28: Calling in a Favor

Conan sat deep in thought back in his dusty old room at the Kudo Mansion. It was nearly two in the morning, but he stubbornly remained awake, glaring resentfully into the darkness. The only light that fell upon him streamed through the window. There was a full moon.

"It's a bit late for meetings isn't it, tantei-kun? Or early, depending on one's view." Remarked a certain thief's suave voice. Dressed in his white suit, Kaitou KID crouched on the windowsill like a cat. His cape rippled in a nonexistent wind, adding to the mysterious air the magician commanded.

"You still came." Conan said with a tired smirk. KID grinned back, teeth flashing, "with an invitation such as the one I found in yesterday's paper, well… what kind of gentleman would I be if I ignored it?" The faux child snorted, "it could have been a trap."

"I was curious."

"Curiosity killed the cat." Conan argued.

"Satisfaction brought it back." KID smirked, "I'm not here to argue about my reasons for coming, so… give me satisfaction." He grinned again, looking for all the world like a Cheshire cat.

"There was a bet." Conan announced unexpectedly. "Hattori said that if I contacted you, you wouldn't even show up and Haibara had faith that you'd show up, but didn't believe you'd even consider doing what I'm going to ask you." The magician's brow furrowed, "and you?" Conan ducked his head in embarrassment. "I bet that you would show up if I sent a message and would not only hear me out, but would seriously contemplate what I'm going to ask."

"I am touched that you have such faith in me" KID said, "but so far you have been only drawing out my desire to know what this task is. I need to know what this favor is, before I even contemplate doing it."

Conan nodded, "well, it is potentially dangerous, most certainly illegal, and I have personal stakes riding on this task's completion." KID's eyes lit up in interest. "You know that I am really Kudo Shinichi" Conan continued at a whisper, "what you don't know is what caused this", he gestured to himself, "regression back into childhood." Conan sighed, "the short version is that I made a rookie mistake while watching an illegal deal involving certain men who use alcoholic beverages as code names. While one was involved in the blackmail deal, the other came up behind me and hit me over the head. To get rid of their witness, they poisoned me with an experimental drug that was supposed to leave no trace. Instead of killing me, it shrank me!"

KID grinned, holding in a laugh.

"We've uncovered one of their labs where they've been continuing research on the poison, Apotoxin 4869. I need you to break in and steal it so that Haibara can devise an antidote." Conan finished, setting down a file and finally noticing the thief's state of mirth.

"Why are you laughing?!" The shrunken detective shouted in affronted annoyance. "This isn't a laughing matter!"

KID continued chuckling, "I know, but… you shrank because of a poison!" Conan glared at the magician as he snickered. "It's just… that's what really happened?" KID gasped, "here I'd been thinking that you'd run afoul of a witch!"

Conan frowned, sulking. "Tch. Witches aren't real you stupid magician."

KID sobered abruptly, though his eyes continued to shine with amusement and hidden knowledge, "hnn… that's what you think. I wonder how long you'd be able to hold that opinion if you had a witch trying to make you her slave. Gah! Voodoo-dolls are not fun, tantei-kun! I'll get back to you on that 'favor', see ya! Kikiki!" With a cheery tip of his hat, KID dropped out the window and vanished into the night, the folder vanishing with him.

"And I'd been beginning to doubt everyone who said he was crazy." Conan remarked dryly as he tried to follow the magician's abrupt change in subject. With a yawn, the detective gave up and finally called it a night.

A week later a package was delivered to the Kudo Mansion. Upon opening it, Conan was greeted by several vials marked Aptx 4869 and a letter authenticated by KID's grinning caricature. The young detective handed off the vials to Haibara with trepidation and opened the letter.

Tantei-kun-

Looks like you won the bet; those crows really need better security. Don't worry, I was in and out, they'll never even know I was even there.

On the matter of witches… the witch I know cornered me and told me to tell you, that Lucifer told her…. 'The daemon of light, like a silver beacon, splits the night of least fortune. Isolated he may fall, surrounded snuffed out, but for the one who bears promises and promises in return: together in triumph.'

Don't ask me what she means. None of her previous prophecies have ever led to my downfall despite repeatedly spelling my doom. Then again, that could be because she can't bring herself to actually kill me. Tantei-kun, if I ever die a suspicious death, it was either her or the crows.

-Kaitou KID ;D

p.s. I think she may have a voodoo-doll of you, so if you ever randomly feel like you've been shot or impaled without a reason… well, don't say I didn't warn you.

Conan laughed humorlessly. This guy…. Obviously Nakamori-keibu and the Kaitou KID Task Force were entirely correct when they claimed that the Moonlight Magician was insane. That didn't mean that he was any less a genius, though. After all, it was thanks to him that Haibara had the original poison to make an antidote from.