-FIRSTS-
Disclaimer: The works of Detective Conan and Magic Kaito belongs to Gosho Aoyama-sensei.
Warning: KaiShin relationship.
A/N: Delayed chapter cuz...life...
First Accusations
It was nearing 3am in the morning when Kaito finally returned to the apartment. The cast had been rowdy at the final show, insisting he stay for the after party. Kaito had called for Shinichi to join him but his detectives said he was busy with a case.
Gently, he let the front door close with a soft thud, taking care to avoid the traps that were set. He noticed the small glow from the bedroom area and peeked only. To his annoyance, his detective was still up, with a laptop on his lap and several sheets of paper scattered around him.
"I thought you have morning classes tomorrow. Shouldn't you be sleeping by now?" Kaito removed his jacket, hanging it on a nearby hook.
"Kaito!" Shinichi was startled from his thoughts, not noticing the return of his magician. "Welcome home. Sorry I couldn't join you at the party."
"When you said you had a case, I wasn't expecting you to be working on the ongoing case. Alone." Kaito picked up a sheet of paper, holding it against the limited light provided by the computer screen, he noticed a few recognizable names. There were also a series of addresses along with something resembling a timetable. "What are you planning Love?"
"I think it's about time we fought back." Shinichi handed Kaito a small stack of paper that had been sitting on the bedside table. "These were the information decoded from Zeus' Ring."
Kaito swore vehemently as he read the information. "Weapons design, biochemical blueprints, government information. What is all this? It looks as though they could have taken over the world should they choose!"
"I'm guessing no one ever actually deciphered the contents of the ring before. That and the ring had been kept in a very secure location that no one knew about until recently." Shinichi rubbed his face with frustration. "It is also as likely that no one had a device that could actually read the thing. The Professor really outdid himself."
Kaito shared a smile with Shinichi, the Professor was a genius in his own right even if some of his inventions does turn out to be strange creations and more weapon-like than the child-friendly things he was aiming for.
"How did that agent managed to come across this?" Kaito leafed through a few more sheets. "It even has notes about that poison."
"I'd like to say luck but I don't think this is the case here." Shinichi squeezed the bridge of his nose, scrunching up his face. "It's too much of a coincidence, what with the Organization splintering."
Kaito reached out to the laptop, closing the lid to put it on sleep, and set it aside. Shinichi raised a questioning eyebrow at him when Kaito proceeded to remove the scattered paper notes and began pushing him down into the bed.
"If you want to actually head into class tomorrow, and you have been complaining about attendance records, then you better sleep." Gently, Kaito tugged the blanket and tucked his detective in. "Sometimes I have to wonder about you." Shaking his head, Kaito tutted. "And you better be asleep when I come back out." He headed in the direction of the bathroom as Shinichi looked warmly at his retreating back, not noticing the small smile playing on his detective's lips.
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Days came and went, everything seemed normal to everyone except for the magician-detective pair. They were a bunch of nervous energy, always looking over their shoulders. Though this time, they were more discrete and seemed less stressed (though the term less is really quite relative, the situation was more stressful than trying to apprehend a serial murder but less than trying to disarm a ticking time bomb). As more of the Ring had been deciphered, as the Professor sent them more of the findings, the pair filtered the selected information to the relevant agencies. But none of the agencies were willing to act yet, stating "there was not enough proof". Shinichi complained vehemently to Kaito about the bureaucracy involved and how the so-called responsible agencies for defense only act when they feel like it. More than once, Kaito heard Shinichi muttering "selfish-pricks" along with choice adjectives that Nakamori-keibu would spout during KID's heist.
"And here I thought we would get that breakthrough." Shinichi sighed into his coffee as they sat in the outdoor café.
"You expect too much from them." Kaito spoke from experience. It was the main reason why he took up the KID mantle. The uncooperative nature of law enforcement and the possible corruption makes it difficult for Kaito to trust. He could never know who was a double, or triple, agent. "At least we still have Division One if all else fails."
"I really don't want to involve them..." Shinichi tipped the now empty coffee cup from side to side, clinking on the table top. Kaito had to wonder how Shinichi could drain the hot liquid so fast as there were still traces of steam coming from inside the cup.
All of a sudden, an OL approached their table and without warning, sat down on the empty chair. Both tensed as they turned their attention to the intruder.
"You're playing with fire you know right?" Sultry English flowed from the blood red lips. "You're bound to be burned if you don't have the right precautions. Demon hunting is serious business, even if you fire the Silver Bullet." The lady nudged the wire rimmed glasses further up the nose, drawing attention to her crystalline eyes. She winked playfully at Kaito before turning her full attention to the detective sitting opposite her.
Tension was immediately released once they realised who the stranger was. Though they still kept up their guard, there was on telling what the woman would do.
"And you know how to effectively kill a demon?" Shinichi leaned back in his seat. "Since you're alone today, I'm assuming not many know of the change of events."
Cautiously, Kaito did a visual survey of the cafe, not noticing any particularly badly dressed individuals or suspicious characters. He tried to act relaxed but it is somewhat difficult when in the presence of the woman, seeing as her motives are still unclear even if they are quite certain as to where her loyalties lie.
The OL did not deem it necessary to answer, instead she raised her hand and ordered a black coffee, a hazelnut latte, and a floral tea for Shinichi, Kaito, and herself in that order. Kaito did not want to know how she knew his favourite in this particular cafe as he made a habit of ordering different drinks each time he visited. It just goes to show how extensive her information network is.
"May I at least ask how you came by this news at least?" Shinichi sounded resigned.
"You underestimate Our network. It should be quite evident that we have feelers everywhere." She smiled seductively. "Afterall, we are all involved in some sticky business that requires delicacy in handling. You know how it is, fragile goods, this side up." She used the hand nearest the window and pointed upwards as she tilted her head in the same direction.
Both immediately looked out the window. The streets were still filled with businessman, road still crowed with cars as is particular for the time of day. Looking up along the building facade, they strained their eyes on the rooftop but not seeing any sudden glint that indicated surveillance (or possible snipers) on them. Shinichi quirked an eyebrow, gesturing her to elaborate. Kaito, on the other hand, glanced in particular at the ceilings inside the cafe. Strategically placed at the corners were internal CCTV cameras. Conspicuously, Kaito directed his detective's attention at the cameras. It was highly likely whoever were keeping an eye on them would have hacked into the cafe's security feed. Shinichi frowned and grunted in distaste.
"If the goods are so fragile, then it would be best to be kept out of sight. No need to draw unwanted attention just yet."
Kaito knew, the goods in question were the two of them. Someone had set their eyes on them and in such a sensitive time as well. He silently wondered how many other cameras, computers, or security feeds had been hacked and taken exploited. It also made him wonder if their own security were enough to protect against the information leak. If the woman managed to get her hands on it, then how many more would be able to stumble across the information stored inside their own laptops.
"Dearies, I'm not the one with the attention to details. However, a special blend of cocktail can always draw attention away, especially if blended correctly. After all, who doesn't like alcohol?" She grinned. "Traditional drinks such as Long Island Ice Tea always draw in the crowd, though it really does depend on the blend. Too much of one spoils the drink." She raised her cup of coffee as though to toast.
Neither detective or magician echoed the action. Kaito in particular thinks this was something to catch them off guard. The mention of alcoholic cocktails were enough to put them at unease.
"Anyways, it's been nice catching up with the two of you." She smiled amicably as she elegantly rose from her seat. "Maybe we'll see each other some time later." She did not bother to pick up the bill and walked coolly out the cafe, jingling the bells as the door closes.
Shinichi slumped over in his seat but Kaito did not worry. He had half the mind to mimic his detective's action. Kaito could faintly hear Shinichi cursing under his breath, about blond actresses and inconvenient meetings.
"So, how should we approach this?" Kaito voiced out with the intention of breaking his detective away from his foul mood. Having something to focus on generally can be a distraction enough for Shinichi.
"Well, I now know I've caught the attention of more than just the US and Japan. How many were paying attention to my action is unknown, though it seems they would be willing to help if it involves a certain topic." Shinichi had to somehow figure out which agents are worth more to which agency. He was sure Vermouth was high on the FBI list, Rum on the CIA, though where would the other lackies fit and how many sleeper agents were inside the Organisation is quite unknown at this point. Stumbling blindly into the fray could mean inadvertently endangering embedded agents.
"I'm getting the feeling that it really depends on the target, though it is possible they don't want to remove their own people from the mixture." Kaito took a napkin from the nearby holder and began folding it into something intricate, drawing Shinichi's eyes to his actions in the process. It was easier for Kaito to think if he had something occupying his hands. It was either this or he start doing tricks and juggling. "Maybe they want to flush out members from other groups, or maybe they're just curious. Though the only thing that worries me is how they came by the information. It's as though their networks are as large, if not larger than, the people we're pursuing."
"Those up North are always on the lookout. I wouldn't be surprised." Sitting back up, Shinichi drained his cup of coffee. "She had given us clear indications of her alliances, though never her motive."
"Enough talk." Kaito waved for the waitress but stopped mid action when he noticed a pair of eyes deliberately making contact with them. Shinichi followed Kaito's gaze and landed on a table three seats away. "Why is she here?" He moaned out loud.
"She's just probably concerned about our progress." Shinichi let out a wane smile. "Or more likely she's worried about her brother. We have, in essence, cut off her ties."
As they left the cafe, their stalker followed and both led them to an abandoned lot nearby. Kaito made quick work to secure the perimeter and set his doves on look out as they wait for the other party to approach. Minutes later, a smart looking man walked around the corner and climbed pass the fencing to approach them.
"What is it that you so desperately want to know?" It sounded as though Shinichi was impatient. "You're going to blow your cover if you continue to tail us."
"You made a promise Kudo-kun. You were supposed to get my brother out." Mizunashi Rena had a pained look on her disguised face. It was one that was quite familiar to Shinichi as it reminded him of his time as Conan, the powerless feeling and desperation.
"Trust me, I'm doing everything I can to pull him out. But his ability to blend into the crowd actually made him more valuable to the CIA and Organisation alike."
"We've even tried discrediting him, though it's not doing much good." Kaito added his two cents, hopefully it would alleviate some of her worries. "We're working as best we can but the Americans are stubborn."
"We'll try to keep you informed." Shinichi wanted this conversation over. Even though they only went for classes and not much had happened, the previous meeting had tired him out more than actually playing a full soccer match.
She gritted her teeth, knowing full well it was the best deal she had, and retreated back the way she came. Once she was out of sight, and after Kaito recalled all his doves, Shinichi latched onto Kaito's waist and buried his more in the curve of his neck. It startled and scared Kaito to the point were he nearly pulled out the hidden card gun.
"Sorry." Shinichi apologized after several minutes of standing and nuzzling. "Just that..."
"No need to apologise." Kaito patted on the top of his head, running his hand along the hair to calm his detective, knowing he was probably just rattled from two consecutive meetings that were equally stressful even if they were different in nature. Kaito did not mind one bit, rather he quite like how his detective fitted himself nicely beside his body, and how he was depended upon.
"Then thanks." Shinichi beamed. It melted Kaito, dissolving him into a puddle.
Kaito smiled stupidly and laid a gentle kiss on the temples.
"Any time Love." Gripping onto his detective tighter, he led them along the path that would take them back to the apartment.
-TBC-
