Detective Conan and Magic Kaito characters, settings, and ideas do not belong to me but to Aoyama Gōshō.

TMPD Antics

By Taliya

LXVIII: Hakuba and Kudou

"Why do you attend KID heists?"

Shinichi turned from where he had been gazing absently out the break room window at the morning traffic with a coffee cup in his hand to find Hakuba Saguru pouring himself a cup. "Pardon?"

"Kaitou KID's heists," Saguru repeated as he came to stand beside the Division One officer. "They're outside of your unit's jurisdiction, yet you—and as of late, Hattori-kun—make every effort to show up to each and every theft." He blew the surface of his steaming beverage before taking a cautious sip.

"Does it bother you that either of us attend?" the Tokyoite asked, his blue eyes watching the half-Briton.

Saguru shook his head. "No, not at all," he answered. He paused before amending, "Well, at least not you." The Division Two officer stared contemplatively at the steam rising from the surface of his coffee. "Rather, I'm just curious as to your reasons to attend."

Shinichi huffed a laugh. "It's rather simple," he said, turning his eyes back to the window. "We're rivals—friends, perhaps. It's a challenge to each other—a dare to see who is willing to go further."

"And yet you've never won," the criminal affairs detective stated, his voice neutral.

"I've won my fair share too," Shinichi refuted. "Just because I haven't unmasked him does not mean I haven't won the matches."

"But that is your ultimate goal, isn't it? To catch KID?"

Saguru wore an expression of polite confusion, and Shinichi endeavored to clarify his admittedly unorthodox relationship with the phantom thief. "KID and I go back—way back. Probably not as far as he and you, but close enough to have a solid grasp of each other's strengths and weaknesses, reflexes and mental strategies."

The blond frowned. "But you did not earnestly begin to chase KID until you returned from your three-year disappearance," he countered, "So when did you…?"

Shinichi caught Saguru's eyes, and his shark-like grin brought forth a younger face framed by overly large glasses and a red bowtie to mind. "Despite how I appeared," the homicide detective said tranquilly with a sip of his coffee, "I was there and he knew it. Our first encounter began the game, and we haven't reached the end yet."

The puzzle pieces snapped into place. "So you were…?" Saguru breathed.

The Tokyoite grinned mischievously, the expression reminding the blond immediately of a certain menace that had grown on him over the years and who was currently stationed in Division Three. "How else do you think Mouri Kogoro solved his cases while taking forced naps?"

Author's Note: A more introspective piece. My brain is so ready to shut down, as it is currently 01:30 and the outside rain is a pleasant lullaby. The only thing keeping me from sleep right now is the thunder and lightning. Ah well, I only hope when I read this when I'm actually fully awake and functioning it sounds decently coherent. I hope you enjoyed it.

Completed: 18.04.2016