed determined to keep exceeding Conan's expectations.
With the assassin on his back, they headed for the exit together. The beam from the ceilings began crumbling and would have hit straight down at him had KID not swiped him up on his arms and kept running for their lives with two weights in tow.
The fire had not been kind to either of them, giving them burn marks and suffocating them through the smoke, especially to KID with his latex mask torn apart from the flame. Conan did not point out the obvious, too busy gulping the fresh, clean air he was deprived off once they finally exited the building while slumping down on the cool grass.
Instead, Conan had one hand up toward the disguised thief and ordered, "Give it!"
KID laughed unabashedly, "So forceful, Tantei-kun." He offered his signature grin before throwing the bag that carried the Memories Egg inside.
"Since you stole the first Egg to bring it here, you're lucky I'm letting you slide."
KID finally had the strength to get up and with the speed Conan couldn't follow, managed to change his clothes into the regal white suit of his. He tilted his head, curious at the detective's words, "Are you not going to catch me, Tantei-kun?"
Conan glared tiredly at KID, "Idiot. There's no way I'd do that after you saved me, so consider us even."
"How cold, and after all that effort I did to keep your tiny butt safe." KID's eyebrow twitched in annoyance at the insolent brat's remark, "For having saved your life, that's a pretty cheap price."
"I like to think of it as an act of common decency, take it or leave it."
"Hai, hai." KID changed costume again, this time in a police getup before carrying Scorpion to Shiratori's car where he'd most likely bring the assassin thief to the nearest station to book her.
"Oi, KID" Conan called out before he left, his eyes never leaving the old castle burning in front of him, "The next time I see you commit a crime red-handed, I'll be sure to catch you so clean your act before then."
"My, my Tantei-kun, don't ask such unreasonable requests. Once Kaitou KID has set his eyes on his prey, he will stop at nothing to attain it. Besides, I can't have my beloved fans and critics be disappointed seeing me leave the stage before the finale."
"Are you planning one?" Conan's sharp gaze finally turned to him, "A finale that is?"
KID froze and his smile cracked for the first time that night as if trapped by the words that weren't meant to leave. Kaito cursed himself for the slip and Conan for his unusual perceptiveness, Kaito must have been more tired than he thought.
He could have left without an answer, but Kaito's ego could not leave with Conan having the last word. "All shows must end eventually, Tantei-kun. Otherwise, how would I plan the next one?" KID entered the car and closed it, riding away from the Yokosuka Castle. He was not running away. Nope. No way. Absolutely not.
Conan watched the thief go before smiling with the Memories Egg at hand, "If it happens I'm looking forward to it, your show after this one."
. . .
When Kaito was deliberating the appropriate disguise to pick up Lucky from Mouri Detective Agency, he took a hard long look in the mirror before deciding on the perfect face to use. Which, funny enough, was his own because of how similar Meitantei's face is to Kaito.
Why Shinichi Kudō, some might wonder?
Obviously, because it would blow Tantei-kun's head off. 'He's going to be so pissed, kekeke'. Kaito can't wait to appreciate every second of it. Not to mention how convenient it is to have a disguise without a mask, already he has hundreds of scenarios planned that can help him bypass Inspector Nakamori's multitudes of security measures.
"But Tantei-kun definitely won't appreciate me using his face for heists, so I suppose I'll cut it down to the ones involving him." 'He might kill me if Kudō Shinichi ended up being suspected as KID.'
Kaito didn't think his timing would be any more perfect as he caught on the tail-end of the conversation between the detective and his girlfriend. Of the secrets and lies hidden from who he loves most and Kaito finds himself moving quicker before impulsively interrupting their conversation.
'What the hell am I doing?' Any other time Kaito would appreciate the heart attack he gave Conan if he wasn't questioning his own behavior.
"Is that really you, Shinichi?" The Mouri girl hesitatingly asked.
"What kind of hello is that? I came to check on you after I heard you got caught in an incident." 'Looks like Lady Luck is giving you a bone for once. You better appreciate this, Tantei-kun.'
They talked and KID tried to answer Mouri as vaguely as possible while keeping Conan's character in mind. He slipped away the first chance he got, wishing the night didn't end with a confrontation, not stopping until the shout of a familiar voice made him halt.
"Wait, Kaitou KID!"
'So much for that wish.' But Conan stopped from a distance. His hands tucked in his pocket (away from the watch and that detestable power shoe), no sign of the boy making an effort to capture him and instead started praising the thief for his disguise that makes Kaito preen and systematically deduce KID's reason for stealing Memories Egg.
"Oh~ ? Anything else you've realized?" KID asked, his voice light and cheerful, trying to keep his poker face intact. His heart, in contrast, was wildly beating as doves continued to appear, perching on every spare part of him they could find.
Kaito should have known not to underestimate him. Only Tantei-kun would try and easily deduce KID's intention. It's like nothing is sacred when it comes to the detective.
But possibly because for that reason he isn't making a move to stop KID. Instead watching the fake Shinichi closely as he continued to lay out Maria's final years and Natsumi's ancestry.
Kaito's poker face cracked for the first time that night at the only truth that he wished was kept secret.
He also couldn't help but be impressed. Even in the midst of chaos that was going on — from the secret of the Egg, the disappearance, and a serial killer on the loose. He still caught every detail and worked out every piece until they fit together as a whole.
'I supposed he was called the Heisei Holmes for nothing.' But KID was not happy with the thought.
"There are some mysteries in this world that are just fine staying mysteries." KID advised him with a tinge of warning.
"That's true," Conan agreed easily, and something in Kaito's loosened. "It might be best to leave this particular mystery as is."
He couldn't help but breathe out a laugh at his words, 'A detective who pries open secrets but keeps it shut for others. And I thought all critics want nothing more than to boast their cleverness.' It was rare to find Kaito happy to be wrong and so he trusted his fated adversary to keep the truth close at hand.
"Then can you solve this mystery, Meitantei? Why did I show up as Kudō Shinichi and help you, my annoying foe?"
Kudō's name was called. Fingers snapped. Doves flying. And KID was gone, out of sight, when actually he pulled himself up on the rooftop in his dark civilian clothes. Watched from above as the tiny detective caught the feather from his healed dove with a satisfied smile on his face.
Kaito wondered the answer Meitantei might come up with when he didn't know the answer himself. Then again, he never needed a reason to help people. 'A magician's job is to bring smiles to the audience, including annoying little critics, isn't that right Pops?'
Maybe one day Kaito will realize that he simply didn't want to lose a kindred spirit.
But today is not that day.
Writing this fic was really fun because there's just so many things going on;
Shinichi's realization that Phantom Thief 1412 was the crazy weird thief trying to protect a clocktower
Kaito becoming afraid of this mini-size human weapon that can and will wreck you in their first heist together
Me, realizing that Shinichi knew from Magic Lover Club Case that KID had felt guilty and upset over the murder and tries to console him.
It also occurred to me while writing this what makes Kaito and Shinichi kindred spirit isn't just the similar circumstances between them but because both of them are smart guys with compassion that allows them to help people just because they can.
As Shinichi's famous quote, "Do you need a reason? ... to help one another, you don't need a logical mind for that."
And that quote defines KID and Conan quite well, wouldn't you say?