Reviews make me smile.
"I'm surprised that you're in such a good mood this morning" muttered Hakuba Saguru so quietly that it was almost to himself as he shed his Inverness coat, took his usual seat in the classroom and opened the morning newspaper. He turned directly to the crime section and began to peruse the latest wrongdoings while sipping on the Earl Grey tea that he always prepared at home, bringing it in a Thermos and pouring into a porcelain cup that he also brought from home because those lousy cheap Styrofoam cups simply ruined the flavor of good tea (or any beverage, really) in his opinion.
Of course, he had meant the hushed comment for a certain very annoying magician/prankster that shared Saguru's classroom who was also currently in the room doing who knew what- doubtless nothing good. Kuroba Kaito immediately picked up on the remark and temporarily ceased his work on an elaborate trap eventually meant for their sensei that involved the door, a rope, a timer, some rigging and a rather large water balloon aimed directly over the sensei's desk. Kaito turned towards the blonde meitantei's desk and asked "Why do you say that?" in a half-serious tone. What is Hakuba trying to get at?
"Well, yet another magician went missing during their finale last night," replied Saguru evenly as he folded the crime section in such a way that the other boy could see the large 'FOURTH MAGICIAN PULLS PERMANENT VANISHING ACT DURING HIS FINALE AT A LOCAL COLLEGE' headline splashed across the crime section's front page. "Since you're a magician-" and also Kaitou Kid, if my suspicions are correct, Saguru tacked on mentally- "I figured you might be a bit worried about what's going on with them and why they're vanishing like that."
"Why? Yeah, I do magic, but it's not like I perform for a living like those guys do. All the magicians that disappeared were professional stage performers." Kaito shrugged and walked over after this statement, sitting himself down backwards in the seat that Koizumi Akako normally filled so that he could face Saguru while they spoke.
"Mmm, I see," Saguru replied with a slight nod as he folded open another section of the paper since Kaito had picked the crime section up to begin studying it in more detail. "Well if you're not worried, that's good, but I'm sure that whoever Kaitou Kid is must be starting to sweat a bit at this point. I know I would be if I were him." Saguru was very grateful for the paper to hide his face behind at the moment, since he was sure he had most thoroughly raised Kaito's interest level in the situation through his not-so-subtle hint. He also knew that he would have been hard pressed to squash the knowing smirk that was dancing at the edges of his mouth currently. Sure enough, Saguru could hear the sounds of frantic paper rustling beginning on the other side of his own raised Global News section.
"What are you two looking at over here? It interrupted Kaito setting up one of his pranks, it must be really interesting," commented Nakamori Aoko as she approached the pair, mop already in hand and at the ready just in case Kaito greeted her with his standard 'What color are they today?' followed by a skirt flip. In fact, Aoko was really wondering what was going on because this was probably one of the only times in her life she'd actually seen Kaito even lift a newspaper up, much less study it with such an intent expression- and Kaito and Saguru weren't even close to fighting, another unusual event. She was a strange mixture of relieved and a little scared when Kaito didn't even acknowledge her approach; he just kept intently studying whatever section of the newspaper he had and never even took his eyes off the page at the sound of her voice.
"Oh, good morning Aoko-san. We were just discussing those magician vanishings that have been happening over the past few weeks," offered Saguru by way of explanation as he folded up the section he'd been reading. "Apparently another one went missing last night, which raises the total to four now." He covered his mouth coughed lightly before opening his Thermos and pouring his second cup of tea. "There's part of me that wonders if they aren't going after Kaitou Kid for whatever reason," he continued while Akako entered the room and leveled a glare at her currently occupied desk, ready to berate Kaito roundly for sitting in her seat before realizing what Saguru had just said.
"Why do you think they're going after Kaitou Kid, Saguru-kun?" Akako inquired after a few moments, being careful not to let too pointed of a look slip in Kaito's direction while she asked the question. I hope you're paying attention, Kaito-kun...
"Several things point to that conclusion when you look at them all together at once, really," he replied airily as he lifted his hand up and began ticking them off. "First is that, well, it's magicians who are vanishing- I think that one is fairly self-explanatory. Second is that all of the missing magicians are males with trim builds, and it's generally assumed that Kid is really a guy- even if he does cross-dress on occasion. Third is that all of them have either dark brown or almost black hair and eyes that are some shade of darker blue, which seems to be close to Kid's own hair and eye color, assuming that Kid isn't using hair dye and colored contacts during his heists of course. Fourth is-"
"The tricks!" cried Aoko triumphantly as her eyes widened with realization. "Two of those four magicians used tricks just like Kaitou Kid used- I think one of them would walk on air across the arena for his finale and the other guy would teleport around the audience. Kaitou Kid used both those at one heist or another of his."
"That's it exactly," nodded Saguru. "Precisely what I was going to say. And as for the other two magicians...well, take a look at their stage costumes. Please give me my paper back for a minute, Kuroba." He held his hand out for the paper, tapping the paper eventually when he realized that Kaito wasn't listening to him. "Kuroba!"
"Sorry, here." Kaito sounded far from his usual jubilant, jokester self as he handed the paper over to Saguru with a very serious look on his face. "What were you saying-something about their uniforms?"
"Yes. Look at these uniforms. Seem familiar?" inquired Saguru as he pointed at two of the missing magicians, pointing at the showy green ruffles on The Great Vizar's flashy, suit like costume and large silk top hat and monocle that Musashi the Magnificent enjoyed wearing onstage. Well at least he actually seems to be taking this seriously...
"Those look just like Kid's, only different colors" replied Akako who was now very deliberately avoiding looking over at Kaito. The more that Hakuba lays this theory out, the more plausible it seems...I hope he takes extra care on his next few heists since he always announces them beforehand. If someone really is after Kaitou Kid that will make it that much easier for them.
"Weird that they haven't just tried grabbing him on one of his heists," commented Aoko. "If they really are after Kid, then you'd think that they would just set themselves up at wherever he says his next robbery will be and kidnap him then."
"I can't see that screaming fan club throng of his letting anyone get away with that," chuckled Hakuba as he finished off his second cup of tea. "Can you imagine what would happen if his huge group of fans saw people trying to kidnap him? It would be complete, utter chaos. And some rather bloodied kidnappers who would either be arrested or get away empty-handed."
"Good morning, class," came their sensei's voice as she entered the room, her students quickly rising to greet her while the conversation they'd been having abruptly halted.
I really wonder if Hakuba's actually right. What he said in class makes a lot of sense. But if it is true, who's after me and why? I mean, I always return what I take, so I doubt that it's the owner of one of the jewels that I've taken hiring some mercenaries for revenge or something like that. And Snake and his cronies haven't shown themselves at several of my heists now...well, maybe it is them? Maybe they've gotten tired of waiting around and me beating them to various jewels? But you would think that they would just come to our house and get it over with...they obviously knew who Dad really was after all.
Kaito had been mulling over their conversation about the missing magicians in class for three days now practically every time that he had a few spare moments, pondering what he could do to help his fellow magicians without exposing himself or his mom to danger and also ensuring that the true identity of the rebirthed Kid stayed a secret. I wonder if I should leave another note at the next heist letting them, whoever that is, know that none of those kidnapped magicians they've taken is me...maybe they'd let them go then. I really hope they're all still alive, at least...Kaito didn't think that his conscience could handle it if they ever found any of the magicians dead if it really did turn out that they were being kidnapped, then killed simply because they weren't him.
He already had a target for his next caper, and had in fact already sent his caricatured note to the police and to the owner of the gem scheduling the heist for tonight. His target was one that had piqued his interest almost immediately once he'd read up on it, a large diamond-cut forest green emerald named 'Christmastide' due to its supposed strange propensity for having wide red streaks appear within that deep green when a powerful ultraviolet light was held under it. He and Jii had already spent a whole lot of time casing out the home and secure wing where the jewel resided, and he decided that he was going to go ahead with the heist, even after having three days to change his mind. Let them show up tonight. Hopefully I can try and get at least one or two of them arrested so they'll cough up the magician's whereabouts to the police.
As Kaito finished approaching his house, he noticed a strange black car parked in his driveway. His eyes narrowed reflexively as he ducked behind a bush and then readjusted his position so he could keep an eye on the vehicle, wondering who on Earth that old antique Porsche belonged to. Who the heck is that? I've never seen that car before in my life...And Snake's car looked nothing like that the time I managed to catch a glimpse of it. Kaito's instincts told him that something was most decidedly not right- well, more like his instincts were screaming at him that he was in danger. And they were coming out of his house... Mom!
"But Aniki, what about her son who lives with her?" came an unfamiliar bass voice, a voice that instantly sent shivers up Kaito's spine. "Could it be him? Shouldn't we stay and interrogate him, too?" This was followed by a huge, hulking guy dressed from head to toe in black coming into Kaito's rather narrow field of vision.
"Tch. We have to get going before too many people notice the car, we'll worry about him later. I told you not to park it right in their damn driveway, idiot" hissed a smoother voice that somehow managed to creep Kaito out even more and set off his internal alarms. Mom! What the hell have these bastards done to her? "And don't talk that loudly. Besides, I think her son Kuroba Kaito will be...a little too busy with other things for him to pull the heist tonight even if he is Kaitou Kid." A lanky man with long, blonde hair and a cigarette dangling from his mouth that apparently owned that second voice who was dressed similarly to the big man now came into view as that second sentence finished.
"But Aniki, he should be nearly home-"
"We have to go now thanks to how long this car's been in the public eye. Listen to my directions next time and go park it somewhere that's not so conspicuous like I've told you a hundred times before," snapped the blonde shortly as he got into the driver's seat, the large man got into the passenger's side and the car quickly pulled away.
As soon as the car had completely disappeared around the corner, Kaito waited as long as he could possibly stand it while his stomach danced in his throat before leaping out of his hiding spot and rushing in through their open front door, not giving a damn if anyone else was inside still or to anything else but finding out as quickly as possible what had happened to his mother.
"MOM!"