47: Mischief, Mayhem, and Madness
The setup was about what Shinichi had been expecting when the location had been named. Gin, Vodka, and a suited man stood in the center of the building's incomplete second floor, looking down on Shinichi and Heiji where they stood on the first.
"Champagne, I presume." Shinichi spoke first.
"You actually came. I can't say I'm surprised, you… detectives… being as emotional and self-sacrificing as you are." Champagne gestured and two thugs dragged a limp and shackled body forward, holding it up so it was visible. "Honestly, the rational decision would be to leave him with us- he's no use to you. He's too broken to be of use to anyone." Champagne ran a finger along his captive's jaw almost lovingly, until he struck like lightning to grip the battered magician's throat and force his head up to show dull, dead, violet eyes. "I should just put him out of his misery."
Champagne's grip tightened and, though his oxygen supply had just been cut off, the magician didn't react. Releasing the magician, Champagne smiled, as though he had just proven a point. "See? It's too late. There's nothing left to save."
Shinichi gazed calmly at the Champagne, one arm holding back his companion and fellow detective. "I came for the trade you proposed. Me for KID, why are trying to convince me to not go through with it?"
Champagne brushed the lapels of his suit jacket demurely, "I'd never do anything of the sort." He smirked, "I'm just stalling so my friends can take care of your friends. The ones you've got waiting outside."
"Ya bastard!" Heiji spat.
"So you've double crossed us." Shinichi said dryly, putting his hands into his pockets. "Why am I not surprised. It changes nothing, though… it is still my goal to free KID."
The magician shifted slightly, staring searchingly at the detective from under his wild bangs. Shinichi met his desolate eyes without flinching, giving the thief a determined nod.
"We ain't leavin' withou' 'im!" Heiji agreed, clenching his fists and moving into a firmer, fighting stance.
Champagne laughed, making Vodka's fingers twitch towards his gun in an annoyance that even Gin seemed to feel, even if he remained perfectly still.
"Such a bold claim", Champagne flaunted, "unfortunately… none of you will be leaving here alive."
As though reacting to some preordained cue, KID's eyes suddenly sharpened and he let his weight drop, ripping his arms out of the grasp of the two thugs who had been straining to hold him up for the entire meeting. Used to holding him as dead weight, they were slow to react to his sudden activity. Kicking into their knees as he landed on the floor, the magician knocked their heads together before hand springing back to his feet and leaving the unconscious thugs sprawling.
Using the foot of chain between his manacles instead of allowing it to hinder him, the thief wrapped the chain around Vodka's neck, letting Gin's bullets strike the large man in his stead. Leaping over the organization member's dead body he charged towards the silver-haired assassin, who skipped backwards for more space.
To the dumbfounded detectives watching from below, both pairs of eyes looked equally emotionless and ice cold as the two clashed lethally.
Somehow, KID managed to duck and dodge each of the older man's shots without loosing much momentum. Even when he did get hit, as with a multitude of grazes and one clean shot through the shoulder, the thief barely bat an eyelash.
Gin growled, teeth bared in anger and foreboding. He'd never met anyone brave enough – or stupid enough – to charge towards him as he fired. That the magician was successfully dodging most of his shots only further irritated him.
Then KID had moved past him, catching Gin's neck with his chains and pulling him over backwards in an attempt to break his neck. Gin hissed, twisting his neck to prevent suffocation and pulled back. For a moment they grappled evenly, then KID twisted sideways, knocking him off his feet and rolling both of them off the edge of the floor. Using his superior agility, the magician positioned himself on top, using the assassin's body to cushion his own fall.
There was a horrible snapping sound and only KID got up.
The entire fight, since KID had broken free, only lasted about half a minute.
KID had only taken a step towards the unsettled detectives when something struck his back and made him stumble. Spinning with Gin's gun in hand, the magician let off a few precise shots and Champagne dropped with a clatter as his own weapon struck the floor.
"KID." Shinichi said with wary undertones.
"We were suppose' ta be tha one's savin' ya, not tha other way 'round." Heiji stammered, also eyeing the magician guardedly.
Nothing could change the fact that their favorite nonviolent thief had just killed three people and injured two more without hesitation. Obviously he was not in the right state of mind.
KID's head tilted as he looked at them, slowly approaching. He moved haltingly, as expressionless and unbalanced as a puppet with tangled strings. It was easy to imagine how, without the injuries of weeks of torture, this version of KID would be stalking toward them with the lethal grace of a panther.
"Hold I' righ' there!" Heiji ordered.
Cold violet eyes landed on the Osakan, but inexplicably… KID stopped.
"What's happened to you?" Shinichi asked, "the KID I know would never hurt anyone, it's the same for what I've heard of his civilian counterpart."
KID rolled his head to tilt the other way.
Shinichi scoffed, "you can't think we wouldn't figure out who Kaitou KID was when Kuroba Kaito went missing during the same time period."
KID's grin was more a bearing of his teeth that accented his unfeeling eyes maliciously. "I am Madness" he rasped, a drip of blood and saliva rolling down his jaw.
"Wha'?" Heiji asked, unconsciously moving to try and stand between his friend and a possible new threat.
"Mayhem makes the plan", KID muttered hoarsely, "and Mischief makes it fun." He inhaled and raised his chin to look down his nose at them disdainfully, then his eyes flashed and his lips curled in a sneer and he said, "but I'm the Madness that gets it all done."
"1412", Shinichi said, taking a step closer despite Heiji's nervous protests. Shinichi didn't balk under the thief's icy stare, "If Kuroba is Mischief, and KID is Mayhem, then Madness must be 1412."
1412 grinned, silently accepting the designation.
Shinichi exhaled sharply, "we have what we came for." He informed his fellow detective, "let's go."
Heiji glanced at Shinichi and then at 1412, who despite smiling eerily was oddly docile for all his injuries and the previous fight. Nodding, the detective of the west followed his eastern counterpart's lead to cautiously vacate the building.
1412 dropped the gun and followed like a ghost: not making a sound and barely exhibiting any presence at all.
"Looks like yer frien's were up to tha challenge." Heiji remarked to Shinichi upon seeing the restrained Organization members being led about by CIA, FBI, and the police personnel.
Shinichi nodded, "two birds with one stone; cripple Them and restore KID's freedom."
"Freedom?" 1412 asked as emotionlessly as ever, "we will not be incarcerated?"
Shinichi tried to relax and show his sincerity with body language, "no. It was in aiding me that you got captured by them in the first place, so I owe you."
"So long as ya don'' make a habi' of murder, tha' jus' now was self-defense." Heiji clarified. "Plus… we know who ya are, bu' no one else does."
1412 contemplated this and bobbed his head in approval. "Only in the interest of innocence or life do I shed blood." He muttered. His eyes softened as he looked between the two detectives. "Mayhem trusts you, Mischief likes you; I am coming to be positively convinced. Take care of us."
1412 blinked and it was KID whose eyes opened. He looked disoriented at the two relieved detectives. "Tantei-kun, tantei-han… wha…." He broke off with a whimper and collapsed forward into their arms.
"I guess 1412's pain tolerance is higher than KID's." Shinichi remarked, "Kaito's is probably even less, so we should get him medical assistance before he wakes up."
Heiji shook his head in bemusement as they carried the unconscious magician to a waiting ambulance, "why's it when I'm whit' ya we always run in ta weirdoes" he bemoaned.
Shinichi snorted affronted, "it's not my fault! Besides, I'd take a thief with a personality disorder over a psychopath any day. At least 1412 was reasonable."
"I wonder if 'e was like tha' before tha BO got 'im?" Heiji queried.
Shinichi frowned with a thoughtful hum. "Coping mechanism?"
Heiji shrugged and they both watched the ambulance drive off, thinking about its occupant with concern.
"We ough' ta spring fer some therapy sessions fer tha' guy." Heiji muttered.
(A weird one, just because I can. Kaito= Mischief/the magician, KID= Mayhem/the thief, 1412= Madness/the survivor. Kaito is the one who adds fun and pranks. He is the pacifist and also the most innocent, despite being a harmless pervert. KID is the debonair gentleman who makes the extravagant and elaborate plans for heists, taking Kaito's magic tricks and charm to the next level. He is professional despite being a flirt and while prepared for violence would not be the one to instigate it or let it happen when he can do something about it. 1412 Is both Kaito and KID stripped down to a laconic and cynical entity who works only for self-preservation even at the expense of his counter-parts' morals, but with all of their cunning and skill. He will kill, but only when threatened beyond recovery: death, torture, etc. Unlike Kaito and KID, he's an incomplete personality whose only interest is the protection and wellbeing of the other two; no personal desires of his own. In protecting the other two, his self-proclaimed duty includes taking on all physical and psychological damage to preserve Kaito and KID. In other words, he takes over when his higher pain-tolerance would be useful or when major trauma is about to occur. He's like the tall, dark, and scary big brother. I was like… why stop at Kaito and KID being split personalities? I'll add someone more dangerous too, more criminal, thus 1412.)