"I'm just going to see if Saguru is ok." Kaito said getting up from his desk. Aoko looked up at him eyebrows raised as he grabbed his bento box.
"It doesn't look like the news of Akako leaving is sitting very well with him." She nodded in agreement and he followed Saguru out of the classroom.
He found Saguru over by the detective's locker. He was bracing his head on it looking deep in thought. All of a sudden he drew his foot back and kicked it with all the force he had. He let out a yell that Kaito determined to be equal parts pain and anger.
"Your going to put a dent in it doing that." Kaito chirped at the detective. Saguru whipped around and glared at the magician.
"I am not in the mood your tricks today." He growled back at Kaito. "Just leave me alone." Kaito always thought of Saguru as gruff, but he had never seen the detective's feathers ruffled so much before. Even at a Phantom thief heist.
"I'm not leaving until you tell me what's eating you." Saguru at first looked like he was going to yell at him but changed his mind as his body relaxed a little.
"I thank you for your concern, but I'm alright. Just some turn of events have left me a little annoyed." Saguru said while straitening his school uniform.
"I think that a little annoyed is an understatement." Kaito quipped with a smile. "It looked like your locker was going to get into a personal relationship with your fist."
Saguru smiled a little, chuckling softly.
"Well with that out of the way, should we return to the classroom. You probably want to eat that before the bell rings for afternoon classes." Pointing at the bento that Kaito was still holding.
"Sure." Kaito said simply as he turned back towards home room. The afternoon classes were nothing to write home about. Kaito mostly just ignored the teacher and decided to focus on his own problems. He really doubted that Akako had to move because of family. He didn't think that she even had family. His only option was to find out where she lived. Maybe with some persuasion she would change back Conan. That in itself didn't make any sense. The way that she had set up the whole thing made it look like that she was targeting Tantei Kun from the start. However, that didn't make any sense. Why would she want to harm Tantei Kun?
Kaito was on his way to Akako's house. After the bell rang Kaito practically ran to the office. He charmed the lady at the desk for the address. (Then when that failed, he snuck into the office and pulled her file up from the computer.) The walk to Akako's place was quite enjoyable. The trees were changing colour and the air was becoming cooler as the days were becoming shorter. All in all, it was quite a peaceful day.
"Kaito wait up!" So much for that.
"What brings you here?" Kaito asked over his shoulder.
"Where are you headed?" Saguru asked.
Kaito looked back down the road. He knew one wrong move, Tantei Kun and himself would end up in really hot water.
"I'm just wondering if Akako had finished moving out yet." Kaito informed him. Saguru looked at him, baffled. .
"I didn't think that you two got along." Saguru replied. "Why would you be upset that she moved away?"
"She borrowed something that I want back." Kaito replied. "It's important."
Saguru looked down the road "Mind if I come along. There are some things I need to discuss to her as well."
Kaito shrugged his shoulders. "Fine." He sighed. "I could use the company." Saguru nodded and they started for Akako's.
After walking for a little while Saguru spoke up. "So, how's the new roommate?"
"What are you talking about?" The other teen asked. "You know I live alone."
Saguru just continued on walking. Kaito rubbed his face. "Anyway you never said why you need to talk to Akako. As far as I've seen, you've never really talked to her unless we were in a group." Saguru blushed much to Kaito's surprise.
"It's none of your business." He answered gruffly.
"Ohhhh." Kaito stated in a mocking tone. "So it's ok for you to stick your nose in the business of others…"
"Shut up." Saguru said with a tired tone.
"Fine." Kaito mumbled.
When they approached the house Kaito's jaw dropped in horror. The address that Kaito had gotten from the school was to an abandoned house. The house looked like the inhabitants had been gone for years. The red brick house was cover in huge amounts of ivy. All the windows in the house were broken either due to the elements or the more likely case of grade schoolers breaking them out with rocks. Saguru looked over and was surprised of what he saw. Kaito stood there face paled and fist clenched.
"Are you alright?" Saguru asked. He had never seen Kaito in such a state.
"No I'm really not." Kaito spun around on his heels, but Saguru put his hand on Kaito's shoulder before he could leave.
"You need to tell me what's going on or I'm going to have to take dramatic measures." Kaito spun around and looked directly in the eye.
"This is none of your concern asshole. If I learn something, I will let you know." With that Kaito stormed off towards his house. Saguru sighed, and headed off towards his own home.
As Kaito walked home he kicked the leaves in deep thought. He had no idea what he was going to tell Conan. Kaito felt as though he had let the small detective down. It was going to hard to tell him that he was going to be forced to stay in that state for an unforeseen time. A pit formed in this stomach at the thought. This was not going to be easy.
When Kaito got home, he was greeted with a loud wail from upstairs. Kaito bounded up the stairs and opened the door to the master bedroom. Greeting him was Conan looking rather frazzled. The teen watched as the small kitten gallop down the stairs. The normal teen walked down stairs and was greeted by the sight of the kitten pawing the glass sliding door. Kaito walked over and looked into the back yard. He scanned the area but didn't see anything out of the ordinary.
"What did you see?" Kaito stared out and scanned the back yard. Conan's wailing grew to a crescendo as he pawed at the door. Taking the hint Kaito slowly opened the door and watched as the small kitten darted out and crawled under the bush. Kaito just stood there staring at where Tantei Kun disappeared. Leaving the door open so the cat could come back in. He went to put away the groceries he had bought on his way home. The magician noticed the bag of items that he had received from Aoko. He spotted the litter box inside the bag. Oh, that's why Kudo needed to go outside. Kaito turned when he heard Kudo enter the room.
"Hey," Kaito said. "Sorry about not putting the litter box down." The cat shook and slightly nodded then noticed the can that was in Kaito's hand. The kitten trotted over, and to the teen's surprise it started to intertwine around his legs.
Kaito smiled slightly. "You hungry?" The kitten gave a small meow and rubbed his head against Kaito's leg. The magician placed some of the wet cat food on the floor. Conan dove into the food. Being curious, Kaito sat crossed legged beside the kitten. He reached out slowly and started stroking the kitten's back. At first the cat looked at him slightly annoyed, but ignored him and concentrated on eating. Kaito continued to stroke, and watched as Conan unconsciously lean his back into the pet. His back rising as Kaito's hand passed over. After a few minuets Kaito got up stretching.
"Listen, I've got homework to do. If you need anything, just meow." Conan looked up at him, clearly not amused by his last comment. Kaito went upstairs and tried to concentrate on his studies. However, his mind kept turning back to the problem at hand. How was he going to find a girl who used magic to hide?
Suddenly Kaito was jolted out of his thoughts when he heard the door slam out in the hallway. He got up from his chair and saw that the master bedroom door was once again closed. The teen knocked on the door of the bedroom. When there was no answer Kaito called out.
"Conan are you in there?" He asked rattling the locked door handle. After a short pause, there is no answer. "Conan?" Kaito was just about to break down the door when there was a reply through the door.
"Yeah?" The answer in a quiet groan.
"Are you alright?" Kaito asked, concern slowly rising inside him.
"I'm ok." Conan said now that his voice was more steady. "It's alright to come in now." Kaito heard the lock click, and Kaito slowly opened the door to find the human form of Conan Edogawa. The hood of his sweater was pulled low over his eyes. The drapes were closed making the room dark and foreboding. Kaito squatted and with his thumb, lifted up the corner of Conan's hood. Kaito could see one giant eye staring at him in bewilderment.
Kaito gave a big Phantom Thief smile at Conan.
"I knew you were gloomy Tantei Kun, but this is taking it one step beyond." To his surprise and relief, the small detective smirked right back.
"Don't I have a right to be a little gloomy Kaito?" The detective asked flatly. Conan slowly pulled down his hood revealing his ears. He noted the troubled look on Kaito's face.
"I'm fine." Conan reassured. "I'm just adjusting back into a human body." Kaito smiled and left the room with Conan following him. Both teens walked to the kitchen. Conan sat at the table as Kaito prepared something for their dinner.
"Now stop trying to prolong the inevitable, and tell me what has you so tense." Kaito stared in awe at the small detective. "I can see there is something you need to get off your chest."
Kaito pulled a chair across the room and sat beside the bed.
"And, how do you know that?" He asked with a sly smile.
"Come on Kaito. You know it's hard to slip things by me. Besides your poker face drops when you're in a safe environment like your home." Conan smiled almost sheepishly at Kaito then chuckled. "I have always wanted to catch you during one of your heists. Now I feel like I'm intruding on your private life."
Kaito chuckled. "You're not an intruder Tantei kun. You know you're welcome here until your problem is solved."
"Speaking of my problem…" Conan said slyly.
"I have some really bad news that you're not going to like in the slightest." Conan sat up strait.
"Come on Kaito, I am an adult." Kaito snorted.
"On the inside." Conan corrected. "Come on just spit it out." Kaito turned over his words in his head before continuing.
"Apparently, the witch no longer is attending Ekoda high." Kaito looked at the bewildered young boy. "And there was no change of address left. I have no idea where she could have gone after leaving the city."
Conan's eyes widened in horror. "Did you check out the last place she was known living?" Conan asked.
"I had never gone there until today. I found her address and walked there after school. The place looked like it had been abandoned for years. I don't think there are any clues there."
"You never know what you might find. We should go back tonight and see if we can find anything." Kaito noticed something in Conan's eyes that made his stomach flop. A glimmer of false hope.
"Kudo, I don't think there is anything there. She probably used magic to erase all traces of her ever being here. I'm afraid that… You might be stuck like this for some time." Kaito watched as the ears on the top of Conan's droop slightly.
"You could question her friends." Conan stated hopefully.
"She really didn't have any." Kaito said sadly. "I have a feeling that Saguru has already covered all the school bases." He watched as Conan's eyes traveled to the floor. "There is one more thing."
"What more could there possibly be?" The detective asked.
"I don't think that we should investigate for the time being." Kaito stated.
"What?! Are we supposed to just lay low?" Conan couldn't believe what he was hearing. Conan rested his head in his hands. "I don't know how much more I can take." Conan murmured into his palms. Kaito looked back at the detective and smiled a little.
"I know it can't be easy, but if we rush; Saguru could make things very difficult." Kaito said in a serious tone.
Conan sighed, nodding his head. "Great. I guess I'll just hang around, waiting to turn back into a cat." He leaned back and crossed his arms.
Kato stood up and teasingly ruffled Conan's hair.
"I'll make us something for us to eat."
Conan turned so he faced away from Kaito.
"Yeah…Great." He said softly.
After dinner Conan watched tv while Kaito finished his homework. "I'm heading to bed." Conan informed the teen.
Kaito looked up from his work in surprise. "Oh ok goodnight." As he watched Conan shut the door Kaito got up and walked up to his father's portrait. "Well dad, any ideas on how to cheer him up?"
The next morning started out much the same way. Kaito checked on the child hybrid. However, he found the boy asleep so he left him alone.
When the teen arrived at school he couldn't help but feel disappointed that the witch hadn't shown her face. He sat down and flipped the news sites on his phone. After a while Aoko approached him.
"Hey have you seen Hakuba this morning?" She asked, looking around.
"Hmm?" He said, eyes not even leaving the screen. "No, why?"
Aoko tilted her head. "I wanted to ask him if he wanted to go to the movies next week."
Kaito shook his head. " Nope I haven't seen him. I'll let him know though." As the period dragged on, Kaito couldn't help get more anxious. Where was Saguru? It wasn't normal for him to miss class. His perfectionist attitude wouldn't allow it. At the end of first period Kaito jumped as his cell went off. He quickly went to silence it and froze on the spot. On the contact screen it read Saguru Hakuba. He knew that whatever he was calling about couldn't be good. Kaito contemplated answering the phone. Reluctantly he answered and was greeted by something he never thought he would hear.
Saguru was actually panicking! "Oh thank god you picked up. You need to get to your house now!" Kaito's blood froze.
"Oh and why should I do that?" he said nonchalantly. "What am I going to find there?"
"Kaito enough!" Hakuba shouted. Kaito jolted to attention. "I'm at your house now. Meet me there."
He wouldn't. Would he be so low to search his house while he was at school? As he got closer to the house the sky grew darker; threatening rain. Kaito didn't think that he had ever ran so fast in his life. When he reached home he was greeted on the front stoop by Hakuba. Anger grew in the Japanese teen and he stomped over and got in the Brits face.
"What are you doing here?" Kaito growled.
Hakuba stood his ground. "Just hear me out." He stated in his usual snooty aristocrat tone.
"NO! I'm sick of your meddling! Ever since I met you; all you've ever done is accuse me and look down on me. Rummaging through my house is the last straw!"
As the magician opened the door, but stopped when Hakuba put a hand on his shoulder. "He's not here. Edogawa Conan is gone."