Inside the room sat the scourge of the evening. His suit was rumpled from his time as a lamp decoration, red tie placed on the table. His hairstyle though had somehow managed to keep its shape despite the utter chaos it'd been through mere hours previously.

His face, already a far cry from handsome, turned into a grimace when he registered just who had entered. He sat there, arms on the table, and a glare thrown, one of unfortunately little effect to it's victim.

"You're the one keeping me here?"

She raised an eyebrow, taking her time to cross the room, easing the chair opposite him back and slid in with nary a sound. "Do you honestly think, Detective, that I have the authority to force the police to hold you here?"

"Then why am I here?" His scowl widened. "I can't leave the country. I can't stay in my hotel room. And I'm stuck in an interrogation room like a common criminal."

Dark eyebrows raised in a mocking show of surprise. "What a quaint parallel. So you have truly have no idea what actions of yours could have possibly warranted disapproval? From either the Japanese government or Serena's?"

He gritted his teeth, "Stop condescending me, brat."

She remained unaffected. Seated like a queen even in a chair that was better suited as a throwing utensil than for seating, her arms rested by its sides, one leg crossed over the other.

"Then let me tell you how the reports detailed it." And opened the first of a stack of folders she'd placed on the table when she'd first come in, skimming through several papers. "Firing a gun in the same room as the princess and thereby placing her at risk, firing a gun at a valued companion of a royal, firing a gun at an Inspector and possibly hitting either him or the cat- both of which would have disastrous political consequences, firing a gun in the middle of a crowd twice and possibly inciting panic, and placing the princess in danger, again, by firing a gun in her vicinity."

She looked up, "Any one of these would spark a political incident, but not only did it happen repeatedly, but in various forms. Tell me, detective, are you still wondering why you're here?"

He glared.

Aoko placed the papers down and instead steepled her fingers together. For the first time that evening, no, since he'd met her, Delon bore the full brunt of her attention. Almost unconsciously, he leaned back.

Moments later, self-righteous indignance won over self-preservation. "What I did was as a detective. I was doing my job."

"Oh, and what part of your job included putting the princess in danger, as well as the officer heading the investigation in this country? Or nearly instigating a mob? "

"The princess was never in any danger. I didn't hit the cat or that bumbling idiot. And out of them all, I was the closest to catching Kid. What I did gave us the best chance at catching him until-"

"What you did showed that you have absolutely no situational awareness, Delon." Blue eyes glowed. "Merely attempting it shows an utter disregard for the consequences on a level that is, quite frankly, disturbing. If either had been injured in any way from your schemes, or even the cat, even if you'd bled yourself dry it wouldn't have been enough." She lowered her head. On some the gesture would have seemed submissive, but it reminded him of a bull before it charged.

It immediately brought attention to the eerie hue her eyes had taken on.

"As a detective there are several standards you have to meet, Delon. You meet none of them." She leaned forward. "I won't claim to be the most righteous person, and you're certainly not my problem after you leave this country, but I despise incompetence, especially in professions that can't allow for any.

"I should honestly congratulate you. It's rare for a single person to be such a menace out of sheer ineptitude, though in your case I suppose it's more disregard, and considering the field you're in, they're one in the same." Her tone grew darker as she went on. Delon seemed unmoved, yet an onlooker would have noted the way his muscles locked up, as though wanting to move away but unable to.

"If you can't handle the job, Delon, just quit. We don't need people like you."

Those words seemed to give Delon back his courage. He surged in anger, rising up and slamming his hands on the table. "You're telling me to quit? You think you can stop me? Me, the detective with the most arrests in all of Europe? I'm better than your detectives will ever be."

He reached across the table and grabbed her collar, "You think I'm going to stop just because some highschooler told me to?" He pulled her, sneering as he did, "I won't ever-"

He froze suddenly. Looking down he saw a much smaller hand gripped around his wrist. It removed his hand from her collar. It seemed almost gentle, a paradox with the stunned look on his face. Because rather than his grip weakening, he'd been unable to move. Whatever she had done, he'd been unable to stop her.

[- that part implies she kind of maybe parlayzed him, but a later scene also has to show that she's stronger than him, so it's not a complete surprise chapters later-]

[the white pallor that had overtaken his features]

"Sit down."

Seated once more, he couldn't avert his eyes in time. Even tense as he was, there was little he could do to hide his wince. Only to wince once more at the pain jerking it had caused.

He gritted his teeth. The pain had taken a moment to set in, but the moment she'd let go, rather than intense pressure he'd felt intense pain. There was already a bruise fast forming, and looking at her face, there was a promise of more if he dared to move.

He grimaced, trying his best to hide the pain. And the blow to his pride. But he hadn't been a detective for nothing. When she'd forced him back, she hadn't moved beyond catching his wrist. In other words, the only force she'd exerted was the force she could deal with her hands alone. She hadn't used her shoulders, no external power to force him to let go.

And yet the entire area was red.

Despite what others may have thought, Delon hadn't gotten to his position by being an idiot. "What do you want?"

She looked amused. "So it seems you're not a complete idiot."

He gritted his teeth and ignored the insult. "I'm being kept here against my will, not by you, but you still show up. There's obviously something you want."

"Don't look so suspicious. If anything, you should be grateful that it was only me and not the higher ups. They were very unimpressed with your hell-blazing performance."

"You expect me to believe you were able to stop them?"

He looked at her, the odd light in her eyes and how her mouth crinkled the slightest bit, and he suddenly understood.

"Why? What do you get out of this?"

Because there could be no other explanation. He'd screwed up. He'd finally gone too far for the higher ups to hide underneath the rug and they'd been meaning to get rid of him. His mouth ran dry. There had been a royal personage, and he was leading a case under the banner of a different country in Japanese waters. He'd failed and they'd intended to make him the scapegoat, shove all the blame on him for the heist gone wrong, for failing to protect the jewel. For that idiot Nakamori to succeed where he'd failed.

His career would be ruined. The status and patronage he'd held now nothing but mere ashes when the scandal of the heist published. That why was he'd been held here. They'd intended to lay him on the chopping block to save their own skins. Let people point fingers at the fallen phoenix so no one would laugh at the overconfident Duchy or the incompetent police. Especially since Kid had all but handed it to that half-rate once he'd finished his show.

But instead of them, she was here. He hadn't heard a threat of any of his rewards or honors being revoked. He hadn't been notified of his badge being rendered null. He could only assume it was because someone had stopped it. There was no other explanation.

They had left him to the devil.

"What I get? No, it's not what I get, Delon. You're a loose cannon, one I don't need going off next to a pile of explosives." She looked him in the eye. "You're a danger to society, and rest assured, I take those very seriously."

"Let me put it simply: You've become a problem. So that means I need to get involved before you screw up spectacularly.'

He sneered, "And I'm supposed to believe that you, some random highschooler is going to solve everything? You're going to fix the problem that would've embarrassed two countries and caused an international spectacle?"

She leaned back in her chair. Even a foot shorter than him, there was no doubt who had the most presence in that room. Elbows on the armrests, back straight, it might as well have been a throne. "You're too arrogant when you don't have the qualifications to be."

"Did you not hear me when I said I had the most arrests for any detective in Europe? How many dangerous criminals there were? The number of cold cases I solved? What, you think I had someone else solve them?"

"No, at the very least, you've never stopped that low. If you had, I wouldn't have bothered with this little intervention." She crossed her arms. "Don't look so smug. Your record is nothing short of abysmal, even ignoring the latest incident."

Considering she'd had to speak to the princess and then the Sabrinan Ambassador, as well as have the police, and the bureaucrats politicking behind them, stand down, that was saying something.

She held up the rest of the pile of folders, at least double the size of her textbooks, and the occasional binder. "This is everything. Every case, every incident, every criminal. Most of these are complaints, incidents that have been, to speak metaphorically, shoved under the rug. I don't have all night so let's skim, shall we?"

She rifled through the pages for a certain one, and picked it up, "It looks as though your habit of endangering civilians isn't a new one. Over the last ten years there have been no less than 34 complaints against neglect of the witness, and even outright disregard for their safety."

She glanced up at him, "Considering that at least a third involve some sort of injury to them, even so far as permanent or lethal ones, I'm shocked you managed to get so far into your career."

Delon glared, "My job is to catch criminals, not babysit people who clearly can't take care of themselves."

"Your job is being a detective. Your first goal is protection of civilians. Your second is capturing the criminal. Those are not mutually exclusive. Any officer who can't do both doesn't have the qualification to wear that badge."

"That's ridiculous. I-"

"You aren't the one who decides." She reminded. "I am."

She must have seen a change in his face as she continued, "Don't forget the gravity of this situation, Delon. There were two career destroying moments within your first ten minutes of arrival. And that wasn't even counting the repeated endangering of the princess' life by shooting a gun while in the same room as her, in a room obscured by Kid no less-"

"That wasn't- I can't be blamed for that. Kid always makes sure people don't get hurt. There's no way the princess was in danger."

"Protecting civilians is the duty of the police, not a criminal. The sheer irony of a detective relying on a criminal to protect a civilian renders me speechless. And even if he was looking after the princess, you were the one putting her in danger by shooting your gun." She narrowed her eyes, "And one more thing, do not interrupt me." He stubbornly kept silent.

"Are we clear?" Both kept their eyes on each other, almost like a staring contest, if one disregarded the clear animosity.

He glared, jaw tensing and eyes narrowing as he eyed her. There was anger there, fury even, and it perhaps only a push or two needed to cross the line/drive him over the edge and threaten, or attempt, violence. Her eyes stayed on him regardless. Finally, slowly, almost imperceptibly, he lowered his head.

She nodded in turn, "Regardless of your biases, I will admit that this heist was rather nontraditional," as though any Kid heist was, "I will acknowledge the factors that involved Nakamori-keibu's retrieval of the stone as… unique."

She held up a hand to stop his triumphant smile, "However, that will be a matter for the MPD to decide. How they want to proceed with this issue is entirely up to them." With the wild goose chase that most of the heist had consisted of, there was no doubt that the higher ups would want to play every advantage they had, even if it was one that was highly fictionalized and overly exaggerated.

In short, the police would be doing everything they could to ensure the story sent out by the news detailed the extraordinary efforts the oaf had put into chasing Kid, and how Kid, at long last, tired and facing a metaphorical cliff, had no choice but to acknowledge the determined detective as his mortal nemesis and conceded victory to escape. And naturally, they would be even more enthusiastic to compare the efforts, and victory, of their own officer to the bumbling foreign detective who had so enthusiastically challenged the thief only to be rendered useless. He scowled.

"You, on the other hand, will be dealt with by me." There was something in the way her eyes glittered as they landed on him that made him wonder if the higher ups would have been preferable.

But he refused to fear a child, "Meaning what? You're going to be the one to punish me? Don't make me laugh, kid. You-"

"Do you want to be punished by the MPD instead? The government of Japan? The Duchy of Sabrina? Your own country?" They were delivered calmly, but with an undercurrent of threat that made clear she would carry out her words.

He closed his mouth, jaw twitching slightly but he forced it down. Fists clenched before he sneered, "Please, tell me what you have planned instead."

She didn't look phased by his behavior. Then again, other than the flashes of warning in her eyes he'd yet to see her look anything but indifferent. "Understandable, detective. Facing a condemnation from either would destroy your credibility. All you've worked for for decades would be worthless. And you'd be a laughingstock." As if he hadn't realized that already.

"Quite the stumbling block for you, isn't it?" She asked casually. "Difficult to get recruited when you've made enemies out of governments you're supposed to be working with."

He froze. There was no way. She couldn't know. He hadn't said anything to anyone. How could she possibly-

"Interpol wouldn't want you."

Where ice had once been in his veins there was only fire. In an instant, he'd shot up, hands banging on the table loud enough for it to echo throughout the room. One hand reached out to grab her collar.

"How the hell do you know that?" His words were snarled rather than said.

In spite of it all, however, she remained unmoved. Where he was all force, form shaking, the bang still vibrating on the table, and wild eyes, she was still. She hadn't so much as flinched when he grabbed her, nor at the sudden thunder. She raised her hand, only this time, she didn't remove it from her collar. Instead, she held it up, a clear sign to pause.

Confusion lessened some of his rage, as it was despite her eyes staying on him, he couldn't help but feel she wasn't who he was talking to. A moment later, he realized she was most likely speaking to the officers behind the… there was no mirror. Waiting outside, then. Or somewhere they see could enough of what was going on to be alarmed but where he couldn't see them.

Her eyes never moved so he couldn't tell where they were. Either that, or she was smart enough not to take her eyes off of the closest threat. He still held her collar in one hand, and the force had dragged her forward.

"I've done my research. A young boy in an orphanage, lost his parents to a opportunist criminal. Became determined to go along the police route. Top grades in the academy, top of his graduating class. Considered one of the most promising of the generation. Sound familiar?"

His jaw clenched, "You looked me up. You-"

"Don't try for moral indignity, Delon. It doesn't suit either of us." His hand remained on her collar though she didn't seem to care. Strong, and arrogant. "What I'm more interested in is your record. The boy in Milan. The woman in Lisbon. The hostage in Budapest. The man in Dublin. The twins in Miami."

He frowned, loosening his hold on her collar almost unconsciously as his mind focused on her words. They were familiar but nothing came to mind. There was something though, something that said it was important but he couldn't figure out what.

"All of them rather interesting cases, Delon." She looked up at him. It was almost cat-like, that motion and those eyes, intense and eerie. "Have you realized the common denominator?"

Both hands had now made their way to his side, but he still stood. It was an effort to have some measure of power over her, though from her reaction, or lack thereof,, he couldn't tell how successful it was.

Then he thought of grey eyes. A small child with grey eyes and a hopeful look.

"They died."

He was sure of it. The boy had died. He'd seen the bullet go through his skull. He'd felt the pulse disappear. "But what do they have to do with this? Why are they important?"

She raised an eyebrow. "I'm sure their families would find that very important. Each of those people was a person you encountered in your case, Delon. Someone whose life was directly impacted, often negatively, because of you." She paused for a moment, the silence only emphasizing her next words.

"They died because of you."

He scowled at her, "What, you think just because I was on that case, they died? I-"

"The twins were hostages you failed to save. A ransom wasn't it? You weren't even supposed to have that job."

"They weren't the ones kidnapped. They were just the siblings. How were we supposed to care for them if the other kid was the clear target?"

"Is that your excuse? Very well, what about the woman? A victim of the Seven Day Serial Killer. You managed to find the location in 5 days, and yet you waited two more."

"I needed him to fall into the trap, otherwise he would've just escaped aga-"

"And so she died. Forensics reports dated her estimated time of death to only three hours before you captured him. You could have saved her."

"My job is to catch the criminal." He gritted out. "Not to play babysitter for the public."

"And yet you've failed at even that." Blue eyes pierced through him. "You didn't so much as touch the jewel, let alone Kid's person while you were chasing him."

That he wouldn't allow, "I was the one who was the closest to catching him. He was right in front of me. I was the one who figured out his scheme. I was the one who backed him into a corner and you-"

"And you ended up hanging from a streetlight like a Christmas decoration," she finished. "Nobody cares about how close you were, Delon. You didn't succeed. And not only that, you made a mess."

To an outside observer their positions would have looked odd. The large blonde man, tall and imposing before a seated teenage girl. He was glaring, full of bluster and force. It seemed that even now an echo of the force of his blows, his voice, his presence rung over the room.

And then there was her. The opposite of him, taking up much less space in their little room. Where he was all force, she was still. Unmoving, untouched. For all his ardor, the vitriol behind his actions seemed to dissipate as it neared her. He loomed over her, so far above she had to extend her neck to look up at him.

So why was it that he was the one who seemed to teeter?

"You almost caused an international incident, Delon. Not Kid. You." Blue eyes looked at him. Looked through him. "You are the problem. A liability. You can't catch criminals. You can't save the victims. You don't have any empathy for the people you're supposed to protect."

"What are you trying to say? Get on with it. Do you think I'm going to pity every person I see? They can't even-"

"Failure."

That word. That one word caused him to freeze. More than anything she had said or done that night, it was that word that struck him down. Bones became brittle and his joints became weak. It felt like someone had placed a great, heavy blanket of lead over his shoulders. He sunk into his chair.

"You failure."

He had no idea what expression he was making, but he felt the twist in his face, the lines on his cheeks and the groves on his chin. He wanted to clench his fists but they felt cold, distant. He could feel his body, the cold of the air, the weight of her gaze that added to the lead casket he'd been placed in. But he felt removed from it, trapped in his own mind and the cage of that word.

"What else should I call you, Delon? Weak? Pathetic? A disappointment. You started from nothing and you'll return to that. You've ruined everything for yourself. What are you then?"

Her words ran over him like ice water. It burned. And it numbed. He couldn't move back, couldn't flinch away from the words so he was forced to recieve them in full. Her words, the sentiments it sprung. They were things he had thought he'd forgotten, desperately tried to shove out, or at least into the deepest part of him.

He was nothing and his future had nothing. The bastard son of a dissolute mother and no father. An orphan before he could fully even remember her, but carrying the weight of his background, or lack of one as he'd grown. From a child to the academy, all the opportunities he'd missed and all the ones he'd clawed his way into. The worry always present in the back of his mind.

A failure. He had nothing and would end up with nothing. No past and no future.

He'd grown overconfident. His senses had become dulled as he'd become used to the spotlight. Become settled in a precarious boat and forgotten the crashing waves around him.

His confidence evaporated. Shoulders slumped, head bowed, and eyes lowered he looked nothing like the man he'd arrived as.

"What do you want?" For the second time that night, he uttered those words. But this time, they were quiet.

"I want nothing. But you've caused a problem and I am resolving it."

"And what are you going to do?" Rather than a provocation it was an honest question. He was well aware there was nothing he could do to restore his status. His mistake had been too big. He'd made an enemy out of both the government of Japan and the Duchy of Sabrina. His actions would cause an international scandal. Even if he hadn't made such a blunder, he was well aware he would be the scapegoat.

"Solve the problem." She considered him, blue eyes burning within and he wondered what she was thinking. "You are rather fortunate that as much of a circus that tonight has been, most of your actions have been held from the general public, so they're satisfied with your embarrassing spectacle. And naturally since the public isn't clamoring over you, the politicians are quite happy shoving this entire debacle under the rug."

"And what does that mean?" Delon asked cautiously, knowing better than to hope. 'Shoving this under the rug' could just as easily mean ensuring he never opened his mouth again.

Rather than answering his question, she continued, "Despite your… antics, you've shown yourself to be rather competent in the field. Your rate of solving cases is far higher than most of your peers." Or maybe they'd make him a detective in Siberia.

And then she looked at him. Her eyes had already been on him, a terrifying metaphysical weight that he couldn't push away, but now it felt like she was burning him from within.

"So I'll offer you a chance, Delon."

When she spoke, there was a gravity to her that made it impossible to look away or ignore her. "This incident will be kept secret, naturally everyone with high enough authority will be able to see it, but it won't be released to the general public. You will be allowed to continue as a detective."

He straightened, eyes widening in disbelief, "You mean there won't be any problems? I can continue working?"

"No," she refuted instantly. "You'll still be solving cases, but this time you'll be under my direct supervision."

"What? What does that even mean?" He leaned back, unable to comprehend what he was hearing.

"It means that you'll be given back your position on a trial basis. If in any instance you act in a way that either I or your case worker deem unethical you'll be removed from detective work and be placed under investigation for your actions. All of them." She paused to let her words sink in.

"Your entire history will be turned over to the international courts. Not only your actions at the heist, everything you've ever done in an official capacity will be investigated and revealed to the public. I'm sure I don't need to explain the consequences that'll cause for you."

He swallowed, "I'd be ruined." It wasn't unsurprising since it was what he'd been expecting for this case, but for his entire history to be revealed… the media would have a field day. There was no possibility for him to remake his career. Nowhere he could work or live without the public's guillotine hanging over him.

"Yes. If you fail, that's the fate you have waiting for you." Her eyes narrowed. "So make sure not to disappoint me."

"You'll have two years to prove yourself. If you succeed, I'll ensure a recommendation from both the Duchy of Sabrina and the Japanese government towards your Interpol application." Delon sat there, struck completely dumb. Because she hadn't merely offered salvation, but practically handed him his dreams. Rather than 'recommendation', to have the support of both countries all but guaranteed acceptance into the one place he'd worked towards since he'd been a child.

Then she stood, for the first time since she'd entered, her actions more than a mere head tilt or isolated movement. She stood over him, looming over him despite being well over a foot shorter. Even when she'd been seated her presence had been undeniable, unaffected by his own actions. But now that she was standing, her presence completely dominated the room.

"Think carefully about how you wish to proceed." She said that as if he had any choice. Either he accepted her bargain or he was ruined.

"What about you?" He asked. The terms were good, too good. He couldn't understand why she would bother helping him. And it had to be that. Whoever was behind her, they wanted him. He just couldn't tell why. If they had the power to immediately take hold of his case and obstruct proper procedure they must have better candidates for spies.

"Consider it a whim." At his outraged look she continued. "It's true there are better options than you. You can say I merely urgently needed one, touched by sentimentality."

"Have you made up your mind?"

"Not like there's much of a choice," he said bitterly. She remained indifferent. A part of him rose in anger at that, but another piece cooled at the lack of fuel for his fire.

"Fine. I agree." He said.

There was no reaction to his surrender. No satisfaction. No happiness. No glint of emotion anywhere and he didn't know whether to find it annoying or disturbing. It was as though she had long since foreseen his answer. Or perhaps she wouldn't have accepted any other.

She didn't do anything in particular, a small nod of acknowledgement at his words at most. But her gaze became even more intense, if that was at all possible. Whatever she was going to say, it was important.

"And you won't get paid, either."

"Good. And realize, Delon, acceeding to this deal means that you will work under my supervision." Her declaration merely reiterated everything she'd just said, but she paused as though letting the information seep in. "You'll be working under my expectations. How you behave on cases, how you solve them, how you interact with coworkers and civilians will be my prerogative. Remember that."

"I get it." He bit out. Her brows raised in a way that made it clear that no, he very clearly did not get it. But she refrained from commenting on it.

"That will be all for now. In the next few hours you'll meet with the Chief Superintendent and he'll take you to meet a group of bureaucrats, the diplomats from Sabrina and several of our own officials. They'll walk you through everything.

"All items and the total conditions will be explained to you there or by your aide, who will be assigned to you and will report to both governments and to me. From there you will report to me after each case. I will brief you before each case and direct you. Times you are to contact me, unless it's an express emergency will be given to you as well.

She stood up, pushing her chair back. "That's the basis of our agreement. You'll learn the finer points later. You have two years to improve yourself."

Blue eyes blazed. "Don't disappoint me." With those words she turned left.

The devil had come to save him.

Becoming Kid had changed much of how he viewed the world. Before Kid, as he was coming to think of his two major eras of life, he looked at things as a teenager. Now, as Kid, when he entered buildings he looked at entrance and exit points, things the blueprints either didn't mention. He was constantly aware of everyone around him. He noticed their faces would make good disguises instead of how easily he could fool them. Little things, that added together, rapidly changed his focus.

Which was why he immediately noticed the small fuss Aoko's appearance caused before she strode into his vision. It caught his attention, even if most of it was focused on the task at hand. It completely shifted, however, when he saw Aoko.

It seemed her talk with Delon was over, at least he assumed so by her satisfied expression. She was still wearing her party dress so he assumed she must have come here directly after parting ways with him.

What he wasn't expecting was for her to stride towards him. It took a considerable amount of self-control not to freeze as she strode towards him. He was in disguise so there was nothing she could want with him. Takeda Saito was a new addition to the Taskforce and had no business with his superior's daughter.

She stopped in front of him, "You, follow me." And turned on her heel and strode out.

He followed her warily. One thing he'd learned very quickly was that there were times he could play the rogue and there were times he needed to shut up and follow her orders. And escaping her would draw unneeded attention from the police station, who most definitely did not need to know of his tendency to wander in after heists. And often times before them.

She lead him down several hallways and past even more officers. They all greeted her in some form or fashion, some more affectionately, and others with a nod. A few raised an eyebrow at his following after her like a puppy but didn't comment.

Finally, she lead him into a small room barely the size of a closet. It was near filled with case files, leaving them with only a few tiles to stand on. She gestured for him to come in, and he did, half of him wondering if she planned to do away with him.

The slight waves of panic brimming in the back of his mind rose significantly when she closed and locked the door, leaning on it to block his exit. She crossed her arms and regarded him with an expression he couldn't quite decipher.

There was no recognition on her face, something he didn't know whether to be thankful for. Her features remained hard, and it was obvious she considered him little more than a stranger.

Aoko leaned back, letting the door bear most of her weight. A flicker of amusement passed through her. If anyone came in, they would see her: fierce, intimidating, and threatening a frail young man. His shoulders were hunched in mock meekness, eyes not daring to meet her own, and wide eyes.

He kept his eyes on the floor. He fidgeted uncomfortably, looking around and practically at everything that wasn't her. He cleared his throat and glanced at her before immediately shifting his gaze. Considering Takeda himself had a spine that might as well have been made of case files, his mimicry was rather impressive.

"A-ano, Nakamori-san," he dared to glance up at her then immediately glanced back down, wringing his hands. "I-er, d-do you need something?". His foot shuffled as he glanced around uneasily. "I don't think we're supposed to, um, be in here."

"You have a lot of daring to come back to police headquarters merely hours after your heist," she said. "Sending warnings of your crimes to the police, performing for the media, having them dance to your tune. I can't tell whether your're insane or just arrogant."

His head shot up and he looked at her in blank surprise before blinking several times. Then he pointed at himself. "M-me? I'm not Kid, Nakamori-san. I-"

"Don't bother. I'm not interested in hearing whatever nonsense you'll come up with." She took a step forward. "Right now I talk and you listen."

"I don't know your intentions for doing this, but you can imagine my surprise tonight." She leaned back against the door again and crossed her arms. "Did you think I wouldn't notice?"

"My father completely changed his strategy regarding you tonight. And he just so happens to get that sudden realization, as well as a heartfelt speech from his sworn enemy, and reclaims the gem his foolish rival failed to get, right before possibly losing his post."

She stepped closer. "Take me for a fool and you will regret it." As if he dared.

"Going off of my father's actions, I assume he must have thought you would make use of the number of people. The higher the count, the better for you. Which is why he kept his men on the outskirts, so you wouldn't be able to disguise as them. Sabrina's forces, on the other hand, were perfect for your schemes: both for disguise, and to cause confusion among the ranks.

"You probably dressed as one of the officers and used it to spread confusion and disrupt orders. Not to mention going around in uniform would have allowed you free reign of the perimeters. Given your notorious skill at disguise, I assume it would have been child's play for you.

"Once you'd disrupted his men, it would have been simple for you to go after the princess. And Delon met you there. Seeing as I found him hanging from a lamppost, it's obvious who won that engagement.

"And then something persuaded you to ridicule Delon and impress on the crowd, and therefore the media, the important role my father played in getting back a gem you practically handed to him. No matter how much I turn it over in my head, I'm at a loss for why you would help him. And right when he was about to be taken off your case." Did he want a man he knew he could outwit in charge of his investigation? Or had he somehow found out in advance who his most likely replacement would be and figured a need to prevent it?

Kid chuckled, it was a low, smooth sound that echoed in their quiet room. His voice had a honeyed quality to it that was almost assuredly assumed. It clashed with the plain, unassuming face of the young officer he wore.

No matter his narcissism, she couldn't deny that his vanity was well deserved. His masks were so well done she would have believed it his real face, and she had a suspicion that if she placed her hand on his face it would feel like real skin too.

She studied him. There was hardly any point given that he was in disguise and his entire facade was just that, but she couldn't help it. Kid was far more complicated than she initially anticipated. Some miniscule part of her, one that had been tainted by Shinichi, was reluctantly amused by his antics, his clear intelligence, and wanted to piece together the puzzle he'd left behind.

That image melted as brown eyes shifted to her with unerring focus. They were still an unassuming, plain shade of brown, but they suddenly were far more intense, more focused, more confident. He straightened, meek posture now loose but vigilant. She had no doubt he'd noted every action she'd made since she'd walked into the police station and he was anticipating dodging an attack from her.

Kid wore mystery like a cloak and illusion like velvet gloves. Solving mysteries was Shinichi's preferred past time not hers, but she had another reason to be interested in the elusive thief.

Kid had managed to bring Kaito to his side. Kaito could be an idiot at the best of times, usually of his own making, but he was a good judge of character. And his moral code wouldn't allow him to entangle himself with just any criminal. Somehow or another this man had convinced him to become an accomplice. If Kaito was working with him, for whatever reason, then she knew there was more to him than his internationally wanted status. If only she knew why they were working together.

"You wound me, Nakamori-san. Can I not do a good deed merely for the sake of it?" His words came easily, no pauses or hesitation she could take advantage of. He was a good liar. And she didn't know him enough to take apart his lies.

"The idea of a thief helping the officer in charge of arresting him is laughable at best." She told him flatly.

"Not so," he smiled at her. It was an infuriating smile. Smooth, charming, and entirely practiced. Though she reluctantly had to admit it was impressive he could manage to pull it off on Takeda's face. "Nakamori-keibu is my favorite officer. It would hardly be remiss of me to aid him when he needs it."

And then he winked at her, "And you, Nakamori-san, are entirely worth the effort."

"Am I supposed to be flattered?"

He laughed, a deep, rich sound that echoed through the file room. "I would be honored if you were, Nakamori-san, and perhaps foolish enough to hope."

It was a true testament of his charisma that she didn't burst out laughing seeing the otherwise unobstructive officer make such grand declarations.

Reading her thoughts, his face turned rather put out. "Are you laughing at me, Nakamori-san?"

"Don't look so bothered. You face the police without any problems."

"Ah, but they are not quite so enrapturing." He waved off.

"Oh really? You're arrogant, someone who enjoys being in the spotlight." She paused. "How odd that you've suddenly developed a taste for an audience when you've been so keen on an efficient getaway before." Her fingers tapped against her arm as she regarded him.

"No," she considered him again. Thoughtful, but it was hard to tell what exactly she was thinking. Other people concealed their emotions to be difficult to read. Aoko simply didn't react to anything. Rarely did a situation pass by her heart before her brain. Hardly anything ever phased or affected her. The last time was back in middle school, when-

Either way, it made her very difficult to read since she merely ran through possibilities.

"You might bask in it, but you know how to make use of it, too. You love the spotlight, and love it all the more for it helping you lose your pursuers."

He merely smiled at her, neither confirming nor denying her assertions. If she were Shinichi it might have put her out, but she hadn't said them to have them confirmed.

"It seems you have me all figured out, Nakamori-san. I wonder," and that smile played over his lips again. "Will you be chasing after me along with your father? Perhaps apply your theories?"

"I see I won't be getting anything but nonsense out of you." She said. Whatever she asked, he'd merely turn it around and twist the conversation elsewhere. There was no point in continuing to chat with him.

"You've helped me twice now. Whatever the reason, I thank you for that. And because of that, I'll let you go this time."

And she'd keep a close eye on him. She wasn't happy with Kaito's decision to aid the thief, but neither did she have the right to interfere. "I suggest, however, that you don't get innocent people involved or I won't be so courteous next time."

If his association with Kid did impede or hurt Kaito in any way she'd make sure he never did another magic trick, let alone a heist.

After she left, Kaito had to refrain from facepalming. He still couldn't stop a groan. Becoming Kid had given him a useful conduit for his magic, and the antics included in that. His love for the stage made it easy to play up his charms. Confidence and charisma came naturally.

But she'd scattered his control. He'd felt jumpy ever since knowing she would be attending the heist. And his initial relief she'd stuck to the sidelines, and realizing she would mobilize her troops afterwards had given him very good reason to drop a speech from above and disappear before she could go after him.

And then she'd walked into the station. He'd known the moment she'd entered. But she'd crushed his bug by the time he assumed she'd found Delon, or at least he assumed so if he believed what she'd warned the man at the party hours before.

What he hadn't expected was her finding him afterwards. The heist was over. Her father was being celebrated by the people, and given the media circus the police definitely wouldn't dismiss him. So he'd expected her to leave.

When she'd dragged him away it was all he could do to keep up his disguise's persona. Takeda was a newbie who by all rights didn't even know who Nakamori Aoko was, or the weight her name had in the police force. He was slightly pudgy, had a round face, an amiable air, and was all around forgettable.

He was not supposed to be flirting with Inspector's daughters. Inspector's daughters who would most certainly skin him if she knew who he was.

He'd said those words before thinking them through and he was lucky she had decided they were nonsense instead of trying to put any deeper meaning in them.

He wasn't surprised she'd figured out so much. Detective work might be Kudo's field, but she had practically grown up surrounded by corpses, seen Kudo Yusaku work first hand, and he could count of one hand the number of cases Kudo had encountered without Aoko.

What was surprising was that she'd told him so much. Unlike him, and certainly unlike her cousin, Aoko had never been interested in glory. She preferred to work from the shadows. Aoko sharing her thoughts were a rare occurrence, preferring to immediately move to orders. And he knew it was purposeful. For her to share so much made it clear she was warning him.

Maybe it was best he'd put his foot in his mouth. She had him mostly figured out: brilliant, attention loving, unique, and his ridiculous performance must have convinced her he wasn't dangerous. But the longer that conversation had drawn out, the more he would have let spill.

'Damn it, Aoko.' He brushed his hair back and pulled off his mask. 'That wasn't fair. How am I supposed to concentrate when you go and do something like that?'

Kid was still new. He was pulling it off with Jii-chan's help but there were more bumps and bumbling steps than he'd allow the Taskforce, or his audience, to know. And if Aoko was around, she would see through him eventually. He was just lucky Kudo hadn't deigned to participate again. He couldn't allow himself to appear in front of her again. Appearing in disguise before her was risky enough, in full costume and he had no doubt she would recognize him instantly.

He opened the door and peaked out hesitantly, deciding it was best to just go home. His post-heist clean up/look over was over anyway, and all there was was paperwork. Time to leave then. And neatly shove away his best friend's blatant threats to deal with tomorrow.


AN: So this chapter is finally completed.

I've received several questions about pacing and plot focus here. Since Aoko is involved with both, she'll definitely play a big part in both Shinichi and Kaito's stories. I plan to only have her involved in something canonically important or something that would best show her characterization/growth, but yes, involving her in Conan's world will take a lot of time. However, I'm not merely redoing canon and there are events her presence will change (like Delon's own case for example) so it will be worth reading into. I am trying to condense the amount of scenes DC takes a role in this, but because there's simply far more source material for him, he will be playing a big role here.

The other reason is because the Magic Kaito manga has yet to release beyond a few volumes. I don't want to go too far and have something that doesn't work with my own characterization/worldbuilding so I'm also kinda just waiting and seeing how Aoyama wants to take it- mostly just wishing he'd freaking end DC so I can figure out how to proceed with MK though.

AN 2: It's been pointed out that the girl on the cover is fem!Shinichi, I'm aware of that, but it's the closest image of how I see Aoko in the DC universe/fanart so I kinda just adapted it to my own purposes.

PS: How's Aoko here? I've been seeing a couple guesses on my characterization of her and this chapter I think portrays her very well. Or at least how she is now.