They sat in silence for a quite a while longer, Conan cradled safely within Kid's arms. His body trembled occasionally, but the young detective had calmed down for the most part. When Kaito was sure he was asleep, he pulled out his cell phone and dialed a number he'd long ago memorized.
"Moshi moshi? Mouri-Tantei Residence." A muffled voice asked.
"Ranneechan?" He asked in Conan's voice. The girl sounded like she'd been crying, and yet, he felt no pity for her. He didn't like to see girls cry, but what she'd done to Tantei-kun…the boy himself may not blame her, but Kid certainly did. "Is it alright if I stay at Hakase's for the night? It's getting kind of late."
She was silent for a long moment, but finally answered in the affirmative. He hung up the phone. There was no reason to bother calling Agasa-san. He was sure the old scientist knew to cover for Conan if the girl inquired, though he doubted she would.
The next number he dialed was one he couldn't help but dread.
--
Dressed in messy pajamas, complete with wild hair and red eyes, Ran stared solemnly at the receiver in her hand. Why would Conan bother to call? He was Shinichi, wasn't he? And obviously that jerk never bothered to call. Not that she'd answer his call right now anyway, even if he did.
Oh, she was so furious with him. He'd just stood there, quietly, when she'd confronted him earlier in the evening. And then, suddenly, he was pulling off his glasses and turning to look up at her with those blue, knowing eyes. How could he have just outright lied to her like that all this time!? He was so stupid and she wasn't going to forgive him so easily this time. He'd hurt her badly during his 'absence' and she wasn't going to let him get away with just an apology this time. No, Shinichi was a thing of the past now and he would remain so. After all, if he'd lied to her like that, he obviously didn't love her. Now if she could just stop loving him… It wasn't hard to despise him right now. She was angry and her heart didn't matter right now, but she knew that soon…soon she'd be hurting all over again trying to forget him.
--
The line rang for about a minute before a weary voice answered. "Kuroba residence." A tired female voice said.
"Mom?" Kaito asked quietly, checking to be sure that Conan was asleep. He didn't want to leave the boy right now, but he didn't want him finding out his identity either. Going to prison just wasn't that appealing to Kaito.
"Kaito!" His mother's voice immediately sounded more alert. "What happened, what's wrong? Jii-san phoned earlier and said he'd bandaged you up, but that the injury looked bad. Are you okay? And where are you?"
"I'm fine, Mom. The injury is…bad, but its not terrible. It's not like I could go to a hospital, anyway. I'm at a…friend's house, right now. He ran into a bit of trouble and I'm trying to help."
Kuroba Hikaru still sounded worried. "Are you sure? If the injury's bad…"
"I'm fine, Mom." He assured.
"Well…alright then. Be safe, Kaito. And make sure you come home in the morning. I want to know exactly what happened, understood young man?"
"Yes." He squeaked. He hung up the phone and lay back on the couch's cushions. His head was pounding and the whole right side of his face throbbed. It looked like whatever pain meds Jii had put him on were wearing off. "Great…and I really don't feel like moving right now." He muttered. He sighed and drew the miniature detective closer to him, shutting his eyes and begging for sleep. He knew it wasn't a good idea to stay here, but he wasn't in the best of conditions to be moving around and it looked like Conan might not even be able to move at all. He just hoped the boy wouldn't wake up before him and unmask him. Not that it really mattered, what with half his face being covered. The hat would provide practically no disguise come morning, but he couldn't be identified with half a face, anyway. If he could, Kid would've been caught long ago.
--
The first thing he noticed was that his body hurt like hell. Because of that, the second thought took much longer to form. When it did, he processed the fact that the warm pillow under his head had a soft, rhythmic beating going on inside it. The next thought told him the beating was a heartbeat and that of someone he didn't recognize. It also processed that two firm arms were wrapped around him, holding him close to the other body.
At this point, his eyes flew open, resulting in a horrific headache and a wave of nausea. Not pleasant. After a few moments, he could look around him without feeling sick and he realized he was at the Kudo house, in his living room. He was lying on Kaitou Kid of all people. How did this come about? And why did his body hurt so much? What the hell had he been doing?
He caught a glance of himself in the hall mirror over Kid's hat – which was hanging precariously off the side of his head – and gasped. Oh. Well, that explained why his face was numb.
He shivered. Ran was…she hated him. All the effort he'd put into making sure she didn't find out…pointless. He just hoped she wouldn't talk. Not that there was much she could say. She hadn't listened past him saying that he was Kudo Shinichi. It was understandable though, truly it was. He'd lied and he'd lied and he'd lied…really, if she hadn't hated him for it, he may have been worried. Still…that didn't make it hurt any less.
One purple eye blinked open somewhere above him and a slightly strained grin greeted him. "Good morning, Tantei-kun." He murmured.
Shinichi blinked at him. "Why are you still here?" He asked suspiciously.
"You mean aside from the fact that I just woke up?" Kid smirked at him and didn't answer.
Conan glared but let the question go. Kid always had his reasons for doing things, but that didn't mean he would just give them away.
"Ugh. Well, we're a right sight, aren't we? And I get the feeling we're not going to be looking much better anytime soon." Kid groaned. "Where do you keep the pain meds?" He asked.
"In the bathroom upstairs." Conan replied. He shifted and immediately tried to hold back a whimper. Okay, moving was a bad idea.
Kid smiled, though still strained, and helped to lay the boy on the couch, careful not to jar his ribs. "I assume your first aid kit is in the same general area as well?"
"Under the sink." Shinichi gasped.
Kid nodded. "I'll be back." He murmured in the boy's ear. He managed to get to the bathroom okay, though he had experienced an unpleasant bout of vertigo going up the stairs. 'Not to self: Avoid getting shot anytime in the near future. Actually, scratch that. Avoid doing anything in the near future; avoid getting shot ever again.'
He fetched the first aid and painkillers and hurried back to Conan's side. The boy was sweating profusely, eyes screwed closed in pain. He was panting harshly, unable to fill his lungs efficiently without feeling pain. Kid pulled off his glove and lay his bare hand on Conan's forehead. It was hot, too hot.
He swallowed a few pills before setting to work on the young boy. He surveyed the damage Mouri-chan had done. His face was covered in multiple bruises and lacerations, possible broken collar bone, definite bruising of the ribs, possible break. Ho, boy, this wasn't gonna be easy.
"How're we gonna do this?" Kaito muttered to himself. "I know some first aid, but…you need a doctor, especially if that collar bone is broken." He slowly pulled Conan into a sitting position, frowning when the boy winced. He discarded the torn-up shirt and wrapped his midsection in gauze. "Dunno how well this'll work, Tantei-kun." He said, wrapping the gauze around the boy's shoulder. He reached around and cut off a portion of his cape with the surgical scissors and used it for a makeshift sling. "I can't to anything for your face, but here are the painkillers." He pushed the bottle into the detective's hand and passed him the water he used. He'd have to wipe the glass down to get rid of fingerprints later, but that could wait. "Feeling better?" He asked.
Conan groaned. "Yes, I guess. Thanks."
"Well, I'm afraid I have an appointment to keep. Will you be alright on your own?" He frowned. He really didn't think it was a good idea to leave the boy alone, but if he kept his mother waiting, she'd kill him.
"I'll be fine." He shifted slowly to lean against the back of the couch. "You can raid my closet for clothes, if you like. Walking around like that will get you arrested in a heartbeat." He nodded to the thief's bloody, once-white suit.
"Heh. Thanks." He was not going to ask why the detective was helping him. He'd stayed and helped him, after all. He took up the detective on his offer and was soon walking down the street, a dark hoodie helping to camouflage his bandaged face. He hopped on a bus to Ekoda, thoughts revolving around the detective he'd just left all the while.
He reached the street he lived on easily, but what he saw when he got there made him stop cold. He yelped internally, 'Isn't school in session already!? They're not supposed to be here!' They being Hakuba Saguru and Nakamori Aoko, who were currently standing on his doorstep, conversing with his mother. # !!, this was not good.
He crept closer until he could hear what they were talking about. "I'm sorry, Aoko-chan," His mother was saying, "Something came up this morning and Kaito had to leave to visit some relatives."
"Alone?" Hakuba looked suspicious.
His mother nodded. "It should just be for a little while. He's helping my cousin take care of her son, he's only four months old and Kaito just has a way with him." She smiled. Kaito blanched.
'Thank you forever, Mom, but do I have to be taking care of an infant!?' He thought. He could swear Hakuba was smirking. The two high school students seemed satisfied and walked off, back towards the school. Kaito sighed in relief and slipped into the house just before his mother shut the door. Thank god he was fast on his feet.
"Ohayo, Kaa-chan," He murmured. She jerked in surprise and spun around to face him.
"You have a lot of explaining to do, young man." She said sternly. Kaito gulped.
"Now, what happened, exactly?" She demanded after she settled him down on the living room couch.
"Well…" Kaito sighed. "It was after the heist. I was returning the ruby to Nakamori-keibu when I noticed someone watching me. I dropped the gem with the police and headed away from where any civilians were. They didn't do anything, so I ignored them and took to the air. About five minutes later, I heard a shot. It hit the monocle, breaking it, but it only grazed my eye."
"Oh, Kaito." His mother reached out and caressed his cheek. "It…you need a doctor. Jii-san may know basic medical care, but Kaito, this is serious! It could permanently effect your sight!"
"I know, Mom, but what am I supposed to say? Things like bullet wounds are obligated to be reported to the police. There's no good excuse I can use for being shot in the eye, and I'm supposed to be out of town now!"
"But – " The Kuroba matriarch pouted. Luckily for Kaito, a voice cut in just then.
"I do know of a private clinic that wouldn't ask many questions." Jii said. "At least then, you could get a proper doctor to look at your eye."
Kaito deflated. "Alright, fine, but I need them to look at someone else first."
"Who?"
"Edogawa Conan." He gave a lopsided grin, "He's a detective." The other two gaped at him. "So, where is this clinic? I can go after I pick up Tantei-kun." Jii nodded numbly, still shocked, and wrote the address on a pad of paper.
"If they give you any trouble, just mention my name." He said. Kaito nodded and was out the door in a second, hood pulled over his face once more.
"A detective." Kuroba Hikaru mumbled. "He's taking care of a detective."
"That boy never does anything halfway." Jii stated, a fond smile stretching over his face.
--
The door to the Kudo Mansion burst open as Kaito entered through the door for once. A groan from the living room beckoned him and he walked in to see Conan right where he'd left him, blissfully asleep. He whimpered, a soft cry coming from his lips. Nightmares, no doubt triggered by Mouri-chan's reaction to knowing the truth.
Kid rushed to Conan's side, running a hand through his hair, whispering comforting words in his ear. Slowly, Conan's whimpering stopped, the tormenting dream changing to one less threatening. After a while, cerulean blue eyes blinked open and stared at him.
"Hello." Kid chirped, ignoring the incredulous stare from the bite-sized detective. "I've found a clinic that won't ask too many questions. We're going to get you examined and properly treated." He scooped the detective into his arms, paying no mind to the protesting yelp. Pretty soon, they were out the door, headed towards the address scrawled on the paper.
--
"Well," The doctor came out of the examination room he'd brought Conan into, a frown settle on his face. "I don't know what this kid was doing, but it certainly left some damage. Che, 'karate' he says. No karate I know of could do anything like this." He grumbled.
"What, you've never seen a young woman bend steel with her bare fists?" Kaito grinned. The doctor just stared at him. "So, how is he?"
"Well, he does indeed have a broken collar bone. I've set it with a proper cast and it should heal just fine in a few weeks. His ribs are only bruised, but it will limit his movement for at least a few days. His face…well, I can give you some salve to put on the cuts, but that's about all I can do." Kaito nodded. "Now, as for you…" He brought the thief to the same examination room, and slowly unwound the bandages over Kaito's right eye. Kudo gasped in shock at the spectacle and the doctor winced, but Kuroba kept his poker face in place. The doctor ran through a series of tests, each one making it harder and harder to keep the poker face up. Finally, he finished, letting out a slow breath.
"'Fraid there's really not much I can do. The cornea has been damaged and you'll likely never see out of that eye again." Kaito's jaw stiffened and Shinichi let out a horrified gasp. "However, aside from that and the numerous bruises covering your body, you seem to be in good condition. Keep the eye bandaged for at least two weeks to prevent any further damage to it. After that, you should be okay and your appearance will be the same as always, you just won't be able to see."
(Note: I know nothing about any sort of medical procedures and all of this is a load of bull, so don't take it seriously!)
"I – thank you." Kaito mumbled. He allowed the doctor to rewrap his head before picking Conan up and heading out the door. He passed the man a wad of cash and nodded goodbye. "Well," He said to a subdued detective, "this should prove to be an interesting few weeks. What are you going to do?"
Conan half-shrugged with his uninjured shoulder. "Well, first I need to be able to move on my own. Then, I guess I'll have to come up with an excuse for my injuries and absence with the kids and go back to school."
"What about Mouri-chan? Will you still live with her?"
"I have to. Or at least, I have to try. She might kick me out, but it's the only place I have to go." Conan sighed. "If I'm still playing a real kid, I guess I need to come up with an excuse for her, too."
"You have one for last night. I called her in your voice and told her you were staying with Agasa-hakase." Conan looked at him in surprise. "I figured it would be best for you to maintain the façade. Besides, if anyone was watching the Mouri's, they shouldn't be suspicious as to your absence now."
Conan managed a weak smile. "Thanks." He whispered. "Would you mind bringing me to Hakase's? He's my best choice for an excuse."
"Sure, just so long as none of his inventions are aimed at me." Conan chuckled.
--
When Haibara Ai answered the door about half an hour after she'd gotten home from school, she had not expected to see a wanted criminal waiting on the porch, carrying a very beat-up detective. Well, she had been wondering where the tantei had been, but… "Is there something I can do for you, Kaitou Kid-san? And is there a reason you're wearing a broken monocle over all those bandages?"
"Maybe." He smiled. "May we come in?" She raised an eyebrow, but stood aside for him. The thief sauntered in, heading for the couch sitting in the entry way and propping the miniature detective up on it, earning an shell-shocked stare from the good professor in the process.
"Yo, Hakase." Conan smiled morosely. "Um…I need a little help."
"No kidding. What the hell happened to you?" Ai asked, monotonously.
"Ran," He said softly. Haibara stiffened and Agasa gasped. "She found out."
"What?" Ai practically growled.
"She doesn't know the whole story, just who I really am. But…unless she kicks me out, I need to stay there. If I suddenly left, it'd be suspicious if anyone was watching the place. So…well, I was hoping that you could help me come up with an excuse until these injuries heal a bit."
"I – well, we were planning to go to a science convention tomorrow. It takes place in Hiroshima and should last around three days. We could tell Ran-kun that you're coming with us." Agasa offered. He looked a little hesitant and kept glancing uncertainly at Kid, but other than that, he just seemed worried for Shinichi.
"That'd work. Thanks. I guess I'll just stay at my house in the meantime." He struggled to get up, wincing, until Kid bent down and picked him up again. Conan glowered, but accepted the help.
When they got next door, Kaito brought the detective up to his old room and settled him against a mount of pillows. "So…what shall we do for these next few days?" He grinned.
"Wait, we!? You are not staying here!"
"Well, whyever not?" Kid was positively glowing. "After all, I have a need to disappear from my civilian persona until I can take this bandage off and you can't hardly move on your own, so you do need the help, whether you'll admit to it or not." Conan muttered something highly uncomplimentary. "Love ya too, Tantei-kun." The thief laughed, pulling out a deck of cards and dealing them in for poker.
--
As much as Conan hated to admit it, he did actually enjoy having the thief for company while he was healing. Plus, it was nice having someone around you could order to bring you something. Although, he had quickly learned that Kid was not to be ordered into the kitchen. Anything made in that domain turned out slightly lethal and definitely unappetizing. They settled for pizza when they got hungry. Phone orders made things a heck of a lot simpler for them, though the delivery guy did give Kaito more than a few odd stares.
On the day Agasa was scheduled to return, Conan was finally capable of moving around on his own and he was glad for it. If he was going to have to go back to Ran's, he at least needed some saving grace. Besides, he had school with the kids again tomorrow. That was not something he looked forward to, especially seeing as his face really hadn't healed at all and his arm was still in a sling.
With such thoughts in his head, it didn't hit him until the last moment that he probably wouldn't see Kid again for quite a while. While this wasn't unexpected, it was more than a little depressing. It was made easier when Kid bent down and kissed his forehead before vanishing just as Agasa entered the house, but he still felt pretty down about the whole ordeal. Kid was really the only thing that had kept him sane these last few days, an odd term when combined with the illusive thief.
"Shinichi-kun? Are you ready to go back to Ran-kun's now?" Agasa called. Shinichi called back in the affirmative, grabbing a bottle of Advil and stuffing it in his pocket. While the Mouri's surely had a fully equipped first aid kit, he doubted he'd be able to reach it and dealing with his broken collar bone without painkillers was not an idea he fancied.
When he walked in the door to the Mouri-tantei agency, he didn't really expect a warm welcome. Still, he was surprised when Ran flat out ignored him and even more surprised when it was Occhan that commented on his injuries.
"Good god, brat, what the hell were you doing at that convention?" Kogoro barked.
"I don't really remember," He chirped. "Hakase said I ran into something and they had to take me to the doctor's but I just remember waking up and being like this." Kogoro grumbled something in response that he didn't catch, but he noticed Ran out of the corner of his eye, looking at him in astonishment. Well, at least she hadn't kicked him out yet. "I think I'm gonna get some sleep. Oyasumi, Occhan!" He called out. "Oyasumi, Ran-neechan." He said quieter than the first, but he immediately turned and left before she could give a response. He was scared, scared that she'd confront him again, that she'd yell and scream at him once more, that she'd attack him…he was terrified of her. That thought worried him more than anything. What kind of person was scared of their childhood friend, their sister?
--
He was right. School the next day was an ordeal. Everyone was questioning him, asking what had happened, where he had been, was he alright? He deflected the questions as best he could, keeping the replies he did give short and to the point. Finally, he was left with only the Shonen Tantei surrounding him.
"Oh, Conan-kun, does it hurt?" Ayumi cried. "It must be terrible, having a broken shoulder!"
"Collar bone, Ayumi-chan. I broke my collar bone." Conan corrected.
"Isn't it the same thing?"
"No, the collar bone supports your shoulders, but it is a separate bone from your shoulder blade." He reached out and traced the young girl's collar. "See? It only goes partway onto your shoulder. Then, you have your humerus bone going down your arm and your shoulder blade going down your back." The kids stared at him in awe.
"Nice little lesson in anatomy, Edogawa-sensei." Ai teased. Conan pouted.
--
On Kaito's end, things weren't going very well. He was just plain bored and he couldn't even go and bother a detective to get rid of it. It wasn't fair…while Conan-kun was out and about, he had to keep the bandages on for another week and a half! How was he supposed to last that long when he couldn't even entertain himself not half a day after he'd left Tantei-kun?
His mom made him cookies while he was stuck at home, but she spent most of her time worrying over his injury. And while he appreciated the effort…he wanted out. He needed to do something!
Needless to say, the next week was very unpleasant for Kaito and for anyone who came across his path when he was bored.
--
Finally, relief came. His two weeks were up and he was due back in school tomorrow. Never before had he been so eager to attend class. He was a little worried as to how his partial lack of sight would effect him, but he'd gotten used to having one eye covered in the past couple weeks, so he figured he'd manage well enough. Besides, if there were any problems, he could blame it on sleepiness or preparations for a new trick.
He and his mother had agreed that they were going to leave the bandage on one last night and take it off before he went to school in the morning. He could hardly wait.
The next morning was pure torture for poor Kuroba Hikaru. Her son was bouncing around the house wildly, even worse than he had been before. "Kaito!" She shouted. "Get down here so we can take those off. If you stall much longer, you'll be late for school."
"Heaven forbid." Kaito grinned. Nevertheless, he settled down, partially. He was sitting down, but he was still bouncing in his seat.
"No more caffeine for you all week, young man." She ordered. She got the bandages off and looked him over. "There's no noticeable physical change. You should be fine at school."
"Thanks, Mom!" He pecked her on the cheek before bolting out the door, finally having a use for all his energy.
"Kaito!" His friend waved to him as he raced down the street.
"Yo, Aoko! What'd I miss?" He asked. She briefed him on the lessons they'd covered during his absence until they got into the classroom.
"Kuroba-kun, nice to see you again." Hakuba smirked. "Enjoy your time taking care of a child?"
"Actually, yes!" Kaito grinned. Granted, the child he had in mind was quite a bit older than the one Hakuba was referring to, and a great deal more intelligent.
"Interesting." A voice said right behind him. He jerked around to see the resident witch leering at him. "My crystal ball said that the dove's flight had been impaired. Perhaps the damage was less extensive than I thought?"
"What're you talking about, Koizumi?" Kaito deadpanned. "All my doves are fine, thanks."
He walked off to his desk, shifting oddly every now and then. Class was harder than he'd thought it would be. It wasn't difficult in the sense that the material was hard, but…do have any idea how hard it was to dodge a mop when your perception of depth is off? Aoko had nearly had him more than once, dammit. She seemed to sense that something was off with him because she relented earlier than she usually did, but he wasn't complaining. As it was, he was having enough trouble ignoring Hakuba's suspicious stares and Akako's triumphant ones. She seemed awfully proud. Was it really so great, having figured out that he was injured?
After school, he just couldn't refuse an offer for ice cream. Hey, his mom had only said no caffeine; sugar was fair game! As such, he, Hakuba, Aoko, and Akako walked together to the local ice cream parlor. He easily polished off enough helpings to feed six people and was unanimously voted to pay for the whole thing. Pouting, he was a little surprised when Akako leaned over, passing him a coin.
Brow knitted, he inspected the coin and realized that it wasn't currency. Instead, it had a picture of three birds flying side by side on it. "What's this?" He questioned her.
"Oh, nothing. I simply saw three birds flying together and thought you might like it. Curiously enough, the birds are a dove, a raven, and an albino crow of all things. Interesting, isn't it?" She gave him a knowing look.
"Oh? And when did you see these birds, exactly?" He asked. The dove had always been himself and he was pretty sure the raven was Tantei-kun, but who could the albino crow be? Unless…no, there was no way he'd travel with any of the crows. If he came across one of those murderers, he'd be sending them a one-way ticket to the nearest jail cell.
Speaking of crows…as soon as Akako opened her mouth to reply, a bang rang out down the street. He jerked in surprise. He knew that sound and it was never good. "Hakuba!" he shouted. The blonde nodded at him, dragging Aoko to the side. Kaito did the same with the witch, following Hakuba's lead and heading for a small alcove. The crowd around them was in chaos, trying to get under cover.
He felt weird, like someone was watching him. Who? Who would be – He pushed Koizumi hard and rolled to the side just before a bullet imbedded itself in the ground where he'd been standing. Hakuba's eyes went huge, his head swinging around to scan the surrounding area. Aoko pulled Koizumi up, staring at Kaito with fright and concern apparent in her eyes. He smiled at her, ducking behind a conveniently placed crate.
"Hakuba, can you see them?" He called, voice low. No need to bring their attention over here again.
"No, but I think they're on that rooftop across from us." The British detective answered, voice just as low as Kaito's.
The magician frowned. Could it really be the crows here for him? But why? They'd never attacked him civilian persona before. Besides, this seemed a little obvious for an organization that prided itself on discretion. He bit his lip, digging through his pockets. What could he use? And where the hell were the police?
His hands ran into a smoke bomb, a flash bomb, and a spinning metal disk. That was all? Surely he'd remembered to pack more of his arsenal than this!
Okay, if that was it…how could he use them? One of the bombs would let him get away, but they'd also call attention to where he was hiding, putting his friends in danger. And the disk…what was he gonna do, throw it at them? He didn't even know where they were and, even if he did, his depth perception was off and he could possibly miss! Then, he'd just make them angry. Angry snipers were not good.
--
On the way home from school, the Shonen Tantei had, once again, run across another corpse. Luckily, the case was fairly simple to solve, but Conan was not looking forward to Ran's reaction when she arrived to pick him up.
She'd been hanging on by a bare thread this past week and her breaking point was close. He really hoped this corpse wasn't it. He also hoped that she wouldn't hurt him when she did break. He was still recovering from his last encounter with Ran's karate, he didn't want to chance a second one. Reflecting back, he supposed that had been nothing more than wishful thinking.
When Ran arrived on the scene, she'd been smiling like she usually was, but…there was this strained quality to it, especially when her eyes landed on him.
"Oh, Ran-kun, how are you? It's been a while; almost three days since your father ran into a murder. Too bad Conan-kun had to break the record now, huh?" Megure smiled at her. "He's even worse than Kudo-kun when it comes to running into cases." He shook his head.
Conan winced. He could practically hear the thread being stretched thin. 'Note to self: Do not mention Shinichi's name. Though that should be obvious, really.'
"Yes, it is unfortunate, isn't it?" Ran's smile was faltering. "Are you done with him?"
"Oh, yes. He's free to go." Megure nodded, waving his hand.
"Come on, then, Conan-kun." She started walking off, expecting him to follow. Conan gulped and did so.
"R-Ran-neechan?" He asked after running to keep up with her. This woman had long strides when she was agitated.
For some reason, that little phrase seemed to be all she could take. "Conan-kun," She snapped. He took a step back, a flicker of fear making itself known again. "I'm tired of this, Conan. I just…get out. I can't deal with you anymore." She said. Her lips were in a thin line and she was glaring at him. "I'm sure you could find somewhere to go. Maybe there's some other childhood friend you could lie to. Just get out. You can take your stuff, but I don't want to see you again, understood?" Her glare intensified. Conan nodded, unable to stop his body from trembling. At least she hadn't hit him yet, though the words hurt almost as much.
They marched on in silence, Ran not even offering him a simple look. He swallowed. There was no way the great Kudo Shinichi felt like crying right now. Kudo Shinichi did not cry. But…what about Conan? He was just a kid, he was allowed to cry, wasn't he? No, he ordered himself. He wouldn't cry, he would never cry. He deserved this, he had seen it coming. He had no right to cry now that it was here. No, he'd take his rejection with grace and leave. He didn't know where he would go, but…well, he'd manage. Maybe Haibara would take pity on him and help him out.
When they reached the agency, Conan scampered up the stairs and grabbed everything he owned. He could hear the door slam open as Ran entered and a shouted discussion downstairs. He needed to leave, needed to get out before her temper broke through and she attacked him.
When he had his things, he ran all the way to his house. She didn't follow.
--
Kaito lucked out. The police came to his rescue before he did anything that could get him into trouble. Unfortunately, they also proved his suspicions correct. Three snipers were found on the rooftop, each shot in the head with their own guns, and all wearing black. He recognized one of the men as belonging to Snake's group. They had come for him. Why? Why did they suddenly change tactics? What had changed that turned his civilian persona into a threat to them?
He made sure everyone got home okay before heading straight to the one place he'd felt safe at lately. It was strange that he should feel safe there, really. There was a high possibility that the crows were watching there, but…
On his way, he pulled out his cell phone and dialed Jii's number. He didn't dare call his home phone for fear of it being bugged. "Jii? Yeah, it's me. I'm okay, though I have run into a bit of trouble. Listen, I need you to help Mom. The crows have changed tactics and came looking for me in the middle of the marketplace. Make sure they don't hurt Mom. Yeah, you keep safe as well. I don't know what I'll do, but I need to stay out of sight for a while. I have an idea, but I'll have to get back to you on that. Thanks, bye." He slipped his phone back into his pocket and inconspicuously snuck around the corner. He didn't feel like he was being watched, but it never hurt to be wary.
Finally, he arrived at his destination and he entered through an upstairs window. He didn't like the sight that greeted him. There were whimpers coming from the bed, or, more precisely, from the small bundle on the bed. A few objects were scattered on the floor of the room: clothes that would fit a child's body, books, small trinkets and the like, and one pure white rose. Kid blinked. When had he given that to Tantei-kun? More importantly, what was it doing here? And all the rest of this stuff, too.
He crawled onto the bed next to the quivering mass and wrapped his arms around it. The figure tensed and one watery blue eye peeked open. Ascertaining his visitors identity, he buried his head in the thief's chest and sobbed.
Kaito was shocked. What on earth had happened to effect his detective like this? "Shh, shh, its okay." He whispered, rubbing the child's back soothingly. The trembling body pressed against him, seeking comfort, and Kaito willingly gave it.
Later, when the detective composed himself and separated from the warm chest, Kid finally asked, "What happened?"
"I – the other shoe dropped, I guess you could say. Ran finally snapped and threw me out." He said quietly.
"That doesn't explain this." Kaito's hand came up to caress Conan's face, brushing away any tears left in his eyes.
"It…I've been afraid of her," He whispered, hanging his head in shame. "Ran, she…ever since she attacked me, I've been terrified that she'd do it again. It's wrong! I shouldn't be afraid of someone I grew up with!" His voice cracked.
Kaito pulled the detective to him again, cradling the small body in his arms. "There, there. It happens. People change, Tantei-kun, you know that. Sometimes the changes aren't what we expect."
"Yes, but – " Kaito cut him off, pressing his lips to Conan's.
"Don't worry about it, Tantei-kun." He told him, pulling his head back, but still holding the boy close. "Nothing in this world is perfect. We all have undesirable traits within us."
"I know, I just…" He sighed. "It's been too much lately. Everything just keeps piling up. I guess it finally broke. For both Ran and me."
"What are you going to do now?" Kaito asked.
Shinichi shrugged. "I don't know. I suppose I can't just stay here, but…I have no where to go. My parents…I'm sure they'd bring me along, but globe trotting with them is not exactly high on my list of desirables."
Kaito chuckled. "I know what you mean."
Conan nodded. "Hey…what are you doing here? I mean, I'm…thankful…that you are, but…it's unexpected."
"Ah, yes, well…I ran into some of our old friends. The police apprehended them, but not before they took a few potshots."
Conan jerked out of Kid's embrace, concern written clearly over his features. "Are you alright? Was anyone hurt?"
"No one as far as I know. I don't think they would be, though. The snipers were aiming for me." Kaito's voice expressed no emotion, but his eyes couldn't hide the gravity of that statement. They knew who he was and they were coming for him. He couldn't be Kuroba Kaito anymore.
Conan's eyes shot wide open. "You? In your civilian persona? W-what are you going to do? If they find you…"
"I know." Kaito said slowly. "I'm not sure what I'm going to do. I have an idea, but…actually, you might be interested in this particular idea."
"Oh?"
"I was thinking of going to America. It shouldn't be too hard to start a life there and its not difficult to fit in. With my ability in disguise, no one would ever find me unless I wanted them to." He paused for a moment before asking. "You said you had nowhere to go. Would you like to come with me?"