40: A Little Twist

Death nodded politely to Lady Fortune as she approached, smiling gently. He offered her a hand to aid her as she sat next to him.

"Ever the gentleman." Fortuna teased.

Death shrugged, his large black wings rustling with the movement. "When one is met by a beautiful lady, one acts one's best."

Fortuna snorted daintily, casting him an amused smile. "You're just lucky you're charming half the time, or I wouldn't let you get away with the pranks you perform the other half."

Death hummed, "so I've got a killer sense of humor, it's not my fault I don't want to be as boring and stiff as the people I deal with."

Fortuna rolled her eyes, "that one wasn't even funny. Speaking of… how's that funny little favorite you're always following around."

Death nodded across the roof on which they sat, "see for yourself."

The stairway door slammed open, allowing Kaitou KID and Edogawa Conan access to the sky. The presence of both immortal entities went entirely unmarked by the detective and thief.

Fortuna frowned, "I thought he'd be taller."

Death scoffed, "you say that as though your favorite human is much better. Were they both physically the correct age, they'd be nearly the same height."

Fortuna blushed, "he's not my favorite", she denied with little sincerity and much embarrassment.

Death shook his head in bemusement. "You follow him around and do your work through him, as I act through my favorite. What would you call it if not favoritism."

"He's my champion." Fortuna said dramatically, "no matter the situation or danger he always gets away, usually unscathed for that matter, that's why he's my favorite. He makes his own luck."

Death rolled his eyes, "He'd have died ages ago if you hadn't come begging me not to take him. You're just lucky that I have some respect for your 'champion' as well. He makes such a great rival for my champion; an intellectual challenge of great difficulty with far less danger than that Shadow Syndicate poses."

"Black Organization", Fortuna corrected mildly.

"A rose by any other name, my dear", Death continued, "his love for life is inspiring and his ability to move on despite death is what makes him my favorite."

Now it was Fortuna's turn to scoff and she waved at the two humans, still bantering back and forth with each other. "Have you seen half the stunts he's pulled! If I didn't give him a healthy dose of luck out of fondness for you… well, he'd probably have fallen off some building!"

Death blinked entirely black eyes before grinning widely with far too many sharp teeth. "Then we're in agreement?"

Fortuna glared at him for only a moment before she cracked and also smiled. "Always."

"After all, there must be balance." Death justified.

"Fate would kill us if there wasn't", Fortuna agreed.

"Only I have the power to kill things." Death argued.

"It's just an expression, honey." Fortuna placated.

Death crossed his arms petulantly. "Speaking of killing, I don't appreciate it when you set up murders around my charge. It's fine when it happens to yours, but mine has enough to worry about without your shenanigans."

Fortuna hunched her shoulders bashfully, "I just figure it's best for those who can handle such things to be the ones who should be on hand to deal with it."

Death sighed, "it is an odd sort of balance I have to admit", he muttered.

"Ah." Fortuna realized, "that's what bothers you is it?"

Death nodded, sinking into the shadows before rematerializing at the shoulder of his white-clad ward. Invisible and intangible, he caressed the air by KID's cheek. "The one so full of life, chosen as my favorite, and thus… never to feel my touch. I've tried so hard to put off his suffering the demise of those close to him, ever since his father, because once they are gone it will still never be his destiny to join them in the afterlife. Death's favorite, blessed and cursed to be free from death."

Lady Fortune glided across the roof to kneel by her champion, Edogawa Conan. "And he, Kudo Shinichi, favorite of mine, to never be lucky. I set every misfortune in his path that I'm able, every grief, because nobody else would ever be able to handle it. Every murder that occurs at his feet, every injury to befall him, because only he could stand against it while clinging to what joys he can find and the peace of knowing he's helped another. Fortune's favorite, forever unfortunate, but for when he makes his own."

"The balance" Death murmured as KID took flight and Conan turned to descend.

"Kuroba Kaito shall never die, in return for death holding off its work in his presence." Fortuna started.

"Kudo Shinichi shall never know good fortune, in return for always making others more fortunate." Death finished.

"But we help each other and take care of our own", the entities said together.

"I grant the detective more fortitude, by letting his loved ones remain by his side." Death allowed.

"I give the thief more daring, by giving him the luck he needs to succeed beyond all other magicians." Fortuna smiled.

"Together, we give them what they need to suffer what they must."

Death and Lady Fortune shook hands and each faded, returning to follow and guard their champion; Death beside the lively magician, and Fortune beside the jinxed detective.

(In most of the supernatural sort of stories where Death and Luck are anthropomorphized… Death follows Shinichi, while Fortune follows Kaito. I decided to switch it around. Death likes Kaito because he makes people livelier by non-violently spreading excitement; Fortune likes Shinichi because he makes people luckier by always making truth and justice prevail. However, Shinichi himself is always unlucky, with murders and crimes constantly happening around him; and Kaito… well… I see death as a reward for once your work is done to its fullest extent, like sleep after a long and busy day. Kaito will never know that peace himself, even as others die around him – maybe he finds Pandora and this is the result.)