Hey everyone! So, I got the next chapter of SPLSHIMS done (so go read that too!) so I uploaded the next chappie of Schismatic as well. Hope everyone's ready for the creeper to be introduced, and for a dramatic (hopefully) plot twist.
Anon review replies:
Firepaw:
Heh, so far everyone's reactions to the Heiji/Conan scene have been "cute and sad" x3 I guess I succeeded then 8D And whenever I think of little kids being innocent yet cruel, I always think of Russia... XD And forgetting that they're technically the same person, I suppose you're half right. It's not exactly just Conan who's broken, but then again, it's not like Shinichi's all there either...
Saguru had barely rang the doorbell when a hunched, barely recognizable as human, being opened the door.
"Mistress Koizumi is expecting you," the hunchback said. "Come in."
Kaito made sure to keep Hakuba between him and the creepy butler, who showed far too many teeth in his grins to look comfortable at all.
"Hello Kuroba-kun, Hakuba-kun." The tone in which their classmate greeted them sent shivers up both boy's' spines, though for different reasons. Quite honestly, just being in Akako's presence was a pleasurable hell for Saguru. For Kaito…
"Stop putting him under you spell majou-san."
Ah, always so blunt and to the point, was he? Akako pouted. "Now now, Kuroba-kun, you can hardly blame me for Hakuba-kun's inattention – it's not my fault he clearly has good taste in women."
"Leave Aoko out of this," Kuroba hissed.
"I didn't say anything about Nakamori-chan," the redhead retorted. "And as for Hakuba-kun, he really has too strong and logical a mind to submit to me. Haven't you?" Akako leveled a sultry stare at the blond.
Saguru blinked owlishly. "What were we talking about?"
"Too logical a mind?" Kaito deadpanned as Akako sweatdropped.
"Never mind about that; state your purpose in coming here." She had her commanding tone back now, and Saguru's mind drifted slightly as he thought that she would look quite good in leather. With a whip. Oh, leather…
"Um, yes, this was, er, my idea actually." Saguru managed to dispel the fog around his mind long enough to put together a logical sentence. "I wanted the air among us cleared, as I have a suspicion that, together, you two have information that would be of more use to me than what I know so far."
"And to ogle her, don't forget that," Kaito reminded, getting a blush from Hakuba. "Plus, I'm only here to make sure she doesn't enslave you. I don't have any information you'd find useful for your case."
"Much as I am hurt by Kuroba-kun's accusations, I have to agree with him," Akako said as she leaned back into her chair. "I can't see how anything I know would be helpful for your case."
"Cut the bull."
Akako and Kaito turned from their mini glare-off, surprised by the steel in his tone.
"I frankly don't care what your differences are, or if you don't want to seem as if you're being 'weak' in front of him or her; all I care about right now is getting all possible information I can so I can bring this… creep to justice."
There was a short silence as the British teen continued to fume and Kaito and Akako attempted to have a silent conversation with their eyes. Or maybe they were attempting to fry each other's brains.
"Should we start before or after she tried to kill me?" Kaito broke the silence.
"I just wanted you to adore and worship me like everyone else," Akako defended herself. "I usually get what I want when I want. I admit I was a bit immature, trying to kill you. In retrospect, I should've just wiped your mind or killed everyone you held dear."
"I knew you were fucked up before, but now I've got the proof," Kaito growled. "You're lucky you didn't try that, you know, because I would've-" He stopped when Akako gave a little chuckle. "What-" He turned to see what she found so amusing. "Goddammit Hakuba, are you hard?"
"It's just a biological response!"
"Dammit Koizumi, stop spraying your lovey-dovey spells around!"
"It's not me; Hakuba-kun finds me strikingly attractive without me messing with his mind."
"I'll believe that when Nemuri Kogoro becomes competent, asleep or awake!"
"What did you say?" Kuroba's statement stuck in Hakuba's mind like a hot iron in snow.
"I said I'll believe that when Nemuri Kogoro becomes competent," Kaito repeated, looking at Saguru like he was slow in mind.
He slipped up, Hakuba thought triumphantly. "And just how, Kuroba, would you know whether Mouri-tantei is incompetent? He's solved many cases that would be considered quite difficult, even by me. What exactly makes him so… incompetent?"
"You've seen him on TV and in newspaper articles; the guy's a gloryhound," the magician protested, a slightly worried look in his eye. Akako looked on in amusement. "He's just taking the credit from the police. Sure he's solved a few cases here and there, but it was just luck!"
"For someone who claims to not know anything that I'd find useful, the things you're saying now seem to be pretty relevant to my case in that for someone unconnected to such an important figure, you have information that, by rights, you shouldn't."
"Maybe I've just heard it through the grapevine," Kaito challenged.
"Oh, do stop dancing around." Akako rolled her eyes. "Hakuba-kun, you think that Kuroba-kun is Kaitou KID. Kuroba-kun, who may or may not be Kaitou KID, denies this and hates me. Meanwhile, there is myself, and I for one would like for you to 'clear the air' so that I can get back to my spell. After too long the pickled notebooks tend to rot, and if Yuuko-chan doesn't get her proper penmanship elixir on time she tends to start opening rifts to harsher dimensions." The redhead crossed her arms, tapped her foot, and raised an eyebrow as if to say: "Get on with it!"
"You weren't lying when you said she was a witch," Hakuba whispered hoarsely.
"Of course I wasn't!" Kaito shot back. "I play tricks and pranks on people; I'm not a pathological liar!" He turned to Akako. "Give Hakuba his info before we go."
"Why should I?" Akako tilted her head to the side.
"Cause otherwise he'll keep bothering you - and me, until he gets his info," Kaito deadpanned.
"True," Akako groused. "Fine," she decided with an imperious toss of her head. "Kudo Shinichi. You'll find your case is tied with his life. Now out, before I call Reginald on you."
"But wait, how-"
"We're leaving now. Bye-bye majou-san!" Kaito called as he forcibly dragged Saguru from the room.
"What the hell- why did you do that?" Saguru yanked his arm from the magician's grasp.
"Because that butler dude of hers is creepy as hell, and I'd rather not tangle with him. Besides, when she gets pissed, she gets pissed. Remember that day I was croaking? That was her. She turned me into a frog. I stole a kiss from Aoko to turn back, but it turns out I had to get a willing kiss to turn me back with no repercussions." Kaito shuddered slightly. "I had a craving for flies all day."
"So wait. You and Nakamori-chan aren't…" This is brand new information, the blond mused as Kaito plunged into a rant on how if Hakuba thought that this meant Aoko was fair game he was dead wrong, because he'd seen the way he was ogling Akako, and even if part of it was probably spells, you could break Aoko's heart by looking the wrong way, and-
"I get it, and I won't be approaching Nakamori-chan that way," Saguru promised, resisting the urge to stick his fingers in his ears. "Also, did you know that you tend to imitate Haruno-sensei from 3-E when you rant?"
He was being watched. He could feel Their gazes on the back of his neck, and in the way everything he ate seemed to turn to dust in his mouth. He wouldn't let Them deter him from having his fun, though. In fact, it would be nice – fun, even – to pull out another victim from under Their radar.
Did he say victim? He meant sacrifice.
After all, when it came to causes, things had to be given up in order for the goal to be accomplished. His gaze focused on his newspaper, two days old. Had it really been that long? It seemed like an eternity more, an eternity since he'd seen his savior, the one who'd shown him how commonplace things had been, how rotten an existence he'd been leading before.
His little savior…
He closed his eyes, pulse thrumming as he recalled the splashes of red staining the blue as shrill screams echoed. So lovely, those screams… Not at all like those of the pest's.
He wondered what his savior would say, what words of praise he would be given if he'd learned of the pest's disposal. It had been so exhilarating, to laugh in the supposed killer's face, the tick who meant his savior harm.
The rush as those cold eyes glared up at him, the gnashing of teeth as he carefully made the perfunctory incisions. He wanted this pest to suffer for even daring to look wrong at his savior, his reason for living.
"It's too late now, too late for you," he'd chided as the light faded from those cold, murderous eyes, the silver hair streaked with beautiful red as he decapitated the pest for better transport.
The cloudy sky was clearing now, and he looked up to the sky, to that blue that was so pale compared to him.
Perhaps… perhaps soon he would be able to see those beautiful eyes that failed any decent comparison, be able to see them widen in fear, and fill with tears as he realized how corrupt his own world was. Perhaps… just perhaps he would be able to wipe away those tears and keep that small figure safe; safe from Them and the world…
"Worry not little one, Mercury will be your protector," he murmured as he gently set the newspaper, his only current link to his savior, down on the table.
So, I hope I was able to sufficiently creep y'all out ^_^ Also, I have probably mentioned this already, but I love writing Magic Kaito characters' banter. Like, LOVE. Anywho, cookies to those who catch the cameos that have no real impact on this story x3
Chapter translation: Mercurial Argument