Truce

"You should tranquilize him."

Aoko slammed some eggs into a lunch box while absentmindedly watching her father thunder up and down the staircase – papers and necktie flying in his wake. The household has been in absolute chaos the very second Kaitou Kid sent his heist notice that morning, not that it was unusual. It was an everyday thing for Nakamori to explode into a sudden burst of energy, especially since Kid's sudden surge of activity.

"Tranquilize Kid and stuff him into a sack. I keep one in my room. Sometimes keeps Kaito in. It might work for him too," she added, shutting the bento box lid with a satisfying click. Then, she glanced at her father. Nakamori was only giving her half of his attention while he furiously buckled his belt into place. It hurt, but Aoko learned long ago that if she avoids dwelling on the stinging stabs of pain, she could minimize the bother. Besides, she knew better than to mope about it now.

Nakamori needed all the vigor that he could get, considering what's at stake.

"Maa, dad, don't forget to bring your lunch, okay? And did you hear what I said?"

"Aoko, I doubt that a sack could hold the Kid," replied the man.

"Even if he's unconscious?"

"Even if I do manage to knock him out with a tranquilizer," he quipped, patting his blazer into place. "Besides, I doubt that the Task Force wouldn't notice something as extreme as the Kid suddenly falling over to nap."

The girl gave her father an odd look, before packing a pair of chopsticks – face barely containing fear. "So what now? The only chance we'll have at saving her is by shooting Kid down."

Nakamori suddenly stopped, the folder he had hastily been scanning through frozen in between his fingers. Aoko did have a point, but it was one he'd rather not think about.

Kid has never hurt anybody. Saved his bacon a few times before, even. He couldn't shoot him. Still, he couldn't exactly clear his mind of the hostage's voice. A young girl, just like his daughter. One who probably had a father, maybe even a mother, frantic and worried, just waiting for her to come home.

Kid or her. Kid or her. A criminal, or an innocent citizen?

Damn, he was gambling with two lives. Two people, for goodness sake! He wouldn't have that. It was wrong in so many ways.

Whirling around, he sighed and gave his daughter a serious stare. Damn parents better be grateful when he does manage to save the girl. He was putting his job on the line.

"Aoko, about that sack..."

When the two towers collide,

I shall take the prized Alexandria

(doodle)

Kid's notice for that heist was fairly easy to decode. The two towers he was referring to were actually two hotels in Beika situated on perpendicular ends. Their shadows collided when the sun descended to the West – that's sunset in Japan, approximately five to six o' clock in the afternoon.

The Task Force spent half a day analysing it, worrying all the while that bombs were going to make two buildings crash. It wasn't until later that day, when a little boy relayed a message from the great detective, Mouri Kogoro, did they realize what the code meant.

Now, contrary to popular belief, Nakamori was far from foolish. He always set up the traps with meticulous precision. It's just that the Kid always has been a slippery one. However, twenty years has proven that he was the most capable cop when it comes to chasing after the white-clad thief.

Although he was a joke to the other divisions, in the Task Force and Interpol, (and to all those who have experienced first hand what it was like to chase the thief), he was quite respected.

Which is why he managed to get a hold of a tranquilizer gun.

Currently, Nakamori stood in front of an cased alexandrite gemstone, which was called the 'Alexandria' because of it's previous owner's rich backstory. The Task Force was strategically scattered about the room, gas mask on to prevent the success of Kid's usual sleeping gas trick.

It was eerily silent inside the hall, save for the hollow echo of cops' heavy breathing. Nakamori decided to keep just a few men in, particularly because he wanted to keep as little witnesses as possible.

"Inspector, it's five thirty," a uniform by the window said. Nakamori's heart clenched in apprehension.

"Well keep your eyes open. This is Kid, and we've still got thirty minutes to go."

"It's quite flattering to see you commend my skills, Inspector," a husky voice whispered from behind him. "I'd hate to disappoint."

Everyone in the room abruptly turned to their heels, breaths catching beneath their gas masks.

Kaitou Kid is standing on top of the glass case, the Alexandria a bright, yellow glint between his white-gloved fingers. He looked at them with that usual perceptive smirk, eye and monocle obscured by the brim of his top hat. Behind him, the cape slowly flutters down, resting still just behind his ankles.

Unconsciously, Nakamori tightened the grip around his tranquilizer, which was hidden beneath his suit. Then, before anything else could happen, the lights suddenly died, and smoke burst from all sides of the room. They heard the glass shatter, exposing them to the thief's screaming fans far below the building. Then,

"It's Kid!" a uniform called out from across the room.

By the time that the smoke dissipated into thin streaks, a white, triangular form was already gliding away.

No! The Inspector thought as he screamed orders for his men to follow. No, no, no! Not now, just for this heist, just hear me out!

Nakamori turned to his heels to tag along with the hasty, confused bustle which was his cops. However, along the way, someone had bumped into him. In the darkness, he wasn't able to tell who had done it. What he did know, however, is that it stopped him from catching up with the Force. He also knew that by the time that he got up, they – along with the thief – had become unreachable. He clenched his teeth, a wild flurry of curses almost leaving his lips. Almost.

Because before he could get the first dreadful word out, he heard a soft shuffling noise.

That's when he saw Kaitou Kid gait from the shadows, footsteps soundless as he walked towards the window to hold up the gemstone. It suddenly occurred to him that the thief couldn't see him. There were no hidden cameras, either. They were alone. If he tranquilized Kid and stuffed him into a sack now, no one would have to know about it.

Hands shaking, he aimed the tranquilizer gun at the thief, lips curled grimly as her slowly coiled his fingers around the trigger. Then –

"You've gotten smart, Inspector," the thief suddenly spoke, gemstone sagging down with the rest of his arm. Then, his monocle glinted as he turned to Nakamori, face revealing nothing. However, the Inspector could still somehow tell that he was eyeing the tranquilizer gun.

"I don't intend to hurt you," he suddenly blurted – knowing perfectly well that that the Kid could easily differentiate a tranquilizer gun from a brutal killing machine even in the dark, but not wanting to risk giving him the wrong idea. The last thing he needed is for him to escape. Again. "I just wanted to talk to you."

"Oh? About what?" Again with that promising look that says that he already knows. Nakamori always found it irritating and unnerving, but he decided to focus his stress on what to say instead. One wrong word could end with the thief slipping from his fingers. It could end with a young girl – who could've been Aoko – dead, and he can't have that. Not now, not when there's a life at stake.

"Calm down, Inspector," Kid suddenly says with an air of playfulness, but voice brimming with just a tint of concern. That's how the Inspector realized that he was sweating as he pondered on how to relay the message.

To his surprise, the thief walked away from the window, cape and features mingling with the shadows. He hopped on top of the glass case and stood there, looking just like he did when he first arrived. "This humble thief is willing to hear you out. Now what did you want to tell me?"

"I got a call yesterday," says Nakamori, eyeing the thief, looking for a reaction. An emotion. But there was nothing. "A girl was kidnapped in my daughter's place, and the criminal wants the ransom by the end of the week." There was a pause, and his lips twisted. "Kid, the ransom is you."

Kid didn't react, his poker face shatterproof. When wind from the window picked up and caught his cape, Nakamori saw that his posture is as lithe and relaxed as always.

And for a moment, he panicked. What if he overestimated Kid? What if he really doesn't care about the safety of others?

"Kid, you –"

The thief held up a gloved hand, hat lowering and obscuring more of his features. "Inspector," he whispered. "To find her, I'll need police reports about the cases that involve me. Do you think you could get me that?"

Nakamori's mind stopped as the shock of his current situation slapped him like a hot pan. Holy shit! he thought. Holy Shit! Kid, Phantom Thief Kid whom I've been chasing after half of my life is helping!

"Of course!" he boomed, hope welling up in his chest. However, twenty years of tag couldn't exactly be thrown out of the window at a mere drop of a hat. His eyes thinned. "I need to know that I could trust you, though. How can you prove that this isn't all some elaborate plan of yours?"

Kid shrugged. "How can I? Other than the fact that I could steal those files anytime I wanted to, you're right. There is no solid proof that I didn't plan any of this." He sounded more serious than Nakamori's ever heard him before. Ever.

"So why don't you just steal it? Why go through the trouble of asking me?" By then, the Inspector was more curious than suspicious. The bigger part of him doubted Kid's involvement in this crime. Despite his constant denials, he respected the thief to a certain extent.

"I was thinking that you wouldn't want me sneaking around your office dressed as a cop."

"Fine! Fine!" He rolled his eyes. "When and where?"

"Haido City Hotel. I'll pass by it sometime in the afternoon."

Nakamori sucked in a breath, sharply. "Okay."

Then, something from across the building caught Kid's eye, because the thief suddenly froze over. Half a second later, he was leaping down – a soft hiss escaping his lips.

Nakamori watched, gaping and confused, as said Phantom thief gaited to the side in one swift motion. Then, there was a bang, and to Nakamori's horror, something small burst into the wall behind the spot Kid had been standing on, before he heard a soft, metallic clank roll on the floor. A bullet.

Someone had tried to kill Kid again, and although Nakamori already knew this, seeing it up-close and so close to succeeding filled him with such dread and terror.

"K-Kid –" he gasped, eyes fixated on the bullet, "w-what in the..."

"I'm afraid that it is time for me to take my leave, Inspector," the thief said, tipping his hat down.

"Kid, who the hell is trying to do this to you?" Nakamori finally snapped, eyes averting from the bullet. However, by the time that he looked up, Kid was already gone.

Author's note:

My gOd! You guys are amazing! 19 reviews, that's the most I've gotten in two chapters! Wow. THANK YOU SO MUCH!

Haha! Oh, and now for some shameless self-advertisement.

*aherm* I recently posted a one-shot entitled "A Criminal's Fiasco." And by recently, I mean days ago. My mental clock is messed up. I am so sorry.

Anyway, the story is about two non-professional jewel thieves who decide to take Kaito as their hostage since he was the closest, "helpless" hostage within their reach. It was supposed to be sillier but...nope! I just had to make Aoko's agony realistic. Damn it.