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

Warnings: Language, minor violence

TMPD Antics

By Taliya

LXXXIV: Kuroba and Hakuba

The magician's voice was quiet. "Hanging in there, Tantei-san?"

Saguru whirled, disoriented by the lack of visual cues from the smoke as he tried to pinpoint the phantom thief's location. "KID!" he whispered.

"Meitantei is already on the move, as per the plan," the magician's voice murmured as he materialized before the half-Briton. "You should get a move on too. Be sure to grab the headset; I placed it where it'll be easily be found by you alone prior to the heist. I'll be off to find Tantei-han now."

"KID—" Saguru began, but Kaito coming out of nowhere and bodily tackling the thief interrupted whatever he had wanted to say.

"Found you!" Kaito crowed as KID yelped in surprise, the pair tumbling back into the haze.

The blond blinked, unable to believe his eyes. Sure, KID had been up on the ceiling struts before, but that could have been a dummy. What had just happened was assuredly not some dummy. It had been both Kuroba Kaito and Kaitou KID in the flesh. Even now, as he groped his way for the entrance to the gallery, he could hear the overlapping voices of both magicians.

"—you are such an octopus, Tantei-chan! Get off me; I've people to see, places to be, things to do!" KID complained, voice strained with what was likely physical exertion.

"—not letting you go now that I've got you, KID! Oh, why did I have to challenge you just to defend Tou-san's honor?" Kaito wailed. "I can't win either way!"

One of them suddenly shrieked. "Ta—Tantei-chan! Oi!"

There was an explosion and a crash, which was followed by, "KID! GET YOUR ASS BACK HERE!"

The phantom thief chuckled nervously. "No can do, Tantei-chan! Things to do, you know?"

Saguru finally located the portal to the outside, and fled the gallery. Ahead, he spotted Shinichi turning the corner by the museum entrance, no doubt on his way to his own assigned position.

I can't… Have I been wrong all these years? Saguru wondered. But the evidence…! He recalled that one evening where Kaito had been home, and yet KID had shown up at the heist location on the other side of town. Saguru shook his head and continued running, his destination preordained by the scheme Shinichi had thought up to catch KID's snipers. I'll worry about that later. Right now, I've a few murderers to find…

Author's Note: Now we have hard evidence that there are two Kaito(u)s running amok. Because Kaito is just plain evil like that. I hope you enjoyed it.

Completed: 13.07.2016