Hey guys, I'm back with the yearly chapter XD sorry about that lol
It's that time of year again! KaiShin hell :D
As always, I don't own Detective Conan or Magic Kaito!
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Summary: It's KID's next heist two weeks later, and with the promise of it being something special, Shinichi is intrigued by what the elusive phantom thief might have in store for him (and a bit worried). Of course, when it comes to Kaitou KID, nothing ever goes as expected, and Shinichi has to wonder—yet again—why him?
Hakuba and Hattori are also present because detective solidarity and all that.
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Another full moon, another Kaitou KID heist.
"Kudo, you shoulda been at the last heist! We probably woulda caught him for sure, with the two greatest detectives of Japan working together!" Hattori paused in his rant for a second before reluctantly adding, "…And Hakuba too, I guess."
The two were waiting with a crowd outside of the heist building, waiting for the building to officially open.
Shinichi shook his head with a small smile on his face. "What ever happened to the heist before that?"
Hattori spluttered. "Uh, don't you remember he did that weird illusion thing? You were the one that told me about it!"
He raised an eyebrow. "Uh-huh. And you're saying he won't do the same thing to you again?"
And Hattori proudly proclaimed, "Of course not! I'm prepared for anything KID might throw my way, and hey, you didn't get affected last time, so if you can't get affected, I can't be affected."
Shinichi huffed under his breath. But you still got affected! But he didn't dare say it out loud so that he could avoid hurting his best friend's feelings and starting yet another long-winded rant about KID.
It felt weird to Shinichi that he actually knew the truth of what happened at that heist. And it felt weird that Hattori didn't know, considering that he knew all about his Conan-related secrets pretty early on.
He still wondered if his fellow detective had his suspicions about KID, though. At the heist with the Blue Star Sapphire, Hattori had given him a strange look, as if he had recognized an aspect of Shinichi but couldn't really put his finger on how he recognized it. Any more bits like that, and Hattori might actually be able to figure it out.
It's a good thing he didn't have to be KID again anytime soon. Two appearances so close together would likely tip him off about his identity for sure.
Before he could think about it any further, a familiar voice rang out from behind the pair. "Ah, hello Kudo-kun, Hattori-kun. I assume you're talking about the heist with the Dresden Green."
The two turned around, and, as Shinichi expected, there was Hakuba Saguru, who waved to him once the two made eye contact. He gave a bit of a glare when he greeted Hattori, though, which Shinichi also kind of expected.
Those two were just too stubborn to admit that the other is a good detective. Or at the very least, too stubborn to accept each other's personalities despite their respective sleuthing skills. They did seem to at least get along a little bit better at the last heist though, so maybe they might actually start to be less hostile towards each other.
…either way, he supposed that it was a good thing that the two didn't meet very often outside of heists.
Shinichi waved back at Hakuba. "Hey there, Hakuba. How are Inspector Nakamori's plans for today's heist going?"
The English detective frowned. "He's got it under control, but it took longer than usual due to the specifics of today's venue."
Shinichi looked up at the building. It wasn't tall, by any means, but it still towered over the crowd. And he knew that the building took up a lot of square space due to just how wide the building was.
"Yeah, I can understand why. I'm sure that all the ocean life and glass tanks would make it difficult for the Task Force to go all out."
Hakuba nodded. "Yes, and of course, the aquarium's curator doesn't want us to cover any of the tanks, since this is also a regular tourist destination. And with the gems that are on display today, I believe she wants everyone to enjoy the museum to its fullest."
Hattori huffed beside him. "C'mon, this is KID we're talking about! I feel like they should do more to help us out with catchin' him."
Hakuba sighed in agreement. "I actually agree with you, but there was nothing we could do to convince her to let us use the venue as we saw fit. I believe that she also is trying to take advantage of KID's popularity in order to promote the aquarium."
Shinichi wasn't surprised at that either. He had done his research into the aquarium, and lately, their sales have been dwindling. Even though it was an off season, there were a lot less customers than all of the previous years.
He was surprised that she was even able to get a hold of the Tetra Twin Jewels, to be honest. Not only was this an aquarium, and not a museum, but along with the price of two expensive gems and her dwindling sales, he was surprised that she was able to afford to show them off in her building.
Especially since this would be the first time the Twins were making a public appearance.
For several years after the gems were discovered, they've only been accessible in private galleries, galleries that only the rich and famous could afford. But the price to see them was quite outrageous, even for the rich, so the gems almost vanished into obscurity. As far as he was aware, only a handful of people were able to see the gems with their own eyes.
That is, until a few months ago, when an unnamed benefactor bought them from their original owners. For a while, no one knew what became of them, or what the owner did with them.
And then it was announced that they would be shown off at the Neon Aquarium.
The Neon Aquarium wasn't exactly the most famous or large aquarium. It was more of a local one, and it was a bit out of the way to those who might want to visit. So it never got a whole lot of business in the first place, though it had enough customers to keep the place up and running almost as well as it did on its first day of opening seven years ago.
Perks of being a smaller aquarium than most.
Shinichi wondered if the owner of the aquarium was perhaps a friend of the owner of the two gems. Unless she had hid an insane amount of money somewhere, which he found unlikely, but honestly, it wasn't entirely impossible either. It was hard to say what the real truth was behind the aquarium owner and the gems at this point.
Anyway, soon after it was announced that the Tetra Twins were going to be shown at the Neon Aquarium, Kaitou KID sent his usual calling card for his appearance.
Shinichi was the first to receive one on the day after the last heist. He decided to keep it to himself to see when KID would deliver it to his Taskforce, and he really didn't want Hakuba giving him a suspicious look when he went in to turn in his own heist note. Plus, his note was a little bit… different compared to the one Nakamori received.
It was still in his pocket, weighing him down like a promise.
He gently brushed his fingers against it, wondering what the message left behind could mean. It probably wasn't the best idea to keep it in his pocket, but just in case. It was a zippered pocket, anyways. It should be fine.
The Neon Aquarium opened its doors with a flourish, and the crowd waiting outside subsequently got excited as the venue finally welcomed them.
Shinichi followed Hattori and Hakuba inside, who had accidentally ignored him while they were arguing about which mystery author was better: Mallory Queen, or Arthur Conan Doyle. How did they even get to this conversation?
Hakuba had good taste, at any rate. Sorry Hattori, but Holmes is the pinnacle of mystery novels.
The group of three walked to the wall of the large first room, where there was more space to discuss what their next move was. Luckily, Hattori and Hakuba were able to dissolve their rather passionate discussion about detective literature so that they could actually talk about the reason they were all here: the KID heist.
The gem wasn't being displayed in this main room, of course, though the room they were in was fairly large. But that was mostly because there was a large tank on the wall opposite of the main entrance, and there were several hallways branching off from this room to lead into other parts of the aquarium.
Hakuba talked to the other two detectives about what Nakamori had planned for this heist, but not without giving Shinichi a suspicious look the whole time. Hattori seemed to pick up on the suspicious vibes Hakuba was giving off, which caused the two to, yet again, glare at each other.
Shinichi sighed as the two exchanged bitter and sarcastic remarks. He appreciated Hattori defending him, he really did, but they did not need this right now. There was still over an hour before the heist started, almost two hours, in fact, but they needed all of the time they could get.
While waiting for the two to calm down a bit (and to stop ignoring his existence), he looked around the room. There was a member of the Taskforce at every hallway entrance, with many of them checking the customers for masks or just any sign of KID, really. He didn't blame them, since it seemed that, otherwise, their hands were quite tied for this heist.
And then his phone blipped before he could investigate any more. Not like he really needed to investigate much in this room, but he wondered who could be texting him at this hour? Everyone in his general social circle knew that he would be at the heist today.
And then he saw the text.
Ah. That would explain it.
Shinichi waved to the still-bickering Hattori and Hakuba in order to get their attention. The two simultaneously looked at him with glares on their faces, and Shinichi had to repress the urge to take a step back. Geez, these two needed to calm down.
He waved towards the general direction of the opposite side of the room. "I'm going to take a look around. You two can keep arguing if you want, but—"
Hattori didn't even let him finish his sentence. "Lemme come with you! Two detectives are better than one. Plus, I don't want to be stuck with this guy." He glared at Hakuba. Hakuba glared back.
Shinichi sighed for what must've been the fifth time since they arrived at the aquarium. "Wouldn't it be better if we split up? We still have plenty of time before the heist begins, but since this is a big building, I think we should try to cover more ground while we can."
Hakuba once again gave him a suspicious look (geez, at this point, Hakuba was going to give away his "identity" just through the absurd amount of weird looks he was giving him. Shinichi was glad that Hakuba hadn't seemed to rat him out to anyone yet, but he couldn't help but wonder how long that would last.).
At least Hattori seemed to agree with Shinichi's statement. The Detective of the West gave a proud and determined nod, his grin appearing back on his face. "Gotcha! I guess I'll go that way then." He pointed to one of the hallways near the giant tank.
Hakuba sighed, but at least he looked resigned to splitting up. "Then I suppose I'll take a look around here. I assume you're taking the right side, Kudo-kun?"
Shinichi nodded. "Yeah. We'll meet up later."
He waved as he turned to the opposite wall, and the other two detectives went their own ways. As much as Hakuba suspected him, Shinichi knew that the other detective hadn't had the time to thoroughly look through the layout of the museum yet.
Shinichi needed to take a look around himself, but first…
He walked to the corner of the room furthest away from the tank. There, he saw a person hunched over their phone, facing the corner and pointedly away from the fish on the opposite side of the room.
Shinichi tapped on the person's shoulder, and they turned around and gave him a tearful look.
The detective sighed again (this was becoming a habit, wasn't it?). "Hey."
The figure turned around with a tearful look on their face. "...Meitantei? Is that you?"
"Yeah, it's me." He couldn't help but smile. "So you said you needed some help?"
KID shot up from his crouched position. "Oh, thank you Meitantei! You're the best!"
"Oi oi, don't go yelling out 'meitantei' like that!"
The disguised thief waved his hand nonchalantly. "Oh, it's fine, they'll just think I'm a KID fan or something. The best trick is the one hidden right under your nose, after all!" KID looked like he would've laughed at his little joke, if he hadn't accidentally made eye contact with the fish tank behind Shinichi.
One suppressed yelp later, and KID was facing the corner again, this time crouched on the ground. Shinichi really didn't want to pry, but... "KID, why did you decide to have the heist here if you have ichthyophobia?"
The phantom thief spluttered. "I am not scared of f-f-those finny things!"
Shinichi raised an eyebrow at that, because yeah, he didn't believe it for a second. "Look, KID, I promise not to use it against you. It wouldn't be fair of me to."
"...You promise? Not even at heists?"
"Not even at heists." Shinichi held out his hand. "Now come on, I'm guessing we've both got a lot of work to do tonight. I know I said I didn't want to be KID again, but I guess I can make this one exception."
"You mean it?!" Shinichi nodded. "Thank you, Meitantei! I appreciate it. More than you know." KID gave him a cheerful smile under his hooded hat, and he gratefully grabbed onto the detective's hand and pulled himself up. "And as for the reason for today's heist, I may have gotten an inside scoop that the Twins are going back into the good ol' vault after this."
"Really? That's kind of weird."
"Yeah, I thought so too, but it's better to be safe than sorry. At any rate, this is more important than my fear. If there's any chance that this could be it, then…"
"I know, KID. I know… Hey, we should go check out the other rooms." Shinchi couldn't help but grin a bit. "I think that there's something that you might like in one of them."
KID grinned back at him with that toothy smile of his. Despite being surrounded by fish, the thief actually looked rather excited. Shinichi supposed that the heist adrenaline would do that to you. "You know me so well! Lead the way, my dearest Meitantei!"
Shinichi rolled his eyes, but he smiled nonetheless. He must be insane to be doing this but, "You got it, KID."
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Hakuba wasn't really sure what he could do, just walking around the aquarium like this. There were too many people in order for this to be a productive walk.
He actually kind of doubted that they would be able to catch Kaitou KID at this heist. There were just too many ever-changing variables that would make it difficult to even keep up. The crowds were definitely the biggest problem. If KID was just running away, the crowd would just get in the way. And while he would hope that the thief would be as affected as the force would be by all the people, sadly, he was a rather slippery opponent, and there was no doubt that he had a way to get through without much trouble. That wasn't even counting the grappling hook that Hakuba was sure that he had.
The crowds also made so much noise when it came to the famous Phantom Thief. If KID did anything suspicious, either while disguised or in his usual white regalia, no one would be able to hear it unless they were standing right next to him, and it was unlikely that he would be standing next to any of the members of the Taskforce. Hakuba knew that KID was smart, especially now that he knew that it was Kudo; he could not afford to underestimate him. Not after what happened last time.
Hakuba also knew that the Taskforce would be at a major disadvantage tonight because of what he mentioned earlier about the aquarium's curator. She was a very prideful woman who wanted to do everything she can to bring her museum back up in sales. She didn't even seem to care about Kaitou KID all that much, though she did seem at least somewhat happy at the news that he would bring a lot of publicity to her aquarium. She even advertised the whole thing on television.
If she had that much money, he really wondered if she was doing it for the aquarium or if she was doing it for herself. He would never say that aloud, of course, but it was an observation nonetheless.
Anyway, the owner refused to do anything about the thief. While she did let the Taskforce walk around and pull on faces as they saw fit, they really couldn't do much else besides just hope for a sign of KID to appear and to try and chase him if he did. He didn't think that they would be able to find him before the heist started though, even if they were one hour, thirty-seven minutes, and twenty-two seconds away from KID's deduced time of arrival.
While that was plenty of time, to Hakuba, it felt like far too much of it. It wouldn't even take that long to walk through the entire aquarium. There wasn't too much of a point in it anyway, since he had already memorized the floor plan, but with nothing else to do, he supposed that a refresher couldn't hurt.
And Kudo really did seem to be in a bit of a rush about something, though he did a good job at hiding it. If Hakuba hadn't known what he was looking for when he observed the other detective, if he didn't know that he was Kaitou KID, he would have never noticed how odd his mannerisms were in that moment.
Either way, it was a good chance to take a look at the Tetra Twin gems himself, since they really weren't that far from where he was walking. While he did want to observe them in order to see if they've been tricked up before the heist started, he also just wanted to take a look at them. He'd heard a lot of rumors about the gems, thanks to some of the people that his family interacted with, so he had to admit that he was curious about them.
The room they were housed in was easily the largest room in the building. Of course, that was no surprise, considering they were the main attraction. The Tetra Twin Diamonds were definitely a rare sight to behold.
They were a sparkling grey-blue, an odd color for any kind of famous gem, but what gave it its popularity were the red highlights that naturally weaved throughout the entire crystal. While it didn't make the gem "pure," per se, they were beautiful, and their condition made them very rare and valuable. Also, the red highlights were made out of a precious material, so that actually increased its value instead of hurting it.
They were a pair of odd gems, indeed.
Anyway, despite a thorough investigation around the gems' case, Hakuba couldn't find anything amiss. He supposed that it didn't help that he wasn't allowed to get close to it… He was just as blocked off as anyone else. Just another reason to feel frustrated at the owner's attitude towards KID.
Well, sadly, there wasn't really much else to do besides look around the rest of the aquarium. Actually, now that he thought about it, he could probably use this opportunity to see what Kudo was up to. While he should probably look around for potential KID traps, if Hakuba was able to catch Kudo in the act, that would make everyone's job a lot easier. They wouldn't even have to worry about the heist at that point. Also, there was still plenty of time before the heist started, almost an hour and a half to the second now, so there was actually a good chance he could run into the elusive thief.
For one, short moment, he considered contacting Hattori so that the two could work together to search the building, but just as soon as he thought about it, he dismissed the idea. He wasn't quite sure what the other detective's opinion on KID was, but he knew that Hattori was also pretty good friends with Kudo. Plus, it wasn't as if Hakuba had any real proof that Kudo was KID. Sure, he's seen his identity with his own eyes, and even got confirmation from Kudo, but he had no evidence to actually show to anyone. Just circumstantial evidence, and the both of them knew that that wasn't nearly enough to seriously convict someone of a crime.
Hattori was a pretty good detective though, as loathe as he was to admit it. There was a reason he was known as the great detective of the west, and Hakuba really couldn't argue with the results of the amount of crimes that he's resolved. Kudo was still far above him in that regard, of course, but Hattori wasn't actually half-bad.
So his mind made up, he brought out his cell phone so that he could contact the other detective. He wouldn't tell Hattori about his suspicions about Kudo, not yet, but maybe Hattori would be able to pick up a clue about today's heist. After all, even if he didn't know it, Hattori knew KID's real identity well, so he might be able to subconsciously pick up on Kudo's mannerisms. And if Hattori happened to also suspect Kudo as being KID as a result, well, he wouldn't be against it.
And so he dialed Hattori's number. "Hello, Hattori-kun. I know you might be busy, but I'm afraid that I need to call on your assistance once more…"
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"Shit!"
Shinichi quickly ducked behind a pillar as he noticed Hakuba and Hattori enter the room he was in. He really did not want to be seen right now.
Even though he wasn't doing anything suspicious, he did have a few of KID's tools because of the role he was going to play later on, and he had a bunch of tricks and special capsules on hand to both use as KID and as relatively harmless traps that he was going to disperse around the museum. He already put a couple down, but the bulk of them would be set as close to the heist time as possible so that the Task Force was less likely to find them.
"What are you so worried about, meitantei? It's not like you're not allowed here or anything."
Shinichi rolled his eyes. Said the one literally cowering behind his back right now. "KID, what are they going to think seeing you with me? I can't just leave you on your own, especially when one of them can probably easily find you in a corner or something."
"You underestimate my power! I can handle myself for a while…" The thief trailed off when he caught a glimpse at one of the tanks on the other side of the room. He looked like he was barely able to suppress a shiver.
Shinichi looked at him in what he hoped was an incredibly incredulous and offended expression. "Usually, you would be right, but if you haven't noticed, we're almost right in the middle of this aquarium, and all of the paths that lead out of here except for the one that we came from have those… uh, finny things lining the walls. You're barely handling your disguise as is!"
KID pouted, but he nodded, resigned to stay with the detective for the time being. "By the way, where's that cool thing you wanted to show me? You promised me something cool! It better not have to do with finny things!"
"We're still a couple of rooms away. And it doesn't really have to do with them… depending on your interpretation. Though unless we find a way to distract Hakuba and Hattori, we might not be able to have enough time to see it. And it would've been perfect, too."
Shinichi took another look at the other two detectives. They were both talking, but they also looked like they were subtly looking at their surroundings. Looking for something? Him, perhaps? Or for Hattori, possibly just any sign of KID in general.
If Hakuba had told Hattori about his suspicions about KID, Hattori probably would have texted him immediately, so at least he still didn't have that to worry about. For now, at least. He had a feeling that there would be problems after today's heist. But right now, they had other things to worry about.
And then freakin' Inspector Nakamori walked in.
Shinichi and KID shared looks of trepidation, and then looked back to see if the Inspector would head in their direction. If he did, that would make things really difficult. They couldn't easily hide from both him and the detectives if they were on both sides of the room, and it wasn't like there were too many people in here. There were a good handful, but most of them were probably closer to the room with the gems in it.
"Hey, KID?"
"Yeah?"
"How many disguises are you carrying on you right now?"
"Uh, I've got two whole outfits, but I've got a bunch of smaller stuff as well. Sometimes, you don't need a full disguise, and sometimes, you can just steal it. Helps with the carrying weight!"
"Uh-huh… Anyway, do you think you could disguise us real quick? Something subtle enough so that the people around us don't notice, but also good enough to disguise me from anyone who might recognize me. I know it's a tall order, but…"
KID smirked. "Who do you think I am? I already have the perfect disguise in mind!" And with a few flicks of his wrist, the outfit was done. "There we go! Talk about charming and inconspicuous~ I've outdone myself this time! You should be honored, my dear detective."
That was incredibly fast. And yet, Shinichi was wearing a longer coat over his outfit, and his distinct hair was covered by a warm beanie. He could also feel the make-up on his face. It wasn't a lot, not enough to notice it being caked on his face, but he was sure that it would be enough to fool his acquaintances long enough for them to make their escape from this room.
Hopefully.
KID was already disguised, but the problem wasn't that.
It was the couple of fish tanks that were on the way to the next room.
"Ok, KID? We have to go over there without any suspicion."
"I know, we can't draw attention to ourselves. But why are you telling me this, I'm the one who's the expert at sneaking around!"
"KID…"
The thief's eyes widened in realization. "Oh…"
Shinichi winced at his reaction, already starting to dread the awkward situation. "I'm sorry KID, but we don't really have much of a choice right now. But listen, I'll guide you through the whole way, ok? You can close your eyes if you want, but we have to stay close."
KID looked at him with those sad eyes of his. Shinichi sighed. Once again, the things he did for phantom thieves. "Whatever makes you the most comfortable as we walk to the next area, we can do it. I trust that you won't do anything too suspicious."
"Meitantei, if you keep saying stuff like that, you're gonna be the one to steal my heart. And I'm the thief here!"
"Yeah yeah." Shinichi looked behind the pillar again and oh shit all three of them were walking this way. They weren't looking in their direction, but if they didn't hurry it up, there was a good chance that they were screwed.
"Come on KID, we gotta go."
And KID nodded. And proceeded to cling to his side.
Shinichi started to walk, and the disguised magician adjusted himself so that his position looked a little more natural. KID was grabbing onto him from the side with his head partially dug into Shinichi's shoulder. And to complete the look, and to help steady KID (because man that guy was uncharacteristically unsteady on his feet today), his own arm went around the thief's shoulders.
The two didn't dare look back behind them, even as the voices of the detectives and the inspector grew louder from their nearing proximity. Well, for KID, it was more that he didn't want to look at the fish, but both knew that looking back would only make them more suspicious.
The hallway to the next room luckily wasn't very long, but it seemed as if, for now, the inspector was heading in the same direction that they were. Not desirable, but he could manage.
The room itself was a little bigger than the last room, but that was probably more due to the amount of paths that branched off from here. Besides the one that they came from, there were five other paths leading to other places, two being doorways to a small theater to show short videos to those that wanted to watch, and another being an employee elevator tucked next to one of the larger fish tanks in the room. The other two paths simply led out of the room to different parts of the aquarium.
Their destination was to the path on the right, near one of the theater entrances. But even as they headed in that direction, the group of KID-catchers continued to go in their same direction. Good thing Shinichi had a back-up plan.
He changed their path ever so slightly so that they were walking more towards the theater than the hallway. Then, as they passed by the Task Force officer by the entrance of the hall, he subtly tossed a small device behind him. The officer didn't even notice, since he was too busy calling over Nakamori so that he could give his report.
Shinichi led the both of them inside the theater and took a seat on the bench in the back row. The video was about some of the ocean's deepest sea life and about how submarines and the people inside them study these creatures, but Shinichi paid it no mind.
"Are we there yet?"
"No, not yet, I had to take a slight detour, but if our luck holds out, it shouldn't be long now."
And right on cue, a loud yell was heard just outside of the theater. "Bingo. Now, let's go with this crowd. We're almost there."
Most of the people inside the theater rushed out when they heard the scream, either to get away from any possible danger or towards the source of the yell to see what's going on. Shinichi and KID were in the latter group, blending in with the back so that their faces would be harder to spot.
Shinichi couldn't help the small grin that appeared on his face when he saw that trap that he had trapped the officer in. And in a stroke of luck, he was even able to get Nakamori too.
It was something new that he had been working on in the background. While he was adamant on not participating in any more heists as KID, he admitted that it was fun to make traps and machinations and tricks. And it wasn't like he could try them anywhere else but heists. He had a respected reputation as an honorable detective, after all. Plus, it was just more fun this way.
It could also be set on a timer, which was perfect for situations like these.
Shinichi's device was a rope trap that wrapped around the victim(s), but it wasn't any old rope trap (though honestly how all of that rope fit into such a tiny device was the real miracle here). The rope was covered with a sticky substance that made the rope very difficult to pull off of a person's body through normal means. Moreover, after the rope finished twisting around its target, it melted together so that it was really thick and difficult to cut through.
(Shinichi once made the mistake of testing the device on himself. It hadn't been perfected yet, and he thought it would only last an hour or two. It ended up taking twelve, and that was only because KID was able to concoct an antidote to get it to melt off of him. His arms felt numb for the rest of the day, and it really wasn't pleasant to be able to do nothing but sit around for twelve hours straight.)
In addition to the tricky trap though, it was a pleasant, absolutely striking highlighter pink. Anyone would be able to see it from a mile away, and well… that was just a good distraction, wasn't it? Can't really ignore something that's so bright, even if it's in the middle of a chaotic heist.
Anyway, Hakuba and Hattori were currently occupied with trying to get Nakamori and the officer out of the trap, but so far, all that they've been able to do is get their own hands stuck into the sticky substance. Nakamori himself looked quite baffled and irritated, his face beat-red with rage as he yelled for someone, anyone, to get him out of this trap. And cursed out KID's name, promising a world of hurt once he "caught that stupid thief!"
A curious crowd surrounded them, but none tried anything, probably because of how the detectives' hands got stuck as well. Many of the people seemed to be KID fans though, or at least enjoyed a spectacle, because there was a lot of excitement in their voices as they conversed and filmed the whole thing.
It was too bad Shinichi couldn't get a picture in. Admittedly, their situation was kinda funny, and he was kinda proud that his trap had worked out so well. Plus, he was sure that KID would enjoy seeing the image too.
Alas, it was not to be. There were too many people, and he was still recognizable enough that if either Hakuba or Hattori saw his face once he got closer to take the picture on his phone, they would know that it was him. He just hoped that maybe photos of the situation would be uploaded on a later date.
It was a cakewalk to walk past the crowd surrounding Nakamori, even as the trapped Inspector demanded to be given space from the people around him. The officer stuck to his back seemed resigned to his fate (he was trained well: a senior officer who was probably far too used to KID antics to really care anymore). Hattori was making a valiant attempt to break free from the gooey trap, but right when it seemed that he was about to be able to pull away, the trap suddenly pulled him back, and the poor detective's side was now rather attached to Nakamori's arm.
Hakuba himself was a bit more calm, testing the elasticity of the trap to see if he could break free without hurting himself or anyone else in the vicinity. It seemed that he realized that he would be stuck for awhile, though, since he seemed to decide to wait it out and talk with the Inspector and the others while they were together anyways.
At least someone around here was reasonable. (Shinichi couldn't really call himself reasonable anymore, much to his chagrin. Gallivanting as a phantom thief and risking his identity for KID wasn't usually on the list for "reasonable acts.")
KID interrupted him from his musings as he stirred a little. Shinchi could barely hear the thief's muffled words. "What's going on? Sounds exciting."
Shinichi smirked a little. "Oh, just something I was testing out. You remember that device I was working on a couple of weeks ago?"
He felt more than heard KID's laugh. "You mean the time you got stuck in your own trap and I had to bust you out? You're testing it without me meitantei? I am crushed, crushed, I tell you!"
He couldn't help but tease the thief a bit. "Well you're here, aren't you? You can still look if you want."
"Nuh-uh, nooo way! I'm not falling for that!" KID sighed. "Fiiine, at least tell me who got trapped, and please tell me it was Hakuba."
Shinichi chuckled. "Inspector Nakamori and one of the senior Task Force officers were the main ones, but both Hattori and Hakuba ended up sticking around as well."
"Oooooh meitantai! If I didn't know any better, I would say that you're enjoying this~"
"Then clearly you don't know me as well as you think you do, huh KID?"
This time it was KID's turn to chuckle. "Maybe not. We've gotta remedy that sometime, wouldn't you say?"
"We'll see about that after we're not surrounded by, uh, finnythings."
"Don't have to tell me twice! Let's get outta here."
Shinichi quickened his pace as soon as they were free from the crowd. They were almost there, come on—
And then his freakin' phone rang. Again.
Seriously? What was with people contacting him during heists when they knew he was there? Granted, it was only twice today, but usually, it was zero, so he had good reason to be annoyed.
"Hello?"
"Oi, Kudo! Where are ya?!"
Shinichi blinked. Ok, that was Hattori. He should've expected him to call after he got stuck in the trap, but either way, it was a good thing that he had gotten far enough away to where the other detective probably wouldn't be able to see or hear him from his awkward position.
Anyway, he needed to answer Hattori's question. He thought fast, even as he continued to lead KID to their destination. "I'm back by the entrance. I was waiting for you guys so we could talk about anything we might have found, but something else must have happened if you're calling me now. Don't tell me you got caught in one of KID's traps?" He already knew the answer, but Hattori didn't know that he knew and, hey, it was fun to tease his friends every once in a while, ok?
Call it revenge for all the jabs he got when he was still Conan.
He heard his fellow detective splutter over the line. "Ahaha, funny you should mention that… you mind coming over to the room with the theater? Ya know, where the deep-sea exhibit is?"
Shinichi paused for dramatic effect. "Hattori."
"Y-Yeah, Kudo?"
"...Did you seriously get caught in one of KID's traps?"
A moment of silence. "...Yeah."
Shinichi sighed. "But there's still over an hour before the heist starts!"
"I know, Kudo, I—"
"I think you've broken the record for 'earliest person to set off a KID trap.'"
"Oi, it wasn't me who set off the trap! Anyways, can ya please help? Inspector Nakamori and Hakuba got stuck too, just to letcha know."
"Seriously? Even Hakuba?"
"Yeah, I don't like it either. So please, hurry up before I go crazy here!"
"Ok, ok, you don't have to yell at me, I'm on my way. Can't guarantee busting you out though, some of KID's traps can be pretty tough. See you in a bit, Hattori." And he hung up before Hattori could get in another word of complaint.
KID must've heard the whole conversation, since Shinichi was able to catch a glimpse of a smirk on the thief's face. He didn't speak, but no words were needed to know that he was amused.
Luckily, as soon as their conversation was done, they arrived at their destination. Shinichi led KID through the smaller room until they found their way to a small alcove hidden behind a pillar. There was a sign that read "Employees Only" above the doorway, but Shinichi paid it no mind as they walked through.
"You can open your eyes now, KID, the rest of the way shouldn't have anything that you don't like."
The thief sighed with relief as he loosened his grip and opened his eyes for what must've been the first time in several minutes. He blinked a few times in order to get used to the light.
"The surprise should be just up ahead."
And Shinichi wasn't wrong. The short hallway had several doors, but the door they were going to was all the way at the end.
KID smiled. "May I do the honors?"
"The honor is all yours."
And so the phantom thief opened the door. And what laid behind that door caused him to grin wildly. "Meitantei, I must say, you have a great taste in surprises~" He gasped. "And there's even one for the Inspector! You really do think of everything."
Shinichi couldn't help his own grin. "I thought you might like it. I wasn't really planning on using them at first, but, hey, I had them already. Why let them go to waste?"
KID laughed. "Oh, meitantei, these are absolutely perfect!"
"So do you know when we're going to use them?"
He didn't think that KID could've grinned any more than in that moment. "I know the perfect time~"
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Heiji stood in front of the Tetra Twins, pointedly ignoring the stares he was getting from the pink strips of goo that still dangled from his arms.
At least Hakuba wasn't faring much better. "Are you ready for today's heist?"
Heiji frowned. "I would be if KID's trap didn't catch us off guard. We lost a lotta time trying ta break out of it."
Hakuba grimaced. "Yes, it's a good thing that Kudo-kun was able to help us with the situation. I was worried that we wouldn't be able to get out in time before the heist started."
The western detective sighed. He was also kinda glad that Kudo had gotten them out, but his friend seemed to enjoy their predicament a little too much. Then again, he didn't blame him; if he were in Kudo's stead, he would probably react the same way.
Hakuba's next words snapped him out of his thoughts. "I'm rather surprised that Kudo-kun was able to free us from KID's rather… unusual trap. Especially since I don't believe I've ever seen him use a trap like that before."
Hattori wondered about that too, but, "Ah, his scientist friend probably gave it to him. I saw her outside of the aquarium before we entered, so she probably had something on her that worked."
And he wasn't wrong. The little nee-chan, Haibara, was outside of the heist grounds, though she hadn't seemed particularly interested in going inside. Instead, she had said that she wanted to watch the heist from the outside and not get involved in their "shenanigans." Whatever that meant. And he really wouldn't be surprised if she carried all sorts of weird science stuff on her. It's probably what happened, at any rate, since Kudo hadn't really explained it to them.
Speaking of…
"Oi, Hakuba, do you know where Kudo ran off to? He kinda left in a hurry a few minutes ago."
Hakuba's face seemed to scrunch up a little bit at the mention. Hmm. Something was up. "He claimed that another one of the Taskforce members got stuck in a trap similar to ours."
Heiji narrowed his eyes at the other detective, suspicious. "'Claimed?' What are ya saying?!"
He felt a tinge of satisfaction, seeing that stupid detective squirm. "Well, I was just–"
The lights in the building suddenly turned off.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
He thought that Kudo was kinder than this. He thought that Kudo was at least sane (as sane as a phantom thief could be, anyway).
Hakuba was wrong.
Kudo was insane.
How were there two Kaitou KIDs?! An accomplice? A friend? An illusion? Or, god forbid, magic?! He really wouldn't discount magic at this point. Or you know what? Maybe Hakuba was just going insane. That would be a reasonable explanation for all of his suffering, right? Right. And the doubles weren't even the end of it. Oh no, that was only the beginning.
It all started when both KIDs appeared, identical, wild grins on their faces as they appeared to stare Hakuba down. Hakuba was in too much shock to try and see if there were any differences between them, to see if it was a trick or an actual other person. No, instead, he was dreading the rest of the heist. One phantom thief was more than enough for him on the best of days, and now there were two (two?) of them! He loathed the amount of traps and trickery that they might pull off.
And Hakuba was right to dread the upcoming events.
Even as the Taskforce tried to get the jump on them, both were able to dodge with ease. As Hakuba had predicted earlier, the people that crowded the aquarium got in the way and caused their advance to be a lot slower and more predictable than usual. And that wasn't even considering the fact that two KIDs means double the tricks to keep the police off of their heels.
Hakuba was seriously considering just leaving the heist right then and there, but, unfortunately, KID (or… at least one of them) had already plastered his feet to the floor using some type of superglue. It was a testament to his utter horror that he hadn't noticed that tidbit.
Both of the white-clad thiefs stood in the middle of their man-made chaos, standing atop the Tetra Twins' glass case with a sparkling gem in each of their gloved hands and proud grins on their faces.
The crowd had already dispersed to the edges of the large room, but it seemed as if the rest of the Taskforce (as well as Hattori), were also trapped similarly to Hakuba.
They were all free prey for the trickster that was Kaitou KID.
And both KIDs knew it too, if their conspiratorial giggles were anything to go by. Hakuba didn't think that he could ever imagine Kudo giggling like that (and yet here he was, laughing like a fool). But Hakuba still couldn't imagine that look, not on Kudo's face. Kuroba's, oh, it felt like he saw that grin every day, and that was only one of the reasons why he had suspected Kuroba in the first place.
Kudo must be one hell of an actor to pull off his KID persona that was a stark contrast to his civilian identity. Hakuba wasn't claiming that he knew the other detective particularly well, but according to the reports and their own, short-lived interactions, it was a bit hard to see any of KID in Kudo's usual personality.
That was probably why Kudo was the perfect Kaitou KID.
To anyone else, they would tear Hakuba apart if he even insinuated that his fellow detective was the famous phantom thief (Hattori already looked like he wanted to, and he hasn't even said anything about that yet). It just seemed too unbelievable to be true. And… Hakuba would've preferred it if Kudo wasn't KID. Not only because he was so sure that it was Kuroba, but also because it pained him to know that a fellow high school detective was going against the law, even if it was for a good reason.
Anyway… the KIDs had stopped their laughter, and with twin snaps, the whole room was covered in rainbow smoke. Hakuba could only hope that it wouldn't be too humiliating.
That hope was crushed to pieces when the smoke finally cleared and revealed a nightmare that would haunt his dreams for weeks, alongside two voices sharing maniacal laughter.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Kaitou KID: did you see that front cover? Detective, you are a GENIUS~
Shinichi Kudo: As you've mentioned to me countless times in the past hour. Flattery will get you nowhere, KID.
Kaitou KID: hey, I'm being sincere here! Geez, take a compliment when you hear one ()
Kaitou KID: seriously though, I can't believe u brought enough mermaid tails for the entire taskforce! And that suspension system! Why it's enough to make an old phantom thief cry tears of joy ｡ﾟ(ﾟ´w｀ﾟ)ﾟ｡
Shinichi Kudo: What's up with all of the emoticons…? You know what, never mind, I don't want to know.
Shinichi Kudo: Anyway, it's not like it was just my idea. You helped too. If it wasn't for you, we wouldn't have been able to hang them up from the floor as fast.
Kaitou KID: the great detective? Giving me a compliment? what has the world come to?!
Shinichi Kudo: Cut it out, I just promised to help, didn't I? Anyway, you're on your own for the next heist. See you.
Kaitou KID: WAIT A SECOND what was ur answer to my note? Don't think I didn't see it in ur pocket. Because I totally saw it
Shinichi Kudo: Consider it unseen, then.
Kaitou KID: nooooooo, c'mon meitantei, don't leave me hangin!
Shinichi Kudo: After today's fiasco, I think I can afford to take a raincheck on an answer to your "generous" offer.
Kaitou KID: gasp how dare u put generous in quotes as if I have an ulterior motive! I am ashamed! Appalled by your accusation! Σ(-᷅_-᷄๑)
Shinichi Kudo: Sure you didn't have an ulterior motive, sure. And I'm Sherlock Holmes.
Kaitou KID: well… u kinda are bc you know. heisei holmes and all that
Shinichi Kudo: That doesn't count and you know it.
Kaitou KID: well I count it as counting and that's that! Final answer! No take-backsies~
Shinichi Kudo: Whether you deny it or not, it doesn't change the fact that I'll be ignoring your request for the time being. I'm sure you'll be fine for awhile. After all, you're the great Kaitou KID!
Kaitou KID: ur sarcasm speaks volumes
Shinichi Kudo: Glad to see that you caught it. Anyways, I seriously have to go now. Hattori is calling me.
Kaitou KID: are u sure you'll be ok? I know that tantei-han was giving u quite the look today
Shinichi Kudo: I'll be ok, I've gotten out of worse situations. Talk to you later, I guess.
Kaitou KID: ta-ta meitantei! Say hi to tantei-han for me~ (*´`*)
Shinichi Kudo: As if, you annoying thief.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
It took over an hour to do so, but Hakuba and the rest of the Taskforce were finally rescued from their temporary escapade as mermaids swimming over the crowd. However, an hour was far too long to be stuck up there, and with nowhere to really hide, well… he was going to make sure to avoid the internet during the next couple of weeks.
Kudo was the one who had "figured out" the mechanism in order to let them down. At least he hadn't left them up there much longer, though he really would've preferred if the whole thing didn't happen at all.
At least Kudo looked apologetic about it. Though whether he was acting or if he was being genuine, he truly didn't know, but the concern seemed real enough, so he let it slide for now.
After everyone was set free, Kudo got a call, and then he left, saying that a friend needed him. Hattori seemed like he wanted to follow, but something in Kudo's demeanor must have stopped him.
And so the two of them waved good-bye as Kudo walked away and disappeared into the thinning crowd.
Hattori leaned against the wall, looking rather exhausted. Hakuba could relate. "Hakuba, I may hate you, but I won't say anything if you don't."
"It's a deal."
The Osakan detective sighed. "Man, KID was really on tha ball today. Kudo's lucky he didn't get caught up in…that. Kazuha's gonna hold that over my head for days!"
Hmm. "Well, about that, Hattori-kun…"
Hattori looked at him, a questioning and somewhat suspicious look on his face. "What's up?"
Hakuba sighed. He was reluctant to tell Hattori anything regarding his suspicions about Kudo and Kaitou KID, but after today, and after a lot of thought (he had plenty of time to think while trapped on the ceiling), he decided that the other detective perhaps deserved to know the truth, or at least some of it. He wouldn't say anything about he and Kudo's more direct meetings, but just what he had as evidence so far. It wasn't a lot, but he was sure that Hattori could understand what he was getting at.
While he didn't like Hattori much either, he couldn't deny that he was smart.
"Hattori-kun, about Kudo-kun… has he done anything suspicious lately? Because I think I have a theory that you might be interested in hearing…"
And although Hattori glared at him at first for the suspicion, Hakuba couldn't help but feel a pang of hope at the way his eyes glistened with curiosity the more he explained his theory.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
How did I write more words for this chap than the last one? It's only 50 words more, but still, I never expected to write that much again…
Anyway, that's the set-up for the next chapter! Honestly, I'm surprised that this fic has any overarching plot at all, given its nature and the fact that I was planning on this being more of a series of one-shots initially. As it stands, I actually do have some stuff planned for this fic, and I have an even greater idea of what I'm going to do for the next chapter!
Sorry if the heist seems rushed, I just didn't know how to write for it right now. And sorry if anyone is OOC or if I explained things too much, there was just a lot that I wanted to write here and it kinda ran away from me lol.
I had actually wanted this chap to be the official reveal between KID and Shinichi (or maybe the flashback of it), but I kinda got stuck, so here's this instead! Thanks for reading, and lemme know what you'd like to see for upcoming chapters!