References to Blush Mermaid Heist, Blue Parrot Case, and Shinichi Kudou's Big Adventure
Chapter 10
'I figured Meitantei is involved with some dangerous people, but what the hell?!' Kaito was cursing at the detective for forgetting to mention he was dealing with one armed man.
It was with that growing irritation when KID called Conan's number to give him a piece of his mind.
[Yo, are you alive?] Meitantei's voice from the other line sounded absolutely delighted for someone who sent Kaito to a death trap. That's to be expected with everything going exactly as the brat's convoluted plan.
"Don't you 'are you alive me' me! I thought I was gonna die!"
Seeing as Kaito can't escape too fast unless he wanted the bad guys to know he's a fake, the phantom thief had to barely escape to make the fake death actually stick. He almost suffered from burns because of those damn bombs as a result.
[My bad, my bad, it sounds as though things got heated up a bit.]
'Damn right, it did!' When he warned him of the explosives, Kaito thought he was dealing with four bombs at most. Not an entire carriage full of them! That's more than overkill.
"When I said I would help, I sure as hell didn't sign up for this! Guns and explosives — just who on earth are those bad guys of yours?"
Kaito knows he sounded like a hypocrite, but he doesn't care because it's the principle of the matter. There's a difference between running into danger and being dragged into one.
Sure, the high-stakes made it terrifyingly thrilling and gave him a one-of-a-kind high, managing to fool the bad guys with a fake death thanks to his awesome skills, but the point still stands!
Yes, Kaito was making excuses. Sue him.
"If I hadn't had my glider hidden in a storage hold just in case, I would have been charcoal-grilled at this point!"
[Quit whining, this is you we're talking about. I thought you'd be prepared for such a case. Consider yourself out of my debt.]
"HELL YEAH, I AM!"
[Don't forget to drop off the phone back at the Agency.] Then Conan cut him off without a word of thanks, much to the thief's annoyance.
'That little brat…' Kaito had his teeth gritted, "Consider yourself in my debt, Meitantei."
. . .
One week later. By the time Conan got home from school, he found a peculiar care package on the front door of the agency. It was assigned to Occhan, but there were several inconsistencies. The packaging came from a sake company from Nagoya, but this particular brand doesn't have a branch there. The sender was signed by a person named, "KIDOU TAKI." Moreover, the fee had been a total of 5,015.71 yen, which was weird since the Japanese currency doesn't use decimals.
5,015.71
5-0-1-5-7-1
Go-rei-ai-go-na-i
Kore aiko nai
Kore de aiko janai ze!
We're not even with this!
"He's still hung up on that?" Conan deadpanned, but it didn't take long before the twitch of a smile crept up on his face. The thief's invaluable part in fulfilling his role will always put him in a good mood, and the reminder is further proof that everyone came out alive.
With Kogorō being at the office, he picked up the package and opened it in the privacy of their home. There was an actual wine inside, but at the bottom was a white box that should hold Shinichi's Phone. 'Ran has been a bit stressed having not heard of me for a week. I should call her tonight.'
His Conan Phone rang from an incoming message. He promptly checked to find it from an unknown email. He gagged at having read the sender; luckythief2141
Lucky Thief:
As promised, I have returned your phone to your hands, Tantei-kun3
~ ( ^‿ ರೃ)
Conan's one eye twitched at the obvious sender but resigned himself to whatever insanity the thief will drag him into.
Tantei Leaguer:
Took you long enough and don't talk like you've stolen my phone
Lucky Thief:
I have no idea what you're talking about. This is how I usually talk
Tantei Leaguer:
Even in disguise I wouldn't believe you
Btw, did you get the number from the phone I lent you?
Lucky Thief:
I did. Why?
Tantei Leaguer:
That's my cousin's phone number
Next time you're met with trouble
Instead of using his name or send vague notice, tell him straight when you're in over your head
Lucky Thief:
Cousin?
Oh
OH!
SERIOUSLY?!
Tantei Leaguer:
Don't get excited
It's for emergency use only
Mess around too much and I'll track your email back to your identity
Lucky Thief:
Ha! As if anyone can track down my phone
Tantei Leaguer:
You want to challenge Prof Agasa on that?
Lucky Thief:
∑(O_O;) Hold that thought
Conan looked down at the conversation on his phone he's having with an infamous thief, feeling all the more surreal for casually contacting a wanted criminal in the middle of the day as if it's the most normal thing. 'My life gets weirder and weirder over time.'
Lucky Thief:
Does this make us mail buddies? (((*°▽°*)八(*°▽°*)))
Tantei Leaguer:
Absolutely not
Lucky Thief:
I'm gonna take that as a yes
Tantei Leaguer:
We are NOT buddies
Lucky Thief:
But your eyes says otherwise ( * ω * )
Tantei Leaguer:
We are texting
You're watching me aren't you?
Dammit K, I just clean up the last bug
Lucky Thief:
Don't worry, my pretties are polite enough to watch from afar
Conan read his text in confusion before he glanced out the window, spotting a white bird perching on the telephone line. A perfect spot for a camera-wearing-dove to spy on his person. Conan sighed before he went to the kitchen to dig out some snacks appropriate for an overworking bird.
Lucky Thief:
Wait, what do you mean you clean up the last bug?
How many bugs have you got rid of?
Tantei Leaguer:
You have no idea how many
You were annoying enough whenever the Old Man gave you a job
But then the guy downstairs had to join the bandwagon
And every time I get rid of one, another one keeps popping out
Lucky Thief:
Guy downstairs?
Sjfkshsvdjsbakkmsfnaskbfuas
Tantei Leaguer:
K?
Lucky Thief:
WTF THAT'S THE GUY ON THE TRAIN?!
WHY IS HE WORKING DOWNSTAIRS?!
Tantei Leaguer:
You see what I'm going through?
Lucky Thief:
I do not envy you, tantei-kun (|||￣ ￣)
That's worse than having a "great" detective transfer into the same class of a thief he's trying to catch
Hypothetically speaking of course
Tantei Leaguer:
So you're not mad about the explosion anymore?
Lucky Thief:
This and that are two different things
I already escaped two explosions because of you
Don't turn it into a third
Tantei Leaguer:
No promises
Lucky Thief:
(╬ Ò﹏Ó)
After chopping the bread to pieces, Conan went up on the Agency's roof. The dove was right across from him, so it'll make a good vantage point to offer the bird. As predicted, the dove swooped down with eagerness to the railing to nip on the snack by his side. Conan checked her legs and noticed the familiar wound that could have come from a gunshot.
"So you're the bird from that time." Conan brightened at having met the bird again, softly petting her while the dove cooed. "It's good to see you doing great!"
His phone buzzed again, and Conan checked.
Lucky Thief:
[Photo: Tantei-kun rare niko niko face]
Oh, what's this?
What a great smiley face you have (⌒▽⌒)
Conan didn't reply. He eyed the camera tied around the bird's leg. Pull it off from the dove. Threw it up a few times on his hands before letting the other side have a good view of him powering up his shoe.
Lucky Thief:
Eto~ tantei-kun? What are you doing?
Tantei Leaguer:
Pretending the camera is you
Conan threw the camera high up in the air before giving a good straight kick, sending it flying into the horizon. The camera never reached its destination before it fell into pieces.
KID stopped messaging him afterward.
"Guess, it's just you and me," Conan cooed at the bird and basically spoiled her rotten the rest of the day.
. . .
On the night of the crescent moon
I shall take the Blush Mermaid from the back of the mighty Sea God at 8 P.M.
I will back off only if the shy lady rejects my invite
Kaitou KID
P.S.
Please search the premises thoroughly for any unwanted surprises.
It is uncivil to drag an unsuspecting thief like me to a violent rendezvous.
"It's what the KID Card was written this time," Sonoko said as she showed both Ran and the four-eyed brat her beloved KID-sama's next heist notice.
Ran, as usual, simply let her best friend gush about the thief. Thieving isn't something she condones, but Ran cares more about Sonoko's happiness than the act of harmless burglary.
Conan kept his face passive as long as he could before fishing out his phone from the girls' back. It was an impulsive and reckless action to make. But at that point, he was already irritated to not think of the consequences.
Tantei Leaguer:
Are you trying to pick a fight?
Lucky Thief:
What are you talking about? I have no clue ┐(￣ヮ￣)┌
Tantei Leaguer:
Your postscript
You know full well there isn't going to be another one
Lucky Thief:
Well how should I know?! Apparently fireworks are a thing with you involved
Tantei Leaguer:
It's not like I set up the damn thing
Get over it
Lucky Thief:
Don't want to (҂ `з´ )
I'll nag about it even after taking the shy little mermaid out
Tantei Leaguer:
Ha! She'll dump your butt out before you even get the chance
Lucky Thief:
Ho… bold words tantei-kun. I like to see you try
Tantei Leaguer:
I'm ready when you are
The heist that night had been as flashy as ever despite being indoors. Conan had mostly been involved with outdoor events after all, so he wasn't sure if the thief could fool him as easily. Especially with another high school detective coming around this time.
So of course he aimed for her, Conan should have known.
Shinichi has always had the intention to let the thief go for his part from the Mystery Train. Him, not stealing, just became another incentive to go easy on KID.
On the other hand, Kaito was miffed. Just when he thought he managed to deceive the little detective this time. Turns out he made a critical mistake in his disguise.
Kaito was even half expecting a message from the little detective.
Tantei Leaguer:
My condolence to your face
Lucky Thief:
You laugh. Don't lie
Why was she in the guy's bathroom in the first place?!
Tantei Leaguer:
Apparently, the girl's side was crowded
Also, yes, I did laugh
But I also felt remorse since I'm pretty sure she didn't hold back
But to be fair, you kinda deserve it
Lucky Thief:
I hate you, Meitantei
Conan didn't deign him a reply. Not when the slip showed that he got under the thief's skin, making the detective snicker. Conan supposedly could let him off easy for today since KID will be too busy licking his wounds.
. . .
"EH?! A murder case? Here? Is that for real Yuzuki-san?" Kaito asked the bartender of the pool bar, Blue Parrot.
The young lady nodded, "Actually the last few days, I keep hearing a popped cork when there's no champagne or wine bottle from the customers and the smell of Yuzu. Who would have thought that it was from a trick the murderer used to hide the weapon here."
Kaito's face paled at the thought of a murder weapon stuck around without no one ever the wiser.
"However if there was something troubling at work, you could have consulted with me." Jii expressed his concern That one of his employees was involved in a murder.
"I'm sorry, Owner. But it only ever happens during my shift, and I wanted to make sure first that it wasn't anything serious. It's a good thing I hired the famous 'Sleeping Kogorō' for this request."
Kaito and Jii flinched at the familiar name.
"He solved the case before closing time just like that," Yuzuki snapped her finger. "Though it was weird that he doesn't even remember his own deduction after it was over. But I guess geniuses have their own eccentricity to handle."
"Neh, Yuzuki-san," Kaito almost didn't want to ask the obvious, "Could it be… there was a little boy poking around the crime scene beside Mouri-tantei?"
"Oh, you mean Conan-kun?"
' 'You really were here?!' ' Both Jii and Kaito thought in panic. Just the thought of their most difficult foe within their safe place and missing each other cannot be anything but a giant stroke of good luck.
"That boy is really bright! He remembered the conversation between the suspects when he was only here by chance. Then before the police came, he asked much more detailed questioning than Mouri-san. And he noticed even the smallest detail even if it was insignificant at a glance. He'll grow up into a fine detective one day, I'm sure."
'Oh, I am fully aware, Yuzuki-san.' It is that very eye for details that become the foil to Kaito's disguise time and time again.
The lovely bartender went to the back for her break, leaving Kaito and Jii by the table.
"It would seem we've owed him another debt."
"Keh, what debt? All he did was do us a favor without his knowledge."
"But we know. Had the police kept investigating, who knows if they'd find anything… incriminating." While there are all sorts of hidden contraptions, it would only take one keen fellow to have everything they've built flushed down the toilet.
"And he owes me. Being let off twice isn't worth getting exploded." Yes, Kaito was still miffed about that.
"If you say so, Bocchama."
. . .
"Ojiisan, what's this?" Conan pointed at the opened gift box left unattended on the table.
"A gift from the owner of the pool bar I went to last time. Apparently, it's for taking care of his employee and swiftly solving the case from his shop without a preamble." Kogorō clicked his tongue, "I thought it would be a fine alcohol or some kind, but it turned out to be a book."
"Hmm..." Conan pried the half-opened package. Examined the item inside before having a brightly lit face. "No way! Isn't this the newest Detective Samonji novel, Intent to Kill?! It was already sold out everywhere by the time I wanted to buy it."
'Since I was so caught up by a false murder case with the Detective Boys,' Conan thought with embarrassment. "Ojiisan, can I have it? Please~ "
"Take it. Take it," Kogorō waved his hand like he'd just had Conan get rid of something annoying. "Tsk, what a joke. Just because I'm a detective, doesn't mean I like anything mystery–"
"Thanks, Ojiisan! Bye!" Conan left the office to their home upstairs before Occhan could go off tangent. Humming all the way like a kid with his newest toy at hand.
Shinichi's luck turned for the better, making it a very good day indeed.
. . .
'Should I or shouldn't I? Well, no. The answer is a definite shouldn't. The question should be whether to text or not to text?'
Kaito was staring down at the email contact on his phone; tantei_leaguer. Sending him that first message had been an impulsive decision he took simply to mess with the little detective, but sending him any more is just flirting with danger.
Maybe that's why Kaito couldn't resist.
I'm bored — and send.
'Geh, I sent it!' Kaito jumped from his own writing then looked at the clock in his classroom. It's only the afternoon, so the brat should still be in school. Kaito breathed in relief thinking he doesn't have to worry over Tantei-kun's reply any time soon.
The magician tried to keep his mind occupied during the algebra lecture that Kaito had long ago grasped on. Math is so much more interesting when Kaito had been calculating the wind speed and trajectory before leaping off a building— his phone suddenly buzzed before checking.
Tantei Leaguer:
Didn't I say if you mess around too much I'll track down your phone?
'That's such a Meitantei-like reply.' Kaito snickered.
Lucky Thief:
That's for your cousin's phone
Yours is fair game
Also, I'm bored ( `ε´ )
Tantei Leaguer:
So you contact the guy trying to catch you
You have a serious problem
Lucky Thief:
Ha! I don't have problems
I am the problem! I thought that was obvious
And unlike certain detectives, you don't have a stick up your ass
Tantei Leaguer:
Thank you?
Lucky Thief:
Aren't you bored as well? I don't think someone with your intellect would find first-grade education to be engaging
Tantei Leaguer:
You have no idea
At least if I was with Ran I could stare at her all day long without getting bored
Lucky Thief:
That is equally as romantic as it is creepy (￢_￢;)
Tantei Leaguer:
Leave me be
Lucky Thief:
Between first grade and me, I'm the lesser of two evils
At Teitan Elementary School, Conan was pretending to read while shelving his phone between the pages. He frowned at the jab that hit too close to home.
Tantei Leaguer:
Stop trying to be convincing
Lucky Thief:
You say that but I bet you're just as bored ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
Tantei Leaguer:
No comment
Lucky Thief:
Don't run from the truth! ヽ(￣д￣;)ノ
What is your class doing anyway?
Tantei Leaguer:
Book reading in the library
Oh yeah, now that I think about it this is where my cousin met the first kid
Lucky Thief:
WHATD SKDBFSLKJGH IGKJ D
Conan waited, thinking KID would demand him to explain, but 5 minutes passed and he thought he might have shocked the guy to speechlessness. Not realizing his text made Kaito's outburst disrupt his own math class for the nth time and his phone was confiscated as a result. Kaito was forced to suffer the rest of the school hours on the edge of his seat, waiting until the last bell rang before swiping it.
Conan's class has long since finished and he was enjoying the rare time alone at home before another message came from the thief.
Lucky Thief:
EXPLAIN!
Tantei Leaguer:
Ah, you're back. I thought you went unconscious there
Lucky Thief:
Don't leave me hanging, tantei-kun (＃`Д´)
When the hell did he meet the first kid?
Tantei Leaguer:
Why should I? It feels good being the mystery for once
Oh, and thank you for confirming him
Kaito can already imagine the smug look on that brat's face. So he breathed in, calming himself down before chiding himself for forgetting his poker face. If Conan was going to be a mystery, then Kaito will have to treat him as one and pry the information out of his tiny, tiny hands. But the next message interrupted his thoughts.
Tantei Leaguer:
I'm joking btw, I don't mind sharing
I thought you might appreciate to know compared to you, he's three times crazier
Lucky Thief:
Only three times?
Tantei Leaguer:
Threatened to trap him in the library for life before chucking a knife at him
When he was seven
Lucky Thief:
HE DID WHAT?!
LOL the look on your cousin's face must be hilarious!
Tantei Leaguer:
Arguably his stunt was less dangerous since knife-throwing is a basic skill for your kind
Lucky Thief:
Eeeeyup
I'm sure that was his version of playing around
Tantei Leaguer:
Scared Ran half to death though
His riddle is decent enough, but I have my doubts since it took a first grader to solve most of his code
Lucky Thief:
I never met this cousin of yours, but I doubt he was ever a 'normal' first grader
Btw, You wrote "most" there
Does that mean this know-it-all cousin didn't solve it in the end?
Tantei Leaguer:
...
Shut up
Lucky Thief:
I KNEW IT!
MEITANTEI COULDN'T SOLVE HIS RIDDLE!
*:.｡.THERE IS GOD .｡.:*
Tantei Leaguer:
Only the last part!
Jeez, you're annoying
And it did get solved!
Recently that is
Lucky Thief:
Give me details, tantei-kun!
DETAILS! (」°ロ°)」
Conan smirked as his ever-growing suspicion might be confirmed. The detective doesn't know the exact connection KID has with the first phantom thief; he could either be a copycat fan or someone closely related who idolized him; a magician friend, a disciple, brother, or son. And considering the Phantom Lady might be his mother and the first KID appearing right after her retirement, the likelihood of him being their child is strong.
'A family of thieves, it's so surreal that it sounds like a joke.'
Conan's smile fell as his line of thought continued. Since the first KID disappeared 8 years ago only to be followed by his successor, either the man got injured and had his successor trained to continue his work during that time, or he was forcefully retired.
"So the torch has been reignited." That had been what Shinichi's father had commented. Usually, in cases like this, the saying should be "passed the torch" that alluded to the Ancient Greek's Torch Race, which is an older version of a baton race. The only reason Yusaku would use such phrasing instead because the flame of the torch had "died" before it got the chance to be passed on, but then someone lit the torch anew afterward.
That Shinichi was possibly talking to a child of the first KID who wanted to hear a tale of his father that he lost eight years ago was a sad possibility Conan couldn't dismiss. Also, it was his job as a detective to announce the truth anyway. Whether it'd be to a murderous culprit or a cocky thief, Shinichi has an obligation to share what he knows.
Since it was quite a long story, Conan went up the roof to avoid being heard and hit the call button, and went straight to the story of his past as soon as it connects.
[There was once a rumor of a ghost wearing a hat that creeps around in the school library on the night of the full moon. Me being me, thinks it warranted an investigation and Ran won't leave me alone because she doesn't want me to get eaten. That's how I met my "younger brother" who taught me that the world is deep and full of mysteries—]
AN: Since Conan and KID are using their phones to message each other, they talk in codes just in case someone snoop or hack on them. Even though they probably delete the conversation afterward. Never be too careful with them.
Apologies if my codes and riddles aren't up to standard