Reference to Alexandrite Heist and Luna Memoria Heist
Chapter 11
After the debacle that is KID's heist upon the Green Emperor, the Alexandrite, Conan was having a late breakfast the next day at Cafe Poirot. Ran had karate practice and Kogorō-occhan was still asleep after a late-night mahjong with his friends. The cafe was oddly quiet too despite being on the weekends but it suits Shinichi just fine.
Until a random message came from the annoying one broke that peace.
Lucky Thief:
How the hell did that muscle-brain see through the disguise?!
'He asked this now?' Conan thought while typing the answer. Unlike the past heist, they hadn't had the chance to banter before the thief made his escape. He'd figured KID would be curious in what exposed his usually flawless disguise and acting. The Moonlight Magician takes pride in his craft after all.
Tantei Leaguer:
The ring finger was longer than the index finger
Lucky Thief:
Oh, so there's actually a reason
That's good
Tantei Leaguer:
Good?
Lucky Thief:
I wouldn't be able to live with myself if the reason was the power of love or some sort
Tantei Leaguer:
Apparently the birdie still managed to be just as charming as the harpy
"Obviously," a voice came close from beside, making Conan jump out of his skin. He turned and choked when the detective came across a black-capped young man boldly sitting next to him. "I had to be at my best when going against the greatest mind and greatest security together," said the familiar presumptuous voice.
"You– when did you–?!"
"I just came here. Heard the ham sandwich here is great so…"
"That doesn't mean you can just–" Conan's head whipped to check behind the counter and remembered that Bourbon doesn't have a shift at this hour.
"How mean, Tantei-kun. Do you really think I would come when that dangerous guy is around? I do have some common sense."
"Your common sense has been skewed the moment you decide to galavant in that white suit."
"Point. Ah– ham sandwich and a chocolate milkshake please," he ordered from a part-time waitress.
Conan waited until he was sure nobody was paying them much attention before asking, "So what are you here for?"
"Hmm?"
"Aren't you here for a reason?"
"Yes. And I said it's for the ham sandwich. Do listen when someone answers you, Tantei-kun."
"That can't be your only reason!" Conan hissed.
"Even if there was, do you really think I would answer you?" His hat shadowed his features except for the unmistakable cheeky grin he had.
Conan swore that KID is just asking to get hit most of the time.
Which is not a far-fetched thought, considering Kaito had the most fun at school getting chased by Aoko and her trusty mop. Not that the little detective would know.
"Are you asking to get caught?"
"Do you believe I would be here without any means of escaping?"
"No, but this is still risky play."
"All my plans are risky, Tantei-kun. That's kind of the point of being an underground artist. This is just one of them."
Conan had a large urge to throw his hands up in exasperation but forego that by groaning into his hands, "I can't– I just can't with you–"
Kaito snickered seeing his rival looking so done with the thief. He was a bit proud of giving him such an expression on the mostly infallible great detective. His order arrived and Kaito happily munched on his lunch.
The little detective sat and drank his orange juice, glaring at the thief all the while without lifting a finger to his smartphone. KID is too big of a mystery to let him slip through his fingers after all. And what he's doing is the equivalent of putting 10,000 yen on the floor, even knowing there's a wire on the bill doesn't stop a person from resisting the bait.
"No need to think so hard. Just think of this as a simple outing, Onii-chan~ "
Conan choked on his juice and was coughing out the drink that went the wrong track.
"Oh wait, would 'Aniki' fit you better?"
'I shouldn't have told him that part.' Conan looked up as if asking for patience over all his life choices. "Call me that again, and I'll really call the cops on you. I have Nakamori-keibu on speed dial."
"Ha! You could have captured me without the cops' help. Don't think I don't see you fiddling with that watch in your pocket." Kaito slurped on his milkshake before turning to the detective's side to fully face him. "You have lines as a detective the same way I have as a thief. It's what sets us apart yet often brings us together."
Conan's whole face twitched, mostly because he doesn't want to admit KID being right. "And? Did you come here just to tell me that?"
"Well, if you must know–"
"No, don't tell me. I'll figure it out eventually. No matter how ridiculous."
The magician grinned at the answer, 'I knew you would say that.' But Kaito doubted he'd ever consider "getting to know your archrival" to be in the list of reasons the tiny detective would come up in his head. Truthfully, Kaito has his misgiving in having a casual meeting with the Great Detective. Jii-chan doesn't know because there would have been a heap of lectures in exchange.
Honestly, Kaito doesn't have a legitimate reason other than just because.
Well… no… there's one thing that keeps nibbling his mind, "You're a curious person, Meitantei."
Conan cocked his head to the side, wondering what KID might insinuate.
Kaito made it his job to be able to read his audience and be the smartest person in the room. To know their hearts, deceiving them into believing magic, and predict their next line of thought. Sure, when he was a greenhorn, even Inspector Nakamori once managed to get the jump on him. (Just once though!) But currently, Kaito can count with one hand the number of people who could evenly match with Kaitou KID.
So it's a huge dent to his ego that it's getting harder to read Meitantei the more Kaito got to know him.
A person who has no problem letting go of an internationally wanted criminal but would mercilessly try to capture him if KID gives him an inch. Just when Kaito figured they have an understanding, a soccer ball sailed right before KID escaped from getting bashed in (It broke a pillar in half for Pete's sake! ).
The thief had never been grateful that his policy involved returning the gem. Otherwise, Tantei-kun might have kicked more of his hell ball his way.
Over time, the line between them gets thinner and twisted that Kaito couldn't have untangled it without knowing the other end. It becomes a point of frustration for him. Many times, Kaito had aggravatedly ruffled his hair, mucking up his bird's nest and the constant banging of his head every single time he thought back of the Great Detective.
The two of them are their fiercest rivals, but also their most reliable ally.
They aren't friends. Friends don't try to arrest the other, or at least know his real name.
But enemies don't save each other either, not to mention implicitly trusting each other. It's illogical and ridiculous. Kaito loves that about them, but it also grates on his sanity because… you know… feelings.
'Just what the hell are they?'
Inspector Nakamori is his childhood best friend's father and Hakuba is his classmate. Meitantei doesn't have anything to do with Kaito. He's not supposed to care!
In the past, this wouldn't have been a problem. But after the last heist, the young magician realized he had gotten complacent. If he leaves it be, then KID might just let his guard down long enough to get arrested.
So what better way to test the tiny detective's boundary than by prodding on it? If Meitantei freaked out because of him... well... that's just a bonus. The little prick deserves a taste of his suffering.
"I do have one question for you, Tantei-kun."
"Hmm, what is it?"
"Why do you try to catch me?"
Predictably, Conan narrowed his eyes in half-deadpanned as if KID had said something stupid. "Ha?! Isn't that obvious? There's no way I'll let anyone get away with a crime right before my eyes. You, of all people, know that."
"Hmm, that's not wrong. But it's not like you consider me the same way as your lot of murderers. I've seen how you capture those people, you're awfully lenient with me."
"Leave me be," the detective huffed and would have looked away if the thief hadn't forced his face close up enough into his personal space to the point that KID was looming over him. Conan found himself looking directly into a pair of intense indigo eyes, only slightly darker shades than Ran's. The thief grinned widely enough to catch a glimpse of his canines and it sent ahiver down the detective's spine. Conan felt a bit cornered despite in his own turf.
"So enlightened me with the truth, Meitantei. What could you possibly have to gain by capturing a thief you don't plan on arresting?"
Conan glared, not intimidated by his act, "Then how about I throw that question back to you, what could you possibly have to gain by risking your life while searching for a gem you don't even know exists?"
Surprise, Kaito flinched back and gave Conan a wide berth to the boy's relief. The young man knew Tantei-kun had suspected his reason for becoming Kaitou KID. Heck, Kaito hadn't exactly made it a big secret either, but having it pointed out to his face never fails to make his heart jump to his throat.
"What, what do you mean?"
"Don't play dumb. It's unbecoming of you, KID-san. It's plainly evident that you have a purpose you need to fulfill. I don't think I need to explain how I know, only that you're willing to stake your life by becoming a thief."
Meitantei's usual droopy gaze became round, looking far straightforward, calm, and nauseatingly understanding. "I know you don't steal simply for the heck of it, KID-san, but I won't let you keep committing more crimes on my watch. I'll find your reason and unveil your identity. You can count on that."
'I'll free you from your shackles.' His determined yet merciful eyes seemed to say.
Kaito's chest squeezed at the dangerous emotion gripping inside him, 'This… this is why... of all people trying to deduce my identity, only you have managed to deduce my heart, Meitantei.'
It felt liberating to be seen who he is instead of the lens of an international thief, but also made him dangerously vulnerable, Kaito began to sharply remember Jii-chan words:
"Be careful, Bocchama. If you get swept up by that child's nature, you'll only get yourself caught."
'I think… I think I finally understand, Jii-chan. Because if it's Meitantei, I can trust him to capture me and find the truth I've been searching for. Alas, I need Kaitou KID to remain a mystery. For Aoko's sake, Jii-chan, and Pops.'
But a part of Kaito still betrayingly looks forward to Meitantei reaching the end of that mystery.
And Kaito can finally see it. There's no doubt Meitantei will always try to find the truth behind the poker face he hides behind, regardless of the kind of amicable relationship they have. But there is a sort of patience in his handling of Kaitou KID. As if he was waiting for all the puzzle pieces to fall in his lap without rushing away toward the end of their game. To enjoy the mystery while he still has a hold on him.
Possibly for that reason, Kaito did not fear him. For any other critic, there's no way for the magician to boldly show himself in public, on an ordinary day, outside of his heist.
But even if Meitantei figured his identity, Kaito could entrust his life to him.
They've come a long way not to.
. . .
'That was close~!'
Kaito almost jumped when the Subaru guy whipped his head exactly where KID was hiding to collect his newest disguise pics.
"Well, this guy was somehow involved with that train incident, so he's definitely not a normal person." Adrenaline junkie, he may be, Kaito would not risk disguising as someone already in disguise. At a glance, he doesn't seem to be using a mask, but needing to mask his voice means he's at least deceiving people of his identity.
"But using his face just once should be okay. If I avoid Tantei-kun, who probably knew his identity, then I'm most likely safe. The guy did say he wasn't interested in thieves." Then the professor and his two shrunken brats came out so Kaito took a picture of him too. He went to do the same for all of Meitantei's crew and Nakamori before having a list of people Kaito could use at the challenge given to open the trick box made by Kichiemon Samizu, Mokujin.
'Yosh~ with all my collections sorted, let's pick our lucky winner! Eenie– meenie– miney–' KID opened his eyes and grinned at his next prey.
"YOU!"
. . .
"You took forever in the bathroom, Agasa-hakase."
"Sorry, my stomach hasn't been feeling well." KID apologized, "Maybe I caught Mouri-kun's cold?" He tried to shift the attention to the third-rate detective as he magnificently displayed the reason why you couldn't simply steal the box from the table.
Kaito very much likes to challenge the Samizu-like safety mechanisms as well as cracking the mini Iron Tanuki box. But KID's job today is to bring the gem and its companion treasure into the hands of their true owner so he joined the others in searching the instruction paper from the thousand of books.
Kaito may know the inside of the trick box, but the husband hadn't clued in on the young man where and how he hid that small piece of paper.
"Even if he does come, the anti-theft mechanism and the trick box prevent him from taking the moonstone." He heard the small lady snidely comment, "Not even the pretentious thief would even be able to manage."
Kaitou KID listened to their conversation and wolfishly grinned at the challenging words the little lady unknowingly threw at his way, 'Are you sure about that?'
As always, Tantei-kun never fails to give Kaito the shivers as the detective flipped out from almost being caught staring, blue eyes intense as his unusual animalistic instinct raised his hackles.
'Let our game begin!'
. . .
Conan's heart suddenly pounded and goosebumps crawled up his arms. His instinct practically screamed at the thief's arrival. That man's gaze seemed to burn at the back of his head as he announced his presence that seemed to encompass the whole room.
"Who are you disguising this time, Kaitou KID?"
Kogorō-occhan hasn't been coughing ever since he came back from the bathroom. 'That can be seen as his medicine taking effect. KID would have kept up the coughing, but I shouldn't discount him yet,'
Akai-san seemed more interested in his surroundings than the book. 'Which isn't strange behavior coming from a former undercover FBI Investigator, and he'd technically be more focused on guarding Haibara'
The Professor spent too long in the bathroom. 'Nothing strange about that, and I can't use that point to prove he's KID. He's also sweating, but after last time, I would expect he'd spray water on himself to disguise that.'
Ran and Sonoko were people that KID had disguised before. 'KID would have avoided making an unnecessary action that would make him stand out. Unless his next trick involves any makeup then Sonoko is out. Ran is… err.. well… let's just say she's currently hard to be disguised as.'
"Pervert," Haibara commented with her usual glare.
"Sorry for being a pervert!" He blushingly replied. 'I hope I'm right and wasn't eyeing KID. I will never live it down if he is.'
Conan wondered if the sensitive Haibara would notice KID's presence among their present company, but she seemed even more clueless than him. Well, Conan should have known better than to expect her to sense the thief the same way she would with the Black Syndicate's members. That would have been concerning for so many reasons.
"Aside from him," Haibara side-eyed the disguised Akai-san, "couldn't he be anybody? He's the only one who's been in this room the whole time."
'No, it's possible that he's been disguised as Okiya Subaru from the start and snuck in that way… Damn it, everyone's starting to look suspicious!'
Conan closed his eyes and breathed in, trying to calm his tumultuous mind to set the clues apart, 'Calm down me, you're being hasty. Akai-san had come while smelling like miso and mirin that Tomoyose-san correctly deduced he had cooked nikujaga today. Even for KID, he'd have difficulty replicating a smell he couldn't predict.'
The Madam then started talking about the exchange diary she and her husband traded during their time as students in the hope to provide a clue to the missing instruction paper. Not realizing it had provided the last piece of the puzzle, the detective needed to understand everything; from the true content of the trick box, where the paper is, and who KID ended up disguising.
. . .
'Oh, that delighted cheeky face. It looks like you've also figured it out, Meitantei.' KID, who had been watching Tantei-kun from the corner of his eyes, had a matching smile. The smile they always seemed to share whenever they had the same train of thoughts.
'Usually, I would be looking forward to fooling you with my magic and disguise. But for this, I'll be relying on your deduction to point out the key for the madam's treasure… since she's waited long enough to open that box.'
The tiny detective began explaining the only way a child could to his audience was how the paper could disappear from between the pages. The thief no longer has to worry about them not finding the instruction before deciding it was time for his next trick.
But even after the kaitou sent a KID Card for having taken the box's contents, Kimika Tomoyose was adamant to open the box to attain the only treasure with only real value to her alone.
Meanwhile, Conan pulled Akai's sleeves so he would crouch down to his level. "Neh, Akai-san. Can you tell me the reason why you suddenly decided to come?" Conan whispered into his ear.
"Ah, that's because our mutual friend had taken something he's not supposed to."
Conan tilted his head, confused before Akai pointed at himself.
"Geh, he took your face?!"
"Indeed. One that perhaps exposes the voice changer too. If possible, I would like to keep my face from any media, even if it's from an uncatchable phantom thief like himself."
"He's not uncatchable," Conan grumbled before his face brightening, "Want to corner him together? I bet Subaru-san knows who he is by now."
"That sounds fun," Akai agreed as the two watched Professor "Agasa" excuse himself to the toilet. He must be off to ponder his escape since Senior Advisor Suzuki is preventing anyone inside from leaving without at least a body check.
Akai had been grateful for his part in the high-stake operation, and KID being a Japanese thief meant the FBI investigator had little interest or authorization in arresting him. However, after experiencing his heist first hand, Akai begins to understand the strong confidence the boy has in the phantom thief.
The disguise of Agasa was splendid and the accuracy of using his card gun within the dark to trigger the safety mechanism had been admirable. That can only be achieved after having a perfect understanding of the layout of the Suzuki Library.
But most importantly, by the time the heist was done and everyone had gone home, Akai learned that he was a magician thief with a heart of gold as much as he is a mischievous child who tested the boundary of what's right and wrong. A fascinating young man indeed. The FBI Investigator commended the boy for having an interesting connection.
'...and one shrouded in mystery too. Such a person would only be irresistible for people like us.'
. . .
Kaito honestly hadn't expected to fool Tantei-kun with an out-of-period folk song he happened to have on his smartphone, but the young man thought he had at least been thorough with the Professor's disguise. Bandages and the height difference? As always, the detective noticed the smallest of details.
'I still have much to learn.'
Of course, Meitantei deserves applause in the end. His deduction has become a part of Kaito's show as much as his magic tricks. As if creating a collaborative show between a detective and a thief where they are both the main characters and the audience for a play made for each other.
"As always, you're such a dramatic softie. If you wanted to lend out a hand, you could have simply pointed out where the instruction is without sneaking around so suspiciously."
"I can't help it, I am the elusive phantom thief. I'd be throwing the dirt on my name if I helped out without lurking in the shadows. Besides, you were there, so there wasn't any part for a magician like me."
"But is it okay not to check?" Conan asked KID, "Aren't you searching for a special gem?"
Kaito smiled, a bit more genuine than he realized while answering Tantei-kun. "Ah, once the husband of the madam had the moonstone pickpocketed, so I stole the gem back for him. It was then I learned the most important content in the box that he hid alongside it; a reward for her sincere love for him."
"I see… so you've already checked it out," Conan said in a matter-of-fact tone. It was interesting seeing the detective switching expressions between the smug face of having seen through his motive, and being irritated that he doesn't have an excuse to chase after the thief while kicking his hell ball.
"Well, I did only come for the challenge. So for now, I'll be taking my leave–" Kaito pushed the door open, but the door kept closed. He did it again and again without the door budging an inch. Kaito felt cold sweat dripping down his back. "Are? It won't open."
"Before you leave," a distinctive voice that only came from a certain tenant of the Kudō's mansion, "Would you mind giving it back, the photos you took of me? I'd be troubled if they got out in any way." His tone was polite, but any man with survival instinct would know he wasn't asking.
KID's instinct also told him if he'd fought the man in any way, he'd be toast.
The thief turned his gaze up at the top of the stall where the detective was chilling. His impish grin says it all, 'I'm not gonna capture you, but HE doesn't have the same qualms as me.'
Kaito grinned nervously, 'Yeah, time for me to bolt!'
The phantom thief made another blackout and was forced to leave his KID smartphone as he made a break for it.
Conan clicked his tongue, "That bastard, he left his smartphone and ran away."
"He should still be in the library, so cornering him wouldn't be hard." Akai picked up the phone, and seeing the photos of all the boy's acquaintances, he began deleting every single one of them. "But you're not going to do that."
"We sort of have an understanding," Conan leaped down and climbed back up the only other locked stall in the bathroom, spotting the unconscious professor being bound, "He doesn't steal anything and I don't chase him afterward. Kind of the least I can do after he saved my life a couple of times."
"Is that a common thing between you two?"
"More than I would like," Conan answered as he began untying the rope and pulled the tape off his mouth, "He's too good of a man to be a thief, but too much of a troublemaker to be left alone."
Akai made a considering hum, "You mention that he's searching for a specific gem, what do you mean by that?"
"I'm not sure. This is only a conjecture of mine, but just as he wore that white suit in order to better hide within the crowd, he is called the Moonlight Magician because his goal required him to be under the moon in order to find the Big Jewel he's after. I don't think he even knows what he's searching for.
"All I realize is that he's desperate for it, searching his target with reckless abandonment as if blindly digging through haystacks for a needle that no one seems to know to exist. He's just like us, in the way we desperately bide our time, putting on a mask every day while lying to those we cared the most until we manage to clear the fog of mystery in order to move forward with our lives."
Akai hadn't been able to see the boy's expression from outside the stall, but judging from his tone, it is likely that he grew sympathetic to the thief's unknown plight. That the small detective wholeheartedly rooted for Kaitou KID to achieve his goal.
'You two get along well,' Akai thought amusingly. He didn't think there would be any other bond in the world that could describe the deep connection between the thief and the detective that those two shared.
Conan then began lightly tapping the old professor's face until he woke up with a snort, "Shi- Shini–"
"Ssshh!" The shrunken teen cut him off, "Subaru-san! Agasa-hakase is okay!"
"What happened?" Professor Agasa asked.
"KID happened."
"Oh… well that was rude of him."
Conan chuckled before the three men left the bathroom and got ready to leave the library, only for Akai to walk the other way.
"Where are you going?"
"I'm going to ask Tomoyose-san for her nikujaga recipe," the man, known as the Silver Bullet and feared by many from the Syndicate, glanced back with a heartened smile that would put anyone at ease, "I'm a bit curious about the taste and it's always interesting to try out new things."
Conan sweatdropped at his easy-going reply, "Akai-san… you're completely hooked with cooking, huh?" It wasn't long after, on his way home to the Agency, that he got a message from a certain phantom thief that was still searching within the Suzuki Library.
Lucky Thief:
Thank you as always for the reference, tantei-kun!
'Ah, he must be talking about what I point out that exposed his disguise,' Conan thought as he wrote his reply. He never really thought of his deduction as a reference before. But for the thief, he must have sounded like the critic he once called him as in their first meeting.
Tantei Leaguer:
Don't want you to make the same mistake
It wouldn't be half as fun otherwise
Lucky Thief:
AAAAAAAAAAWWWWWW~
You DO think my shows are fun („ಡωಡ„)
Tantei Leaguer:
It is fun
I enjoy tearing apart your masquerade no matter how much you try to hide from me
Lucky Thief:
Aaah must be the same joy I felt whenever I escape no matter what traps you set for me (╬ Ò‿Ó)
Tantei Leaguer:
Oh, please... I let you go in half those shows
Lucky Thief:
That just means you're susceptible to my charms ( ¬ω¬ )✧
Tantei Leaguer:
Sleep-talk when you're asleep, K
Btw, I'll leave your phone at the Lost & Found
You should be able to take it without arousing suspicion
Lucky Thief:
Gracious as ever, tantei-kun
Tantei Leaguer:
Oh, and I suggested to your number one fan to keep searching until dawn
So hope you kept a sleeping bag in your bag of tricks
Not like you'll be sleeping anyway
Lucky Thief:
I take it back, you're the devil
A beast born from the bowels of hell who's only job is to torment me to the ends of the earth
Tantei Leaguer:
Think of it as payback for putting hakase to sleep
Be glad I went easy on you
Lucky Thief:
Oh, I'm well aware
Oi, why are there transmitters in my phone? (ಠ_ಠ)
Tantei Leaguer:
Ah, busted
Worth a try
Lucky Thief:
THERE WERE FOUR TRACKERS!
Tantei Leaguer:
Two were dummies anyway and you noticed all of them
Well done
(...Lucky Thief is writing...)
You little sonnova– Kaito's serene smile cracked, eye twitching vigorously at the unfinished message, swearing payback on the little twerp for making fun of him.
OMAKE
Update: guy downstairs is an enemy of my enemy
Lucky Thief:
In terms of D&D, what does that make him?
Tantei Leaguer:
Between lawful neutral and true neutral depending on the day
Lucky Thief:
Good to know you don't have to sleep with two eyes open anymore
But if he's not an enemy, what is he?
Tantei Leaguer:
Need not to know
Lucky Thief:
Seriously? Sounds very James Bond
Tantei Leaguer:
He makes James Bond look cute
Lucky Thief:
Gotcha, avoid his face if possible
As much as Conan likes to keep the thief out of the loop, he didn't want the thief to get high-strung if Amuro-san was ever-present in one of KID's heists in the future. The tiny detective also didn't want him to disguise as the NOC agent even by accident. It's not funny if the Black Men decided to take him out after disguising himself as one of their operatives.