Chapter 31: The Phantom Game.
Once again, my experience with Phantoming shows, so you're going to have to forgive me. I'm not a student who moonlights as an internationally wanted thief after all. No matter how much I wish I was.
"It's time for the Night to roll in"
Kaito looks back towards the bathroom door, wondering about the state of Tsuna. He really hoped that the boy was going to be alright. "What, now? Geeze" now wasn't exactly the best time for this to happen. It would be best to sort Tsuna out before they went anywhere. Taking on missions in the near future was not on his plan at the moment, sorting out missions for Tsuna was. He looks back towards Shinichi only to find the detective backing away. "You mean right this second!" Shinichi nods and exits into the back corridor. He checks that no one else is watching before climbing up into their own part of the corridor and back to his room. Kaito spares one last look towards the bathroom before following the detective.
Putting all thoughts of Tsuna out of his mind, he turns to Shinichi. "Do you know what this mission is?" he asks. Shinichi cringes, "That bad?" Kaito raises an eyebrow.
"For me, not you. You are going to love this" explains Shinichi, looking away from the magician. Well this sounds interesting. "I'm going to be having more Phantom lessons." Shinichi has said it so quietly and rushed that it took Kaito a moment for his brain to process it. Shinichi was right, he was going to love this. He had enjoyed giving Shinichi the first set of lessons, teaching him the best ways to use the secret tunnel entrances posted around the mansion without being seen. Then they had gone through some interesting entrances for the Dining room. Both of them never got tired of the look on the other's faces when the detective and thief just appeared without the door opening. It had almost felt as if he was planning a magic show with Shinichi acting alongside of him.
"There's going to be another teacher too" adds in Shinichi before Kaito can explode from being too excited.
"Really?" for who was better than him at getting places unseen? "Who?"
Why Reborn of course, the World's Best Hitman. You didn't get a reputation like his if you got pinned for your jobs. Reborn could do anything and everything all without leaving a trace. And if that meant killing a few people, well, they shouldn't have been in his way then.
Kaito though was slightly more interested in the shadow on the wall. He really wanted to learn that trick. In front of him was a baby with a bright green gun. On the wall, on the other hand, was a cool adult who spiked fear into your heart.
"How do you do that?" whispers Kaito in awe.
Reborn smiles one of his I'm superior to you and don't I know it smiles before turning to the shadow on the wall. As he moves, it becomes his normal shadow, small and baby like. "That's my true form" he says. Shinichi and Kaito don't miss the melancholy nor the pride in his voice.
"We knew you weren't a baby with skills and knowledge like you have, so what happened to you?" says Shinichi. They could be rather open minded about this since one of them had been shrunk for three years.
"I wouldn't worry about it. Unlike you Shinichi, this isn't curable. It's a curse put on the Arcobaleno to be able to control us better." Sadly as silly and unbelievable as that sounded, especially coming from a man- er, person- like Reborn, they knew that it was possible. This world they had entered was filled with mythical occult occurrences. If Reborn said it was a curse, then it was.
"But enough of that. We're here today to train you to become Tsuna's Night. You yourselves have chosen the path you walk, I'm just going to help you achieve that." He changes the subject, bringing it back on track.
He didn't need his real body back. Whilst it would be nice, he could still train Dame-Decimo without it. This body came with its advantages. People underestimated a baby greatly. Even Mafiosi would freeze momentarily when they see a baby. People forget he was there, immediately dismissing him as 'just a baby', which wouldn't be able to understand what they say anyway. Even if he showed them he was something more, people quickly forgot about it. Sure, re-training his body had been pure hell and he couldn't reach as high up as he used to be able to, but he could now squeeze into smaller spaces. But the best advantage was that he was more focused. Babies weren't hormonal, there was less chance of him being distracted by the useless feelings of lust and love. Lust was just another tool for him to use, a way to get closer to the target. And in this world, love just got you harmed. It would worm its way in and then tears your heart and mind apart with worry for the lover whenever they weren't in your sight, since anyone could attack them for the pure reason of getting to you. Without love your heart couldn't break when they died. He didn't need his body back if it would only weigh him down.
"We are going to be ghosts, fulfilling the legend that already surrounds Vongola. We go in, we come out and no one knows that we've been there." Says Shinichi looking straight at Reborn. Blue meets black and stays there.
"Information is hacked, people are kidnapped, blackmail is found, traitors are warned, threats are eliminated and no one knows who's done it. The only witness is the Moon and Her Stars." Says Kaito, violet eyes a dark amethyst.
Reborn feels like shivering from the auras these two are giving off. He hasn't felt that in a long time. If anyone was going to have his legacy, it was going to be these two.
"All that will be left behind is one symbol. With Nono and Decimo not denying nor agreeing with the accusations, the rest of the Mafia will be in fear of the unknown. We won't claim the position. No one will know it was us." Says Kaito once more, a sinister smile on his face. Kaito was enjoying this far too much. Reborn felt as if it had become another mask. Kaito was treating this like another role to act in a play.
"Are you sure this is what you want?" asks Reborn seriously.
"It's not what we want but what we must do. Kaito and I value our normal lives too much to change it. Neither of us would be happy without our normal lives, it's just too ingrained in us. We would be changing totally if I wasn't a detective and Kaito wasn't a magician and KID." Answers Shinichi. Reborn is glad that this was their first answer. Tsuna already had certain devotees that were going to be more concerned with Tsuna and the Family to care about what they wanted. By putting themselves first, they were going to have a better and more fulfilling life. By keeping their passions wrapped around them, they were going to enjoy these missions more. Their lives weren't going to get boring. To be honest, Reborn was proud of them. It took guts and determination to step into the Mafia life and not let it rule them.
"When Tsuna needs us, we will be his. But the rest of the time, we belong to ourselves." Says Kaito nodding at Shinichi's statement. "It's only right we do what we can for Tsuna since he will be helping us with our own problems too. Plus, our lives needed spicing up. They were getting boring."
"Your life was boring, try reliving kiddy math." Drawls Shinichi. Kiddy math, the best time of his life!
"Vongola needs the Night. There are just something's that Tsuna will need done in secret, with as little fuss and fanfare as possible. There will be times when he can't tell the rest of the Family what's going on, and there will be times when Vongola can't be related to what happens. We will be there to fill in those gaps. We've got a whole different view-point than the rest so we'll be able to advise Tsuna in a different way than the others can. Gokudera has his previous Mafia experience where as those like Ryohei and Yamamoto come from totally normal backgrounds." Continues Shinichi
Good, they both had a firm grip on their role in the Family. And they seemed happy with the path they were to take.
"Well, with that settled, let's get started. I have the perfect target for you." Says Reborn, smiling and lowering his fedora. The pair suddenly felt sorry for the poor sap Reborn had targeted. "But first, we need to sort your basic skills out Shinichi"
Shinichi pales. He had heard stories of Tsuna's training at the hands of this tutor. He just hopped that running around in his underwear was not on tonight's agenda.
Luckily for Shinichi, it wasn't. Instead he was in a training room near the bottom of the Italian Vongola Underground. Reborn had turned the cameras off so no one would catch what was going to happen. And whilst he was not subjected to the feared Dying Will Bullet, he was subjected to Reborn's next favourite method of training. Bizarre bomb infested methods. The aim of this particular training was to teach Shinichi how to walk without making a sound. A basic fundamental. So Shinichi was to walk down a walkway that had different surfaces on it ranging from carpeting to tiles to wooden flooring. All around him were sound sensitive bombs. If Shinichi made a sound above a certain decibel then the bombs would go off and he'd have to start again, only this time having to deal with any damage and tiredness he had received. So the more mistakes he made the tougher this challenge became.
Shinichi and Kaito didn't voice their concerns about where the Hitman had gotten the equipment for this trial. They knew they wouldn't get an answer.
Well, Shinichi knew that tiptoeing wasn't going to get him anywhere. He would make more noise due to the weight distribution. The only problem would be with the heels of his dress shoes.
"Guys, will we be doing missions in suits? It's rather clic-" he was going to say Cliché until he remembered that both men in the room did everything in suits. He himself wore suits for detective work, but that was to make him look smart so the police would listen to him. They wore suits for all of the down and dirty work. There was a difference. "There's not going to be a dress code for this is there? It would be a waste of time to practice in something I won't be wearing"
Reborn smiles. None of the others had ever thought of that. Tsuna had never bothered to go and find body armour, even if it was the colander and kitchen baking trays tied on with tape.
"But Shin-chan, think of the image. KID and Reborn look so much better and dangerous because they wear suits" says Kaito sounding rather star struck. Shinichi rolls his eyes fully expecting that answer.
"Yes Shinichi, you'll do these missions in suits unless there are special requirements. Since Kaito and KID are pros, they can stay in their white outfit if they wish. The dress shoes stay on. What did you think- you were going to dress up in spy gear? "
Great. Thinks Shinichi before taking a deep breath and starting, ignoring Reborn's childish comment.
He pulls himself up straight instead of slouching and decides to just do it and walk normally. He needed a base to start with and would work upwards from there. But within two steps it goes off, even if he was trying to be quiet. Shinichi is chucked backwards, his arms going to shield his head before he lands, back slamming against the floor.
"Shin-chan!" shouts Kaito before rushing over and checking he was alright
Tsuna dealt with this when he was 14? No wonder he failed his tests, Reborn most likely blew up some brain cells! Shinichi rubs his head before standing up once again.
"Don't worry, they only get worse from here" smiles Reborn.
"Do you know what went wrong Shin-chan?" asks Kaito, brushing the dust off of Shinichi.
"No not really. Although I was expecting to set one off since I wasn't trying too hard" then he whispers "Nor was I expecting the bombs to be that explosive." Kaito secretly nods in understanding.
"Your trousers" Kaito explains, walking Shinichi back to the start. Shinichi looks back at him "As you walk forwards your trousers brush against each other. This is best shown with jeans when you walk down a quiet corridor. You know that swish swish" he says, imitating Yamamoto's way of explaining things. "As I'm sure you know friction also creates sound. And it's one sound security guards and others will here. As did the bomb apparently."
Reborn had turned the bombs off so that they could talk without them going off. In fact, only one bomb had gone off when Shinichi set them off. So maybe it was Reborn setting them off manually?
Setting Shinichi back at the start he stands behind the detective. "Firstly, feet shoulder width apart. Any wider and you'll have trouble walking, any closer and your thighs rub together." He pushes his foot in between Shinichi's, pushing against them until there is a good 30cm gap between them. "Next, knees bent slightly" and he pushes the toes of his shoe against the back of Shinichi's knees, forcing the movement. "Next, tense your thighs" Kaito chuckled as Shinichi immediately did so before Kaito could lay a hand on him. "Good, now walk, keeping your feet that far apart." Kaito takes a step backwards and sees how tense Shinichi looks. "God Shin-chan relax, being tense will create more noise, you'll feel like you are heavier. That's just a rough guide; find a position like that that is comfortable. And don't forget about your arms, they'll help with your balance."
Shinichi straightens up slightly but keeps his knees bent. And he tries again. This time he gets a lot further down the walkway. It was going to take some time to getting used to walking like this, but he could do it. The key was to walk like you normally did instead of walking funnily because you knew this was a different position from normal. Even Shinichi knew that when it came to wooden flooring to stay near the edge where the wood was better secured and less likely to creak.
They spent a while continuing the lesson, with only one or two more bombs going off. Luckily enough from his adventures with the Shounen Tantei Shinichi knew some things; how to keep your breathing from being heard; to stick to the side of stairs and wooden flooring so it didn't creak; starting with the heel of the foot and rocking forwards onto the ball of the foot. Soon Shinichi could walk on all of the different surfaces without making a sound.
"Well done Tantei-kun." KID had taken over at some point since he actually knew better than Kaito did since he used these techniques for a living rather than for pranks on friends. He throws something at Shinichi who catches it and realises that it's a mirror. It's a rather dull mirror that is covered in scuff marks, fingerprints and scratches.
"Keep it on you at all times. Don't polish it either. Those marks are there to stop it reflecting the light and catching someone's eye. I think you can guess what it's for" Shinichi could; to check around corners to make sure no one was coming towards him. "Alright then, next is…"
And KID walks over to where there was a curtain hiding something in the middle of the room. Grabbing the edge of the curtain, he whisks it off to reveal a door. Just a random door in the middle of the room. A random door in the middle of the room with locks on it. Far too many locks in fact. Well, it seemed as if lock picking was next on the agenda then. Shinichi could in fact pick locks, since it was all about getting the rollers in the right combination. He most likely couldn't do it as quick as KID could, but he could do it. However, there seemed to be more than just the normal type of lock on here. There were locks for safes, electronic locks and combination locks.
As Shinichi shows off his proficiency with normal locks, he opens the door and it creaks loudly.
"You've got to open the door without a sound too detective." Says Reborn coming over and whacking Shinichi with a Leon hammer.
And finally they came to something Shinichi was very good at: rifling through a room and putting everything back where it once was. Shinichi was good at remembering where things were even before the release of his flames. But with them on now, everything was put back perfectly, not even a millimetre off. And if there was a hair over the crack of the door then he would always find it and replace it back to where it was.
On and on these lessons went until a watch beeped an alarm at one o'clock. They headed back up stairs and changed into fresh suits. Shinichi was in a black suit with a black shirt and white tie whilst KID was in a white suit with a white shirt and black tie. Hair spray was sprayed over both boys to stop them leaving evidence behind by accident. But there was one more thing they had to complete their outfits, which was waiting for them in Reborn's small hands. They were long fabric bands about 2 inches wide and it was obvious from the eye holes that they were supposed to be masks. They looked like thinner and squarer bandit masks- rather modernistic. Shinichi's was white whereas KID's was black. And of course this being Vongola, it also had something to connect them to their flames. For Shinichi it was a huge black star centred around his right eye, whereas for KID it was a crescent moon centred over his left eye, the opposite side to KID's own monocle to make the connection less obvious. And both of their eyes shone through, piercing and startling against their background. Now, even if someone did spot them, it would be hard to connect them to Shinichi and Kaito, who were of course (for all intents and purposes) civilians.
Reborn directs them into a car and they drive out of the mansion and a little way away to where there was a warehouse and a helicopter waiting for them. Whoever they were targeting didn't live on the Island of Sicily it seemed. Once parked, black and violet eyes turned to blue fully expecting Shinichi to pilot the helicopter. How Reborn knew he could Shinichi didn't know. KID he could understand after some of the situations they had been caught in. However, Shinichi still got in and followed Reborn's direction. By 2 o'clock in the morning, they were landing once more.
"The Target's mansion is due north of here, far enough away not to have heard or seen the helicopter" reports Reborn. "Your mission is to get into the Boss's study, see what information they have on Vongola and get out of there. You are to shoot anyone who sees you. Since most of the mansion is asleep you should be fine." Both men nod.
Reborn rummages around in his jacket before producing some papers for KID to look at. "I know that you would have staked the place out beforehand, so I'll give you this. Blue prints including security cameras and systems."
KID looks over them with experienced eyes. Showing the pictures to Shinichi, the detective flicks his flame on for a moment, committing the maps to memory in perfect detail.
When they look up Reborn is sitting once more back in the helicopter, drinking his espresso- Where did he keep getting these from anyway? Did Leon turn into a coffee machine for him?
They spend the next 5 minutes creeping along towards the house. Eventually they come to the compound wall surrounding the estate. Lights are on, shining onto the garden, as security against intruders. There are also guards walking around the mansion, as well as some on lookout on the roof. Shinichi and Kaito had arrived in complete darkness so they doubted that they were noticed. The lack of activity agreed with that.
KID walks them to an area that is in darkness, none of the light's rays getting this far. He then turns and bows to his partner. "If you please"
What? He wants me to lead this? But I can't do that. I'm a detective not a thief, I don't break into houses unless it's for information… *sigh* which this one is. Reborn asked us if this is what we really wanted, but I didn't really think this far ahead. Knowing this is what's needed and doing the act are very different.
I'm turning into a criminal.
I'm breaking my own sense of justice. Yet it's all for retribution and for change. It's all for the greater good. So just grin and bear it Shinichi. You knew this was going to happen sooner or later. You knew this would happen the moment you asked to become part of the Mafia. So Shinichi, get on with it.
Looking at the wall in front of him, he sees that it's old and rather worn, and he should be able to climb it. It wasn't even all that tall. Gloved hands find suitable hand holds and he levers himself up. He stops just before he gets to the top to peek carefully over the edge. He ducked back down quickly.
After waiting a minute- his arms aching in the process- he peers over once more. Good the security guard had moved on. Taking a look around, he realises that they are at the back of the mansion. Pushing himself up, he jumps over the wall and into the darkness, making sure that none of the lookouts on the roof are looking this way either. Soon after, KID's light thump joins him. Shinichi looks around and finds what he's looking for only a few metres away.
Creeping over and keeping close to the protection of the shadows and the wall, Shinichi makes his way over to a box in a cage. It's the box that controls all of the outside lights. In a flash KID has the lock open and the door to the box hanging wide. In front of them now is a panel of switches. KID's experienced eyes flick over them taking in all of the codes and symbols adorning the panel.
"Get ready to run Tantei" He whispers. Shinichi nods and walks right up to the edge of the darkness, closest to where he wanted to go to next. At a signal from KID, the light infront of him goes out and Shinichi runs, crossing the expanse of grass to the servants entrance. Within moments the light is back on, the guards being none the wiser since it was only one light that went out instead of the lights to the whole compound.
Like the handwritten notes on the map had said, there was an electronic lock on this door. Grabbing a Screwdriver from his pocket Shinichi opens up the console and looks inside. From his lessons, he had to remove this wire here, the one connected to the alarm, and then this one-
"Not that one, the one next to it" whispers KID. He had taken the time to fit a devise to the lighting switch box so that they could de-activate the light for their exit.
Shinichi nods and pulls on the next cable, detaching it from its housing. Closing the device, his fingers fly across the numerical buttons trying code after code. To avoid doing random number they started with information that was known to then. Like their Target's birthday. It wasn't. So Shinichi started with 0000 and worked his way up through all of the different combinations. Normally, they wouldn't have to bother doing this since KID would have staked the place out in disguise already and knew what the code would be.
"Tantei, hurry up" hisses KID, he could hear the guard coming back around. Just as he says that, the lock bleeps green and both are permitted entrance. The door shuts before the guard can notice it's open.
Everything was dark, with only the odd light to show the way. It was rather early in the morning so none of the household staff who would use this area were awake. Bringing up the map of the house in his head, Shinichi guided them through the staff passages and into the main area of the house. It was easy to tell when one became the other since the grandeur of their surroundings changed. The corridors became rather superfluous, with expensive paintings and vases lining the way.
KID was happy with how quietly Shinichi could move. It still needed work, a lot of work, but it was better than when they first started. Hearing footsteps, both quickly pressed themselves into a nook in the wall, hiding on the floor near the curtains where the darkness was the thickest. Both silenced their breathing until a suited Mafioso walked past. Shinichi was almost sure they had been caught, since the man practically looked in his direction, but apparently he was only looking at the vase on the table next to Shinichi.
Once the threat had walked past, Shinichi and KID continued on, pausing every now and again to let a camera swing past them. This was a little different to what KID usually did too. At heists, everyone knew he was there, so getting caught didn't matter too much. Since Everyone knew he was there, he could take the easy route, like through windows, instead of creeping around unseen. Preparing for heists was closer to what they were doing now, where he infiltrated the place to set up traps, learn the layout and staff routines and the such.
Pressing his back to the wall, Shinichi grabbed the mirror KID had given him earlier and used it to try and look around the corner. According to the map, the Boss's room should be there. And indeed it was, with two body guards.
KID 2x Guards, Rain
KID blinks at the suddenness of the message, not even realising Shinichi had his Pen in his hand. He reaches for his Card Gun and empties the magazine of it's normal cards. With a click, 2 Ran Cards are in his fingers. He loads them and shuts the chamber with a flick of his wrist. Swapping places with Shinichi, KID looks around the corner to line his shots up. Turning so he was facing the wall, he leans around the corner so as little of his body is showing as possible and takes the two shots before the Guards can notice him.
The Guards here the click of a gun being fired and turn towards the noise. However, before they can see anything, they fall to the floor, asleep. KID walks across to them and ties them up before chucking them into a cupboard. Leaving them out there would only attract trouble if anyone else walked down this way. Placing his ear against the door, Shinichi hears sounds from inside, including someone mumbling to themselves. It was their target's voice.
Shinichi felt sorry for the target since Reborn had aimed for him once again.
KID knocks on the door before saying "Boss it's me" in a gruff voice that wasn't his own. Shinichi recognised the voice as the target's right hand man.
"Come in" says the Boss. KID opens the door slightly before flicking in a small capsule and closing the door. When they hear a thump, they open the door again, finding the sleeping gas had cleared. Shinichi picks the boss up, and places him back into his seat before tying him up. KID moves over and starts typing on the Boss's computer. Shinichi watches as KID inserts a disk before he takes a step back.
"That'll take a few moments to get inside the system. What about paper documents" Shinichi walks over to the filing cabinet in the corner of the room and picks the lock on it before opening it and rummaging through. There is a rather large file on Vongola. Flicking through most of it is contact between the two Families. However there is a large part at the back that contains informal letters and correspondence. There are even photos back here. Shinichi smiles at them since it seems that Tsuna and his family are having fun in them.
"It's done" says KID before typing away on the computer. He opens the odd file but finds the exact same as Shinichi, a mixture between work and play with Vongola. Finally KID sniggers and inserts a memory stick. After opening the file up, the screen goes black before flashing blue and returning to normal. Or what should have been normal. Shinichi rolls his eyes at what KID had done. There was the KID symbol everywhere. It was as the wallpaper, as the mouse curser, it was as program icons. The text had changed from letters to the doodle pulling different faces and positions. KID was allowed to do this since their target knew they were coming. Reborn had kindly asked permission to pull this training exercise. If it had been anyone else, then he suspected that this virus would have held their symbols instead. For Shinichi's mark hadn't been left out of this virus. There is a little Magnifying Glass everywhere too.
KID, being KID, even left a hand written note for the target too.
To the Stallion,
What poor security you have if my apprentice could get in here without my help. Reborn would come and kick you into next week. But I am a professional after all, so don't feel too bad.
But in the middle of writing this note, KID and Shinichi raise their heads in alarm. For there are footsteps approaching them. They are trying to be quiet, yet hushed voices and carpeted footfalls can still be heard. KID rushes to finish the note.
Haha, good back up plan there. We shall take out leave. Do know that we could have stolen anything we wanted. You really need to up the security in your office.
Kaitou KID and Metantei.
With hurriedly drawn doodles Shinichi and KID leave the office and run in the opposite direction to the footfalls. Whilst KID had been writing the note, Shinichi had looked around for any secret compartments. What he had found was a security red button under the desk. That must have alerted their current pursuers. Shouts could be heard as they look into the office and find their Boss. The familiar voice of the Right Hand Man shouts at the rest to find the thieves whilst he deals with the Boss. He was the only other one to know of Reborn's plans.
KID and Shinichi run down the corridors as fast as they can, trying to follow the map they both remembered. Both stop as they hear footsteps coming towards them from in front of them. They were soon going to be surrounded.
"Shit Tantei, they're going to be on us soon. Damn that Reborn, he knew this was going to happen. He could have given us all the information we need, but instead he just gives us a stupid map. It takes hell of a lot more planning to do something like this." KID hisses, hands balling into fists.
"KID calm down, I've got a plan." Hisses Shinichi back. He opens a door nearby and throws KID into it before following him.
"Tantei, what are you-" asks KID, yet he is interrupted by Shinichi's next words.
"Command C" Shinichi takes in a deep breath as the change starts. He looks up at KID, keeping eye contact as he explains the rest of his plan. It's hard to hear, with all of Shinichi's gasps and breathing patterns, but KID manages to comprehend it. "KID, I'll distract them… whilst you… hide. When they leave… get outside. Go back to Vongola… and be prepared to come and… pick me up. Target's not the type… to harm a kid… and once I mention Reborn… he'll pity me and send … me back. Don't be my mother though… be yourself… he'll take it better." It was weird hearing Conan's voice change whilst he was speaking. But by the time he was done with the plan, he was Conan once more. KID smiles at the clothes, which are far too large for the boy and clicks. Ever since Shinichi had this ability, he had kept some of Conan's clothes on him in case of emergencies like this. It never hurt to prepare for any eventuality.
Nodding in thanks for the news clothes, Conan opens the door and stumbles out before shutting it behind him. KID didn't have time to contest Conan's plan since there were shouts almost immediately. All he could do was wait and hope Conan was going to be okay.
"Oi, what's that kid doing here?" asks one man as the two groups of subordinates converge.
Conan sniffs, tears in his eyes, looking for all the world like a lost little 10 year old. The tears were actually from the transformation. Seeing the guns, tears start to fall and he busts out crying loudly. "Wahh! Where's Dino-nii?" The men are taken aback at the sight of a crying boy. They were expecting an intruder, not to meet him.
"Take your team and go and search for the intruder, he might still be here" says the man in command at the moment.
Conan sniffs and looks up at them "There was this man in black, with a balaclava on. He ran that way" he says pointing down the hallway and away from KID. The team of men nod and run in that direction. "Do you know where Dino-nii is? I was told to come and find him." The men relax with the name Conan gives, but still remain slightly suspicious.
"Does Boss know you are coming?" asks the leader, kneeling down to be on Conan's level. Conan sniffs and shakes his head.
"No, Reborn left me here and told me to find him" They look between one and another, and all nod. That sounded like Reborn after all. Taking his wrist the leader escorts him back towards the Boss's office, where Romario meets them outside.
"Who is this?" he asks one eyebrow raised in surprise.
"We found him wondering around the mansion crying Sir. He said Reborn left him here to look for Boss."
"Hmm" says Romario. Was it a coincidence that this boy arrived during the time period that Reborn was going to hold his test. He didn't think so.
"Can I see Dino-nii?" Conan asks, trying to look as innocent as possible.
"Whose that Romario?" asks a blury Dino. He was tottering, still slightly under the effect of KID's sleeping gas.
Conan bursts out crying once more and runs to Dino, hugging him around the waist. "Dino-nii, I was so scared. Reborn just left me and I don't know where he's gone and-and-and- this place is so big and scary and it was really dark." After another fake crying fit, Conan continues "And that scary man ran past and then there were these men with guns and I thought I was going to die!"
Dino looks at his men to see that it was true- they had pointed their guns at a child.
"Um, I'm sorry but do I know you?" asks Dino.
Conan looks up and wipes the tears away before stepping away from Dino quickly. "Oh I'm sorry. Um no you don't. I know you though. Reborn showed me a picture and said if I was ever in trouble that I could go and find you and I'd be safe. I just want to go home to Tsuna-nii."
Dino looks down "You know Tsuna and Reborn?" he asks. This kid was most likely safe then and just got caught up in another of Reborn's crazy plans.
Conan smiles. "Yeah! He's like my big brother, he plays with Lambo and I-pin and Fuuta and me when he gets time off from working. Reborn never plays with us though"
"What's your name?" Dino asks, realising he doesn't know.
"Oh, sorry. I'm Conan. It's nice to meet you" and Conan smiles.
Dino smiles back. If he knew all those names then the child most likely was Vongola. "How about we get you a bed for the night and we'll call Tsuna-nii to come and pick you up in the morning, okay?" Conan nods before yawning. Dino ruffles his hair- something Conan hates but allows anyway- before leading the boy off to a guest room. A guard is stationed outside the room in case the boy tried to look around the house at night.
Dino is sitting with Conan early next morning when the door is thrown open and Kaito comes running in and picks the boy up in a hug, nearly squeezing the life out of him. "Thank goodness you're safe. I was so worried Conan-kun." He shouts.
"Kaito-nii!" Conan shouts back in greeting before hugging Kaito back. Tsuna also runs over.
"Sh-Conan. We were so worried when we couldn't find you." Tsuna says. Dino looks on and smiles, it seemed like this kid was Vongola after all.
"He was walking around my mansion lost. Apparently Reborn left him here in the middle of the festivities." Informs Dino.
"Festivities?" asks Tsuna, looking over at Dino.
"Yes, Didn't Reborn tell you? He was doing a training exercise for Shinichi and KID. They had to get into my office and leave without getting noticed."
"Oh, KID was grumbling about that this morning" says Kaito. "He said Reborn hadn't given them enough information to be able to do it properly, so they did get noticed. He said that usually they would plan a lot more first instead of going in there with just a map. Didn't you set an alarm off or something?" Tsuna and Dino sigh- they knew all about Reborn sending them into places without enough information.
"Yes, I did. But who are you may I ask? I don't think we've been introduced." Says Dino, looking at the teen before him. He looked vaguely familiar, especially in the baby blue suit. "Oh, I know. You're that Magician, Kaito Kuroba." He says, answering his own question. He and his men had gone to a show on one of their days off.
Kaito laughs at Dino's enthusiasm "That's right, I am. Tsuna is my Boss. I work for the V.F Corporation but I know about the Family. I'm not involved in it at all, Tsuna promised that. It's very nice to meet you. And thanks for taking care of my cousin. I was worried senseless when he disappeared."
"Thank you Dino-nii" chimes Conan.
"You're welcome. I understand the feeling of being left by Reborn." Smiles Dino. "And tell KID that if I had walked to open my door instead of him letting himself in, he wouldn't have been noticed."
Tsuna smiles. "It'll get passed on" he looks sidewards at Kaito- it was passed on now. "I'm so sorry about interrupting your night though. Reborn should really stop testing my men against you." He sighs and rubs his neck in embarrassment.
Dino laughs "Don't sweat it, little Bro. It keeps my men sharp. The two guards on my door can't believe they were gassed by KID, and the rest can't believe they missed him. They kind of became fans when we were in Japan with you. But you know Reborn, he'd do it without my permission anyway, at least he came and warned me first. I warned Romario, so he wasn't freaked out when he found me sleeping, but the rest of my men didn't know. They enjoyed the challenge. They are all fired up to catch them next time. In fact" and Dino pulls a piece of paper out of his pocket. "It's Shinichi I should be congratulating isn't it. It says here that Shinichi did all of the hard work. I didn't know he could do that"
Tsuna laughs nervously, "Well, Reborn's training Shinichi and KID a little differently to everyone else." His phone beeps "Well we had better be going back. Bye Dino"
"Sure thing, Bye little Bro" waves Dino.
Back in the helicopter, Tsuna turns on Conan. "Why didn't you tell me you two were doing a mission?"
"Well you were a little occupied, Boss." Says Conan looking at Tsuna's arms. Tsuna looks down and away. "Anyway, it wasn't like we could say No to Reborn. But more importantly, are you prepared for when we get back?" Conan gives him a very Shinichi-like stare.
"When we get back?" Tsuna asks.
Conan sighs. "Belphegor told everyone about your training. He even showed them pictures. Sine you were… like you were last night, Reborn told them to leave you alone until tomorrow morning. When you get back they'll ask questions."
Tsuna pales and his eyes go wide "Heeeiii! Oh my God, they found out? They're all going to hate me now I'm sure of it."
As Tsuna went into a frenzied panic Conan places a hand on his knee. "It'll be fine. Don't they have more faith in you than that? Plus you've got me, Kaito and Gokudera to back you up. We'll make sure everything is sorted out alright. You won't be doing this alone." Conan knew that handling something like this alone was pure torture. He couldn't have handled being Conan without Agasa and the others.
"Thank you Conan. I'm just going to have to give them the facts. You're right they should understand. They knew we came to Italy for this."
They land back at the warehouse, not far from the mansion, as the sun rises over the horizon. Kaito had purposely gotten Tsuna out of the house early to prepare him for what was to come. As they open the door, Gokudera greets them. "Welcome back Juudaime. Are you ready for breakfast? It'll be just us since the others are still asleep."
Tsuna nods and follows Gokudera into the dining hall.
"I'm going for a shower, I'll be back soon alright." Says Conan. Tsuna nods and both Conan and Kaito disappear.
He turns to Gokudera "They found out" he says, eyes wide and slightly teary.
Gokudera takes in a deep breath, knowing this was coming.
"Well, you had better eat something then. You'll need the energy to deal with them"
Poor Dino, being used once again. And I brought Conan back for you all since we haven't seen him for ages. They were going to get away with it until I decided Conan should arrive. Like one reviewer suggested, I think Shinichi and Kaito would be more resolved to do these types of things. Admittedly this isn't as bad as what Tsuna was doing, but it's still against Shinichi's morals. I think that Shinichi would be more prepared to change than the others are since he has a goal in mind- to take down the Organisation. The same with Kaito.
See you all next time
Phantom Hitman 1412
First published 02 May 2012