Chapter 15

Zenigata finally arrived once Shinichi was feeling less high. Well, it wasn't that he was "less" high, but more that he had adapted to the amount of morphine in his system. It didn't stop his mouth from running. "Hey, Gramps. You're looking… stabby."

…Okay, so maybe he overestimated how sober he was.

Fortunately, Zenigata only rolled his eyes. "Good to see you too, kid." His eyes roamed the room and landed on Kaito-kun. "You, civilian. Get out."

Kaito-kun crossed his arms. "Why should I?"

"Because there is no doubt he will talk to Lupin about classified information," Hakuba said. "And you're a danger to security. So leave."

"You do realize I was there when we rescued him, right?" He was getting uncharacteristically worked up. "I already know what happened, so why make me go—"

"Kaito-kun," Shinichi croaked out. "It's fine. I'm fine."

He was worried, Shinichi realized, noting the other's tightened jaw and downturned eyes. Worried something could happen. Kaito-kun huffed, putting on a big show of not wanting to do anything, but went to the door anyway. He paused in the doorframe. "I'm only staying out in the hall, okay? I'll come back as soon as he's done." Taken aback by the unexpected protectiveness, Shinichi nodded and Kaito-kun closed the door behind him.

"Nice friend you got there." Zenigata rubbed a hand over his face. "You look like shit, Arsène."

Shinichi shrugged the best he could, wincing at the sudden stab of pain. "Well, I was barbequed. Not really something people just walk away from." He looked away. "I'm sure you have questions. You too, Hakuba."

Hakuba stepped away from his corner, towards the bed. "Yes. While I received a packet explaining who Harper Valentine was, it neglected to mention why she would kidnap you. Do you…"

"Know? Yes. It's because she kidnapped me before, right before her arrest about 8 years ago."

His eyes widened. "Then you would have been…"

"Nine," Zenigata cut in. "He was nine. We kept it out of the official arrest record back then, but Interpol didn't discover Harper Valentine's hideout in Brazil on our own. Lupin lead us there."

"That's correct." Shinichi shifted further up the bed, so he could see them better. "Eight years ago, she apparently worked for some organization—I don't know much about it, only that Valentine worked directly under her boss and dressed uniformly in black." Hakuba went pale, but Shinichi continued. "During my first imprisonment with her, I learned that this organization was blackmailing my family into stealing for them; every time they tried to defy, Valentine would get orders to torture me.

"But she made a vital mistake one day. I was able to get free long enough to find her phone and call my dad. By the time she realized I had escaped, they had already tracked the call and were on their way."

"And with them came Interpol," Hakuba said, looking like he swallowed a live fish. "How horrible; thank God she's been arrested again. So then, why, exactly, did she target you again? Is just because you got her arrested?"

"No, not just that." He glanced at Zenigata. "This is the part you wanted to interrogate me on, right? Since she's still in surgery or whatever."

He nodded.

"When Dad and the others found me back then… I wasn't in good shape. There was a shootout and while Dad and Jigen were trying to protect me, I managed to find a gun. I knew how to shoot thanks to Jigen so I just aimed and… it hit her in the eye." Shinichi swallowed down the instant well of guilt the mere thought of that moment produced. He'd never been so horrified before in his life. He thought he had killed her, had murdered her, and even after learning she had survived, it was still enough to sicken him. "Meanwhile P—I mean, Jigen shot her in the arm, which resulted in her losing an eye and motor control in her eyes, turning her into a useless assassin. She told me that since she couldn't find Jigen, I'd work as a substitute."

Zenigata took notes all throughout his explanation. "And is there anything else? Anything about she escaped, how she got into the country, about any allies or other members of this organization?"

Shinichi shook his head. "Not that I can remember. My brain's still pretty fried. But if I can come up with anything, I'll tell you first. And Gramps…" Zenigata raised an eyebrow. "Can you… not tell Dad about this? He'll freak out the moment he hears and break out of prison just to check on me. And since it was so hard catching him to begin with…"

Now both eyebrows were up there. "You sound like you want him to be in prison."

"It's safer in there than it is out here, with all these assassins and bounty hunters after him," Shinichi answered honestly. "There have been so many "Dead or Alive, preferably Dead" bounties on him that I lost track."

"Very well; I won't tell him." Zenigata reached over and awkwardly patted his knee. "Get some rest, kid. You need it."

He left and Hakuba started moving towards the door too. "I should go get Kuroba then—"

"Wait Hakuba," Shinichi said. "Lock the door real fast; I want to ask you something."

Hakuba gave him an odd look, but did as he asked. "What is it, Lupin?"

"Why have you been trying to be friends with me?"

"Excuse me?"

"I'm a criminal, the child of a criminal." Hakuba flinched. "I literally just admitted to shooting someone and have been accused of countless other crimes; the only reason I'm not in jail is because there is no solid evidence, just circumstantial. But you sympathize with me. You want to be friends. Why?"

"I-It's because you like Holmes. Someone who likes Holmes can't be a bad person—"

"That's illogical and you know it, Hakuba. Tell me the truth. Please."

He turned away, conflicted expression on his face. "I-I've… recently come to terms with the idea that the world is not as black and white as I used to see it." The words sounded like they were physically paining him. When did this happen? How had Shinichi not noticed? "Besides, one should not be judged for the flaws of their parents—"

A sudden pounding on the door interrupted him. "Hey!" Kaito-kun shouted through the door. "What's the deal with locking me out!? What are you doing in there, Hakubastard!?"

Irritation crossed his face, erasing all traces of vulnerability. Hakuba opened the door. "Do you have to make a nuisance of yourself at every possibility?"

"Yep!" Kaito-kun cheerfully replied as he pushed past Hakuba into the room. "Now get out. We have an English project we have to finish, and last thing I want is for you to steal our ideas!"

"Our English project is an interview, Kuroba, I can't exactly steal that—"

"Doesn't matter! Out, out, out, out, out!" Kaito-kun physically pushed Hakuba out the door, closing and locking it behind him. He turned to Shinichi with an excited, evil-like grin. "Now, you were telling me about one of your dad's heists…"

Shinichi missed Hakuba.