-FIRSTS-

Disclaimer: The works of Detective Conan and Magic Kaito belongs to Gosho Aoyama-sensei.

Warning: KaiShin relationship.

A/N: Story advancement. Strange chapter...I kinda wasn't sure how to go about the story...but now that I've sow the seeds, well...be sure to keep checking for updates.


First Invite

The pair were led to the garage of TMPD headquarters. They had thought this Director person would be holding office inside the same building, but they were wrong. Exchanging a look, Kaito followed Shinichi's lead and stepped into the car. They were driven to the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building in downtown Shinjuku.

Nestle amongst a plethora of office buildings and sitting alongside the overpass was the landmark of Shinjuku with its twin towers peaking above the skyline. In the large courtyard in front of the structure were a variety of pedestrians; from the everyday worker to wondering tourist, the place drew many people to visit for both entertainment and official businesses.

"So we're going to visit the big cheese." Kaito commented as he recognised the iconic structure. Shinichi only gave a huff of displeasure. If the agent thought keeping silent would unnerve the two, then he was sadly mistakened. "Do you have any idea why they would want to invite you here?"

"Why else." Shinichi looked bored, staring at the passing landscape. "It's to do with this morning..." He trailed off, it was easily understood that he really did not want to talk about it.

"Ugh, does this mean they'll be putting a tail on you from now on? Do they see you as a threat to national security?" How was he supposed to have alone time with his favourite detective if more people started stalking him. It was already bothersome avoiding the general stalkers and reporters.

"I'm hoping they just want to talk." Shinichi leaned towards Kaito, who was more than happy to wrap an arm around his shoulders. He let Shinichi interweave their fingers together as he tries to distract himself from the impending headache of a meeting.

Their arrival was kept a low profile, using the service lift from the garage to take them up to the correct floor. It was strange to actually be in this building for something other than renewing passport and license.

"I heard there's an observation deck here, maybe we can slip out afterwards and take a look. It's supposed to gave a nice view of Tokyo's skyline at night." Kaito whispered into Shinichi's ear as they walked. The agent paid them no heed and strode ahead to lead the way.

"Kaito. Stay focused." Replied in similar fashion.

"But I am. The only object that deserves my utmost focus would be you." Flashing a toothy smile, Kaito got in the last word and won this round as Shinichi imitated those horrors from the deep with their opening and closing of mouth.

"Boys." That was the only word the agent said before leading them out of the elevators and into the long, bland, corridor. At the end stood a security counter, with officers manning the scanners. Shinichi fidgeted slightly, both himself and Kaito were definitely carrying something that would be considered a weapon, though it was well disguised, to protect themselves. But it would not stand the check. Kaito gave him a pat on the shoulders, before he walked into the scanner. Shinichi was just waiting for the shrill alarm, but there was no sound.

"Sir, do you have anything...strange on you?" The officers must have seen something on the screen.

"Only a couple of doves." As to demonstrate, he held out two hands, palm face up, and with a flick, two snowy white dove stood in his palm. "I'm a magician, these are my doves Shiro and Yuki. Hime is the one sitting on my head." He pointed at the last dove that no one had notice until now.

The officers looked at the agent for instructions, who nodded in consent. Kaito walked out and waited with the agent for Shinichi to pass. Shinichi schooled his expression and controlled his steps to look as though he was walking confidently into the scanners, when in actuality he was nervous as hell.

"All clear." The staff called out, it was a relief though it didn't stop Shinichi from wondering how they managed to pass security.

The office they were led to was unlike the bustling one they usually see at the station. Desks were set up in trios, grouping together to form a working team. There was a large screen at the end displaying the Tokyo Metropolitan area with real-time data of something that Kaito wouldn't want to guess. To the side were wanted posters and headshots of suspected terrorists. There were two whiteboards set to the side, one filled with pictures of the FBI and the other, to their surprise, held pictures of the teenage detectives and their associates.

"Looks like you're already on their stalk list." Though they were far away, Kaito still recognised the faces on the small photos. "And it looks like I'm on their list too. The photo is not flattering..."

"Kaito. I don't think they were supposed to..." Shinichi had a vague idea why his face was at the center of attention but he would not willingly pass the information.

They were led up another set of steps, to what is presumed to be a conference room. Instead of walls along the corridor, it was a row of wall-to-ceiling glass panels. Upon closer inspection, Kaito found them to be coated and that when electricity passes through them, the glass would loose the transparency to offer the privacy needed inside the room. Inside was a standard setup of a conference table with a large display at the front and end wall. There were docking stations on the desk, no doubt for tablets and laptops. Along the side were potted plants, to put some colour into the otherwise cold room. At the top of the table, on the opposite end of the doorway, sat a middle aged man, all calm and poised with his smart suit and tie. He had a stern but genial face plastered to greet them.

"Thank you for coming so promptly Kudo Shinichi and Kuroba Kaito. I hope you did not encounter any problems?" He gestured to the seats on the left of where he was sitting. In front of said seating were two tablets set up, with its blue screensaver running. Kaito doubted he was thankful or happy to see them. Most likely, the man had wanted to forcefully bring them in instead of letting them arrive at their own pace.

Taking a seat, as it was supposedly polite to do so, the pair waited for the man to continue.

"My name is Fujie Saitou, it has come to our attention that you were the one who provided the information that our informer picked up yesterday night." The man was carefully observing their reactions. "We would like to confirm with you the method of which you came by this information and what else you did with it."

"What information are you talking about?" If Fujie thought he could intimidate Shinichi to reveal information, he could think again. Not that he had anything against the man, just that he couldn't trust him unless there were reasons to do so. "As far as I remember, both Kaito and myself only went out for dessert and unless you bugged my home, I haven't said anything that would warrant it to be called useful information."

Fujie could see the teenager before him would not relent so easily. He knew he first must disclose something before receiving anything from the boy.

"Early this morning, our department ran a rescue mission, acting upon some crucial information we've received from our informer. We recovered one of our undercover agents who was held captive and tortured for information about our organisation and operation." He clicked a button and a headshot of the agent in question appeared on their tablet screens. Alongside were some general information about age, rank, and family members. "He was placed inside a criminal group to leak out and plant certain pieces of information to allow us to better capture and arrest the rest of its members."

Another screen showed a collage of pictures in a slideshow. Some of shady transaction, others mug shots, and there were a few paparazzi-styled photos. Shinichi recognised some of the pictures. There were a few with a large red cross on them, those were of Pisco, Irish, and Tequila. But there were some photos that only contained a shadow and a name.

"This particular criminal group had its paws set on Japanese soil for the past few decades and we have been working to remove them." He turned his attention back towards the pair, "our investigations had led us to believe that not only do you, Kudo Shinichi, have some information that we want, but also your partner Kuroba Kaito and cousin Edogawa Conan is also involved."

"I can understand how my cousin was involved, but Kaito?" He turned to his magician, who shrugged. Shinichi was sure it was real confusion and not an act.

"A few weeks ago, the police captured another group of criminals. Jewel smugglers. We have reason to believe they worked together at some point. We found from their documents that these jewel smugglers had approached your friend's father, Kuroba Toichi, just before his death."

Well, at least it was a relief to Shinichi that it had to do with the Magician and not the Thief. Though, they were wrong in their information seeing as there were no links between the two group with the exception of being oppositions.

"My father?" He had to act the part even though he knew the truth.

"Yes. Apparently they wish to hire your father for his service."

"He's a magician, unless they wanted a performance..."

"Kuroba Toichi's skillset is beyond the simple smoke and mirrors. He was also a renown escape artists." The man cut in, seeing that he had managed to unsettle the boy. He saw how the detective tried to comfort him, hoping this would be enough to have the detective start talking, for the sake of his friend.

Unbeknownst to Fujie, this was all an act. Mostly to see how far they could trust the man and to quickly leave this place.

"Look Fujie-san," Shinichi still had an arm wrapped around Kaito's shoulders, "I'm sure there is a mistake. Kaito's father would not willingly help out criminals. And if you are suggesting that he did, then you better think again." He tried to sound menacing, and he did pull that off.

"My apologies then." Fujie knew when he lost ground against the detective. He back down. "However, I do need to inform you that this group has taken an interest in you Kudo Shinichi. It would be wise to keep yourself safe..."

Both teens knew he wanted to keep them within the building and under their surveillance, but neither were willing to part with their own freedom.

"I won't need your protection, thank you very much. I will make sure I stay safe." He was ready to leave when a thought occurred to him. Something that had been bothering him since this morning. "This agent you just rescued...was he hurt badly?"

"He is in the medical bay right now, I can take you to see him." Even though Fujie won't be able to weasel any information out of the detective, he was still glad that the boy was concerned about his staff. He might just make some allowances for him to continue his quest. Who knows, the boy may prove to be useful and might be able to create a larger wedge that could help them arrest these criminals.

"Kaito," turning his attention back to his magician, he looked directly into the amethyst orbs, "do you want to stay here?"

It was an invitation, not a request, so Kaito had the option to choose to follow Shinichi or he could try to find out more by remaining in the room (and maybe trying his hand at cracking a virtual vault). In the end, he opted to go with Shinichi as Kaito still could not trust the people here. He'll be there as backup if he's needed.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Like any medical facilities, the medical room was placed at the lower floors of the building. It was too white and and too cold. Regardless of who owns the place, it still smelled of the nose numbing disinfectant and looked way too bright even in the artificial light. They approached the bed, seeing the person they helped to rescue wrapped up in bandages and blanket. He seems to be breathing normally. A nurse stood guard over her patient like a sentinel.

"We've had a few difficulties, didn't know if he'll pull through." Fujie said in a whisper so not to disturb the others in the room, not that there were many. "But we do try and take good care of those we call our own." He flashed the pair a pointed look.

"I do hope he'll recover." Shinichi replied with sincerity. It was good to know the man lived. "Has he said anything?"

"Not even woke up yet. That is why we need to scrooge for every last bit of information." He was trying to tug at Shinichi's heartstrings. "If you know or heard anything else..." He pulled out two namecards and handed them over.

"We can't promise anything." Kaito supplied, knowing that his detective is weak against people's pleads for help (why else would he knowingly walk into danger otherwise).

Fujie was surprised when he spoke up, thinking that the boy would still be in shock over the previous news.

"That's all I ask." He gave them a pleasant smile, that looked entirely too fake in Kaito's opinion, before gesturing them towards the office area once more. He stood by the entrance, with the intention to talk but was interrupted by Shinichi's phone.

The detective was about to excuse himself when the agent that brought them here requested to accompany him. Kaito gave him a scowl, hands itching to prank the man as he stood too close to Shinichi for his liking.

"Standard procedure. You are a guest and we need to ensure not are not leaking out our information."

Fortunately, it was a message so Shinichi unlocked the phone to open the message and allowed the agent to look over his shoulders as he did.

'So the Princess found the Pea. But Cinderella's step mother is still looking for the glass slipper in the attic. With Snow White's dwarves out at the mines, would the Witch be in time to take Snow White's Prince away? -Locasta-'

The message was not only cryptic but also from an unknown number. Shinichi had a vague idea who this was from. Though he first had to confirm. Kaito, who leaned in to rest his head on Shinichi's shoulders, also understood the meaning seeing as his detective had finally told him the story. He took the phone out of his detective's grasp, after all, KID was a master at this compared to Shinichi.

"Hey!" Shinichi exclaimed, only to be placated by quick lips meeting cheeks.

'Macbeth's meeting is overdue. A change in playlist as Feste and Escalus enters stage left. Would Hecate grace the Globe for a show?'

"I should hate you for this." Shinichi commented as Kaito sent out the message. The agent and Fujie was looking at them for an explanation. "My...Pen pal...that I met by chance. We often exchange riddles and messages..." Shinichi fed them a white lie. He really needs to break this habit. The lie is well received as the adults see no flaw (Shinichi thought they must be assuming that was how he entertained himself).

"I trust that you will keep the contents of this meeting a secret?" It was more of an order rather than a request. But both understood the need for secrecy. They nodded in consent. Maybe, just maybe, they would have a new ally in this mess.

They were allowed out once they signed the agreement for nondisclosure and were offered a ride back to the station, which they refused seeing as Kaito wanted them to visit the observation deck.

"So," Kaito wrapped an arm around Shinichi, leaning into his back as they took in the afternoon/dusk view of the Tokyo skyline, "what happens now?"

They were both content in this position. The atmosphere was calming, opposite of the hustle and bustle occurring at the lower floors, with few people sitting around at the nearby couches.

"We wait." Shinichi sank into his magician's embrace, not caring if anyone sees. "I had hope to be able to locate Hondo's sister but..."

"She'll surface when it's time." Kaito placed a kiss on his temple to calm his detective down.

"What if the conclusion I've found was true, that the reason behind the breakup between Ran and Hondo was..."

"Hush." Kaito placed a finger on Shinichi's lips before the detective became too agitated. He had thought Shinichi might have felt guilty because of he indirectly caused this to happen. Turning his detective so they were facing one another, he took Shinichi's chin in his hand to gaze directly at the muddy blue eyes, how Kaito disliked this particular shade of blue. "Don't worry. I'm sure everything would be fine in the end."

He tried to encourage a small smile from his detective, fingers brushing along the lower lips and parting it slightly, feeling the warm moist flesh underneath.

"Try and be a little bit more positive, it'll do wonders to lessen those stress lines."

"Kaito. This isn't the most concealing location..." Shinichi had to swat the wondering hand at his waist.

"Aw, Shinichi. A little sweetness wouldn't hurt." Kaito whispered close into his ear. "After all, we do want to put in a show for those agents that are still following us."

Yes, both of them realised early on that they were tailed. Thankfully, they were not bugged. Not that they won't have any means to disrupt their devices but it would be a pain to explain.

"Bothersome people..." He gave a small peck on the cheeks, hopefully it will satisfy his magician's need to show off.

Shinichi had not wanted to do anything but if these people realised how close the two of them were, they would put security around both of them and Shinichi would feel that much calmer knowing that Kaito is also protected. It was the same for Kaito, although he knew Shinichi to be capable, a little more protection would not hurt (though it will cut down on the alone time he could spend with his detective outside of the confines of their homes).

"Well, let's go grab some dinner. I don't know about you but I'm starving." He tugged his detective away from the mesmerizing scenery and towards to elevators. "So what do you feel like?"

Kaito made mindless chatter with his detective as a distraction. The agents followed them obediently like little ducklings. It was irritating but this was the only choice they have unless they want the PSB breathing down their neck for extended amounts of time. This way, once they see they are plain and ordinary (not that they really are, but in these agent's eyes they should be) teenagers, they should be able to breath easier. And by that time, they should hopefully have gained their trust and Kaito would have to repay them for their work (he is already looking forward to that day).

-TBC-


A/N: If someone notices any mistakes, leave a note. Is this considered as an omake? Well, it's more of an explanation of the riddles. It'll be a different approach to writing and it's not really part of the story (and because I missed Conan a bit so he's the star).


-OMAKE (?): Welcome to Conan's Classroom!-

Whiteboard was set up in the darkened studio set, video cameras are running and everything was read to go.

Conan: Welcome to Conan's Riddle Classroom! I'm your host Edogawa Conan! Pleased to meet you all finally!

Jigen: GAKI! Why did you send me this?!

Jigen waved around his mobile.

Conan: Arere? How come? I made sure to forward it from Shinichi-niisan's phone to my number...

There was no trace of embarrassment or remorse from his action. Most likely it was intentional

Jigen: Not buying it! And a young'un like you shouldn't be messing with women older than you!

Conan's glasses glinted even without extra lighting

Conan: Oh? So you of all people deciphered it? Even though you guys were extremely bad at making riddles?

Jigen: Hey!

Footfalls echoed on the linoleum floor, getting louder until a pair of white loafers and red jacket appeared.

Lupin III: Actually, I solved it for him. You know, maybe you can give me the number of this nee-chan. She's bound to be a beauty.

Conan: Only if you feel like getting stung by the queen bee...but how do you even know it's a female?

Lupin III: The name "Locasta" comes from Wizard of Oz...

Conan: Stop, stop! You'll spoil the plot if you say more on that!

Lupin III scratched his head.

Lupin III: Warui. But she does have a nice body though...anyways, the Princess in this case is your Shinichi-niisan and the Pea is definitely the agent in question.

Jigen: And Cinderella's step mother is otherwise known as the Evil Step Mother, so the Mother of Evil in a sense. The villain in the series.

Lupin III: Though if you're looking for something, you might consider calling me. That "Glass Slipper" is somewhere in Beika isn't it? Your attic so to speak.

Jigen: And Snow White's dwarves are her little minions...so agents working for someone, or multiple someones.

There was silence in the studio that you could hear a pin drop.

Conan: Oi, oi. Don't tell me you guys are stuck...

Jigen and Lupin III laughed nervously.

Conan: You two are lechers. You're only able to solve the parts involving people without the Y-chromosomes.

Conan sighed.

Conan: The term "Snow White" is actually making fun of the opponent, where white is black and black is white. But the Prince in the next phrase is someone Snow White had set their eyes on.

Jigen and Lupin III looked eager for Conan's explanation.

Jigen and Lupin III: And? And?

Conan: Kaito-niisan's reply is actually pretty simple. It's themed around Shakespeare's works. Macbeth is famous for its starting Witch scene amongst other things. Feste is the Fool in Twelfth Night and Escalus the Prince from Romeo and Juliet. The Fool is often mistakened for a Jester and the Prince is the force of law in that particular setting. Changes in playlist is the change in how things are going.

Lupin III: Hacate is synonymous with a witch, and is suspected to be the name of one of the witches in Shakespeare's plays. The Globe is the theater where many of the Bard's plays were held. Nice~

Lupin III whistled in appreciation. Conan facepalmed. The word womanizer comes to mind.

Conan crouched down, hand on the dial on his shoes.

Conan: Next time, don't barge in!

Conan released the soccer ball from his belt and kicked, hard, towards the pair of thieves.

Jigen and Lupin III yelped and started running.

Conan: Well, that's that! See you next show~

Conan bowed, cameras turned themselves off, stage lights finally dimmed and studio became quite once more.

-END OMAKE-