7: Chance Meeting During a Future Disaster; Unmasked
Shinichi Kudo and Heiji Hattori walked cheerfully along the pier. Ice crunched merrily underfoot and stars twinkled brightly up above. Four years ago Ai Haibara had managed to finally create a cure for the Apotoxin 4869, returning Shinichi to his rightful age. Three years since they, with the help of some others, managed to bring the Black Organization down. Last but not least… two days since Shinichi had proposed to Ran Mouri, the love of his life… two days since she had said "yes". Life was finally looking up.
Not far, but still out of sight of the two detectives, a meeting was taking place. Kaito, wearing a black hat and a large coat, stood on the end of one dock looking for the entire world like some sort of drunk. A fake beard was taped expertly to his face as he waited anxiously for his informant.
Three years ago a great calamity in a large branch of his crow's organization collapsed thanks to the work of a formerly chibi detective. The lesser branch that acted as his foe used the panic to hide their own actions and discover his identity. The resulting attack on Kaito had led to his mother being put into a coma and him faking his own death. He couldn't even tell Aoko as he was forced into hiding.
For three years he'd traveled all over the world holding shadow heists in his continued search for Pandora and lived off of money earned by amateur street magic performances. Of course he kept all his skills sharp, but Kaitou KID had been killed with Kaito Kuroba and he needed to lay low. He missed Aoko, his old life, and the fun of his dramatic heists from before, but at least he could still take pride in the fact that the 'Kage Kaitou' had never been seen. Not even once.
Shuffling footsteps alerted him to the arrival of his… no. "I take it my informant ratted me out to you." Kaito said, using a voice far gruffer and deeper than his own. Snake and an unnamed crow smirked at him, their hands hidden under their coat lapels. "He did… after we pulled out several of his fingernails." Snake said.
Kaito's expression didn't even waver though his anger grew. He sighed and turned to face them fully, "and here I thought I was keeping under your radar." The two criminals pulled out their handguns. "You were, but it only took one slip up of your friend to alert us of your existence. Any last words?" Kaito looked up as though in thought, "bye, bye brilliant blue blossom." He settled with, thinking of Aoko.
BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!
With a jerky step backwards, Kaito fell off the pier and through the thin ice that coated the deep dark water. With victorious sneers, Snake and his companion turned and walked away, tucking their still warm guns out of sight.
Shinichi and Heiji stood frozen in shock before instinctively bolting in the direction of the shooting. Slipping on the slick wooden dock, Shinichi nearly went over the edge if not for Heiji jerking him back by the collar of his jacket. "Whoever was shot fell down there," Shinichi surmised, not even pausing to think about how close he was to following their victim.
Heiji responded in kind, "so, he was standing close enough to the edge that the shots sent 'im backwards over. Definitely sounded like a hand gun, but this was definitely not a suicide. One doesn't shoot oneself four times for a suicide." Shinichi nodded, "there's doesn't seem to be much blood… just a sec."
The light in his watch flicked on and Shinichi frowned, "make that no blood and soggy footprints. The victim is still alive and if we assume the nearly murderers fled after he fell, then he has only a… three minute head start on us. He won't have gotten far, though I assume the shooters are long gone."
Guided by Shinichi's light and their gut feelings, the two detectives ended up outside a dark warehouse. "Lock's been picked" Heiji whispered. Shinichi nodded and cautiously slid the door open. He froze as he came face to face with the short barrel of a handgun. Still there was something familiar about the weapon. Shinichi frowned pensively while Heiji, seeing his friend in danger leapt into action.
He grabbed the shadowy figure's arm and forced the gun from his hand while simultaneously heading into a spin accompanied by an elbow to the stomach. As their assailant doubled over, Heiji grabbed the front of his coat and swung him around so he was pinned to the warehouse door by an iron grip. His other fist came back, preparing to land the finishing punch.
"Stop!" Shinichi exclaimed and the Osakan froze.
Shinichi had picked up the gun that had so recently been pointed at his face and now stood with a smug smirk. "I was never in any danger, the one who owns this gun has a rule against hurting people. Isn't that right KID?" Heiji gaped, "This guy's Kaitou KID?!" Shinichi nodded, "I found red paint on the handle, he obviously faked his death at the hands of those killers by diverting their attention and creating his own 'fatal injury.' He thought we were... why hasn't he escaped yet?"
Concerned by the thief's continued silence, Shinichi turned his light upon the trapped magician. "KID!" He cried in alarm.
The magician's hat was gone and long tangled brown locks fell to his shoulders. He was still soaking wet and his face was unhealthily pale with blue lips and unfocused eyes. His breathing was light and uneven. Surprised as well, Heiji loosened his grip only to have to catch the thief as he nearly toppled over.
Supporting the magician's body, Heiji could feel how unhealthily light he was. He turned to Shinichi. "My house." The Detective of the East ordered. Slinging KID's arm over his shoulder, Heiji stood. Shinichi went to KID's other side and supported him there. Together they all but carried him as quickly as possible to 221 Beika St.
Quickly opening his door, Shinichi led Hattori inside. "He's freezin'." Hattori stated. "Shower", Shinichi replied, pulling the other two to the closest bathroom. He turned on the water and set the temperature to lukewarm. "We need to warm him up gradually." Together they hauled the unresponsive thief into the tub.
KID flinched as the spray hit his face and opened his eyes. "Where am I?" He mumbled. "Your at my house KID." The thief blinked and seemed to become more lucid, "tantei-kun?" "Yes." KID relaxed and Shinichi gradually raised the water temperature. The magician was entirely coherent by the time the water had become comfortably warm. "Ne Kudo?" He said, "do you have any dry clothes I can borrow?"
Eyes wide, Shinichi blinked, he should have thought of that before, "ah… yeah." He rushed out leaving Heiji to watch their 'guest'. The detective and the thief stared at each other. "What's with your hair?" Heiji asked, breaking the silence, "it's so long ya look like a girl." KID blinked, then laughed, "I've been in hiding and actually for a while I was posing daily as a girl."
Heiji frowned, "hmm… aren't ya normally a bit more formal?" The magician smirked, "I am whatever is most suitable for the moment… and right now I am in the debt of two detectives, so I figure an amount of straightforwardness is in order." The detective grinned, "then ya wouldn't mind tellin' me who ya are?" Again KID laughed, "not at all, Kuroba Kaito at your service." He tipped an imaginary hat.
Heiji gaped, just like that KID had told him his identity. "D-did ya seriously… just tell me, just like that?!" He stuttered. Kaito sighed, "At this point I see no reason not to tell you", his expression turned sad, "it's not like I have anything left to lose."
Shinichi entered again schlepping a stack of cloth. "We'll give you some privacy, Kuroba Kaito." Heiji said, emphasizing his name for Shinichi's convenience much to the magician's amusement. Before the modern Holmes could respond he was ushered out by the Osakan.
Kaito emerged moments later dressed in the soft pajamas and a robe that he'd been given. His shoulder length hair had been combed and in all he felt cleaner than he'd been for a while. That did not necessarily mean he felt better however. Silently he entered the door to the Kudo Mansion Library to find the two detectives on the computer.
"So you've looked me up." He surmised, sadistically pleased at the startled jump the duo made having not noticed his entrance. "Father: Kuroba Toichi- deceased during a stage incident when a magic trick went wrong, mother: Kuroba Chikage- currently hospitalized and in a coma, closest relation: Konusuke Jii- deceased from heart attack, Kuroba Kaito- deceased, died of multiple stab wounds during the same attack on his home that put his mother in a coma…." Shinichi listed.
Kaito winced, "I was lucky on that score, one of my doctors was willing to cover my tracks after I told him that the attack wasn't random." He sighed, "I wasn't affective taking the stage and I haven't been successful from the shadows either." Shinichi smirked in victory, "so it was you! Kaitou Kage! All along it was you!" Kaito nodded. "If it became so dangerous, why'd ya keep stealing?" Heiji asked.
Kaito raised an eyebrow, "did danger stop you guys from going after your Black Organization?" Shinichi frowned, "'your Black Organization' he repeated, so you're saying you have a Black Organization too?" Kaito grinned cheerlessly, "yep, and KID's been trying to take them down long before you had your 'little' problem. Actually, the power vacuum left by the collapse of the main branch allowed my smaller branch to come out more in the open. It… prompted the attack on my mother and me… I had to leave or risk…."
"So for all those years… I thought you- KID was dead… you were really trying to take them down?" Kaito nodded, "I've been traveling around, stealing gems, and surviving off of street performing." Heiji snorted, "I really can't imagine ya bein' satisfied with only that." Kaito shrugged, "until I can get rid of those crows I can't live a normal life; after all… I'm dead."
"What are you searching for?"
Kaito grinned, "I've missed you tantei-kun, nobody else has been so adept at reading me and solving all my little riddles and clues." Shinichi rolled his eyes, "you can't distract me from my question, what are you looking for?" Kaito exhaled loudly, "that's for you to find out if you can… I don't- can't trust you with everything. I'm afraid that all the secrets I've shared are those of a dead man; I don't want to add others onto that list. Stay out of it." He turned around.
"Wait!" Heiji shouted. Kaito looked back at him questioningly, "stay here the night." He finished much to the room's other two occupants' shock. "I helped carry ya here… ya were too light, when was the last time ya ate? When was the last time ya slept? When was the last time ya were safe for even just a night?" Kaito winced and Shinichi caught on.
"How do you feel? You were just shot at and dropped into a mostly frozen river." Shinichi added.
The magician shifted uncomfortably under the sharp scrutiny of the two detectives. "I…" he paused to think and admitted defeat, "I can't remember." At the lack of change in their stares he sighed, "I haven't eaten a full meal in weeks, I haven't slept much more than maybe… 7 hours in the last week, I am sore and achy, still freezing, bruised because Kevlar can't prevent all injuries. I'm not thinking straight, that much is obvious from how compliant I'm being, exhausted. And… I don't know… how long… since I've felt safe."
Heiji nodded in satisfaction at Kaito's admissions. "Well then… I'll make food." Shinichi grinned, "I'll set up a guest room." Kaito frowned at them in confusion. "We're on opposite sides of the law, how do I know you won't just turn me in?"
The detective of the west scoffed, "We don't want to see ya dead, turnin' ya in would only get ya killed if your guys are the same as our Black Organization was." Shinichi crossed his arms, "besides, you're actually an okay guy past all your pranks and mind games, you've helped me more often than I'd care to admit, saved my life even. Giving you sanctuary until you defeat your crows is the least we do…. It's decided, you'll stay here and we won't turn you in. Detective's honor."
Kaito glanced incredulously between the two, but they seemed sincere. Instead of saying anything, Kaito stretched gingerly and yawned widely, letting himself slouch. Heiji vanished into the kitchen and Shinichi vanished upstairs. Shaking his head in bemusement, the magician plopped down into one of the comfy armchairs that furnished the warm library with an Arsene Lupin book he'd found during a quick glance at the shelf.
Ten minutes later the two detectives reentered the library to find the magician curled up like a cat, fast asleep, his book lying discarded on the floor. They shared a glance. It didn't matter what the thief thought; he couldn't stop them from trying to help take down this new Black Organization.