Prompt 16: Interference
I don't know why, but I like a depressed Shinichi (even if it's quite OOC), so here's another prompt where nothing seems to go in his favor, until it does (I always need a happy ending after all):
It's already been more than one year that he's Conan (like 2 or 3) and he's no closer to a permanent antidote than before, even though the BO has been taken down. Without the organization to find which needed a lot of his attention and not being able to help Haibara with the antidote, the only place where he can use his true intellect is on KID heists. They've become his solace, the one thing he can openly do as Conan and he really enjoys the time spent with the thief, especially with him knowing that he's Kudo Shinichi in truth.
But then even the time on the rooftop, where they clash their wits and banter like friends, gets disturbed. By Hakuba Saguru!
With Hakuba there, Conan can't deduce KID's trick, nor use his shoes or dartwatch to get the thief. He's forced to play a kid, not allowed to be uncovered. He stays in the background, hoping the other detective doesn't notice him.
From then on the heists only get worse. The british detective always manages to catch up to the thief like Conan. KID pays less and less attention to Conan, thanks to the small detective not actually doing anything to catch him (because of Hakuba). Their banter and their matches cease, and when Conan gets onto the rooftop and KID doesn't even greet him, but keeps talking with Hakuba, he sneaks back through the door and hurriedly leaves the heist, not wanting anyone to see his sad face.
Another heist and he decides that not attending at all is better than getting ignored. So he stops attending heists and he keeps falling more and more into a hole, now that even KID heists are over for him.
Some heists later he gets a visit at the agency from the phantom thief that gives him the rest. The thief tells him how disappointed he is that the detective just gave up on chasing him and that it might be time for him to find another 'favorite critic'. KID leaves not realizing what he had done with that comment. Conan's devastated now that he even lost the title of KID's favorite critic and doesn't know what to do next.
This story starts out with Conan, but if you let him change to Shinichi or not is up to the author (I don't mind either, but a relationship is easier with Shinichi, with him being an adult compared to Conan).
In this story Hakuba has gotten closer to Kaito (as a 'friend'), which is why he manages to catch up to KID more and more easily. He's quite ignorant of Conan, fixated on KID and doesn't realize how his interference throws Conan off.
What happens after that conversation between KID and Conan is up to the author. I just want to feel some heartbreak at being ignored by someone who's really important to them, but please don't make Conan suicidal. KID's (probably) not yet in love with Conan/Shinichi, while Conan definitely holds some affection for the thief. If he's already in love with Kaito, but just hasn't realized it yet, is up to the author.
TAKEN OVER BY 'PHANTOMS_ECHO' CALLED "THE REPLACEMENT" (on AO3)!