I am so sorry for the long wait. I have nothing but writer's block as an excuse. I am working on Masks, and should publish it by the end of this week fingers crossed. Sorry about OOC and all that as well.
Conan blindly felt around in the backpack, feeling for the fabric of his other clothes. He thought he was capable enough of figuring out how to put on his own clothes, especially since they didn't have buttons or zippers of anything of that nature. He felt inside the seams for the tags, and quickly pulled on the shirt and shorts on, shedding his girl disguise easily. He didn't know how quickly it would be before the assistant came back, and he didn't want to be in a compromising situation; KID had enough blackmail material on him, and adding more to the fire sounded like a terrible idea.
He pinched at the cloth of the shirt and pants, feeling that everything was in place. Now for the shoes. Tying his shoes would be much more difficult, but doable, surely. He sat down on the floor, feeling around for his signature sneakers and socks. His head turned slightly toward the door as he heard the click of the doorknob turning, and the slight squeak of it opening. Was KID back, or was it his assistant? What should he do? He decided to wait, and watch, well figuratively anyway.
The footsteps padded closer to him, stopping right next to where his backpack was. There was a sound of rifling through it when an unexpected voice asked.
"Do you need help?"
Conan raised his eyebrows in surprise. That was Mouri Kogoro's voice. He wouldn't be helping KID, right? His confusion cleared up as he made a secondary deduction, a smirk pulling at the corners of his mouth.
"You are using my voice changer, because Mouri Oji-san is the last person's voice I used for that. I assume it is because you can't change your voice like KID. Right?"
There was a small pause, before 'Mouri Kogoro' answered.
"Yes, I hope you don't mind."
Conan shook his head slightly.
"No, not at all. Whatever makes you feel safest around me."
He felt someone pull at his ankle and felt the sock slip on easily.
"Um you don't have to—"
"Bot-chama asked me to help you get dressed, and that is what I intend to do."
The shoe was shoved gently onto his foot, Conan helping slightly. His mind deduced some details about the thin, and what felt like slightly wrinkled hand that was now putting on his shoes, but decided not to voice them. He also noticed the young master comment, trying to deduce a possible relationship to KID. There was a small moment of awkward silence, that Conan decided to break amiably.
"We have met before, right?"
The shoestring tightened, and a few seconds later Conan could feel that the shoe was tied.
"Yes, on three separate occasions, not that you would know them."
Conan narrowed his eyes behind the sunglasses. Three? He could only think of two.
"The Mystery Train, and the teleportation trick. What was the other one?"
Yes, it was easy to remember the elderly woman in the wheelchair, and the nondescriptive silhouette from the teleportation heist. The other sock was pulled on his foot.
"The Ryouma heist. I was disguised in the crowd."
Conan's hand blindly felt down around his foot, trying to find his other shoe.
"Ah, yes, I was more focused on the counterfeiters. I also suppose you were at the walking on air heist as well, I just didn't see you up close."
He felt his foot being pulled off the ground, and his other shoe being put on delicately. There was a small pause, before 'Mouri' said softly.
"Yes, and you have only proven how dangerous you are to Bot-chama."
Conan froze, biting his lip slightly. Ah, that made sense. He could tell by how reverently this person spoke of KID that he cared deeply about the Phantom Thief, and it occurred to him that he was in an unknown location, blindfolded, with someone who thought he was dangerous and was highly protective of a previous enemy. He did not feel threatened per say, but it did make him feel slightly uncomfortable. He decided, as the stranger here, to just wait and see what the assistant did. He heard the person sit back away from him, his shoes finally on. He felt to his right and back, looking for the chair that he knew was in the room.
"Edogawa Conan-kun, what are your thoughts on KID?"
He felt the leg of the chair and pulled himself to his feet, stepping toward the seat, and sitting carefully. He pushed the blacked-out glasses further up his nose, more out of habit then an actual need.
"What do I think of KID?"
He paused, gathering his thoughts. What was the purpose of the question? Feel him out, see if he really was a threat to KID, obviously. So the real question was, how should he answer?
"KID is…mysterious. Arrogant. Annoying most of the time. Mischievous. A challenge. A rival at best, enemy at worst. Intelligent, acrobatic, and physically fit, charming I suppose. His magic is mind boggling, and his personality even more so. His acting of his persona and character is impeccable. A criminal."
Conan sighed as his thoughts became more articulated.
"But all in all, he is a good person. He is selfless, secretive. Every time we have teamed up, it has been to catch the more serious criminal, murderer or counterfeiter or hijacker. He cares about people and is willing to keep this whole syndicate a secret in order to protect those around him. He has only been respectful to me, in treating me like myself, not a child. He has only been a wonderful reprieve from the usual criminals I deal with, which I might remind you is homicide, and he has allowed me to use my normal intelligence, be myself for once."
Conan heard a step to his left and he whipped his head toward the sound, his voice full of conviction.
"Kaitou KID is force of good in this world, and I trust him explicitly."
There was a slight intake of breath, before 'Mouri' asked calmly.
"And when this is over? Will you turn him in?"
Conan hmphed, folding his arms across his chest.
"If he has another heist, I will. But that is because of the roles we play. I can't just let a criminal escape, good person or otherwise, and he won't just let a detective catch him, even if I do help him get rid of this syndicate for him. That is just how the rules of our cat and mouse game are, and it isn't going to change. We have never held back against each other."
He unfurled one arm to tap his cheek thoughtfully.
"That being said, the heist is the only place I plan to catch him. Not before, not after, not if I happen to see him out on the street. Just at his heists. In that way you are also off limits."
He placed his hands calmly on his lap.
"I know you probably don't believe me, but that is the truth."
He had put forth all of his argument and had answered as truthfully as possible. All that was left now was for Assistant-san to pass his judgement on him. He was sure that KID probably told the assistant to not do anything drastic with him.
There was a pregnant pause in the room, and Conan could feel the suspicious gaze on him, his paranoia flaring up at the neutral and calculating stare, that was trying to decide if he was right or not. After a moment, he heard a deep sigh.
"I apologize for not trusting you. It's just you have given Bot-chama quite a bit of trouble in the past, and I didn't know if you had an ulterior motive in lulling him into a false sense of security to capture him later."
Conan scoffed, hiding a small relieved smile as his body language instantly relaxed.
"Please, I would be insulted if you did trust me immediately. It is kind of flattering you think I am a threat. It just shows my skills are formidable."
He heard the person step closer to him.
"Yes, I was terrified back in the Spring when he was shot, and you took care of him. I worried for days whether you were telling the truth about him walking away without you knowing his identity or any evidence against him. It just seemed hard considering your past experiences with him and other detectives and police officers he interacts with."
There was a small hesitation, before the person continued.
"But he seemed different than usual after that encounter, he seemed sure you wouldn't turn him in. I found it odd, and advised him against it, but it seems he shares the same sentiment as you, trusting in you explicitly as well."
A pleasant warmth filled Conan's chest as he let a fond smile twitch at the corners of his mouth. It was nice to see that once again, KID understood.
"So I assume that you were going to not allow him to ask my help with this syndicate as well?"
That was one thing he wanted to know as well. Why did KID ask for his help specifically? He knew about a possible connection to Hakuba, and Nakamori Keibu had infinitely better resources then him, a tiny six year old body with a higher then normal intellect and someone who had taken a pretty rigid stance of rivalry toward the thief.
The voice didn't answer, at least for a few seconds as Conan heard more footsteps toward him and felt something cylindrical pressed into his hand. He raised the cup up to his lips and felt cool water quench his thirst that he didn't know he even had.
"Yes, I did. However, the Bocchama did run a trial run back a few months ago, almost to prove to me that he was correct in trusting you. One that helped convince me a little about your sincerity."
Conan narrowed his eyes in thought. A few months ago? What happened a few months ago? He filtered back his memories and his eyes widened.
"Wait, you mean the incident in Singapore?"
There was a small chuckle.
"Yes. Not only did you accompany him, but he got out of a few tight binds with you helping him, and you helped clear his name."
Conan protested.
"Yeah but there was a murderer on the loose, and someone about to destroy the whole city. I had bigger problems then a harmless Phantom Thief."
He grumbled.
"Even if he did steal my identity to do it."
He could hear the smile in the voice.
"But that is what cemented it for me. That was the entire point. That entire exchange with you was a test run, not only to prove me wrong about you, but I am certain the young master was using it as a trial run of how you two would work together to take down this syndicate. He decided to pull you along and see how you would react to the scenario of working together against a bigger deeper threat, allowing you to be in his presence almost constantly. You even helped him escape authorities at one point."
Conan tutted in irritation.
"That stupid thief. My reputation is going to be ruined at this rate."
There was a small chuckle, followed by a sincere comment.
"No, you are still a competent detective, but I remember the look on his face when he came back from the trip. He was elated, and he told me that he knew that if he proposed to you to take down the syndicate, you would take him up on that offer. He has placed more trust in you then a lot of other people."
Conan leaned back in his seat, a content satisfaction spreading like hot chocolate on a wintery day throughout his chest. He could almost imagine it, that smug smirk of KID's as he almost insisted passionately on Conan's participation. Now that he thought about it, back in the restroom at the museum, KID had held out his hand, and had made no move to try to persuade him. The look in his eyes wasn't the least bit surprised when he accepted his offer. It was beyond flattery and respect at this point. Yes, KID had other outlets and resources and people he could have relied on, but instead he chose him without the slightest bit of doubt. That spoke volumes of how much faith KID had in him and his abilities. He felt…proud? Was that the emotion building up in his soul?
"Well I am glad KID asked me to do this. No one should have to deal with an organization on their back. I will try my utmost to put these guys behind bars."
He hoped the conviction in his voice helped show the person standing near him that he was dead serious about this.
"They have been plaguing KID for a long time. I can't wait for the Young Master to be rid of them."
Conan couldn't help the small predatory smirk.
"Oh don't worry. They will be behind bars. I won't let them escape."
They stayed in comfortable silence for a few moments, before 'Mouri' asked.
"Bot-chama has a lot of faith in you, and your abilities, but why are you being so complacent in letting him go outside of heists? Do you really not have any deductions on him or even where you are right now that could lead to his capture, or evidence that you could have collected last night?"
Conan shrugged nonchalantly.
"I choose not to chase him outside of heists, not because I don't have deductions, but because I restrain myself because unlike most crimes, it is more of a game, a show then an actual crime. The task force and I try to stop him from borrowing the jewel, and KID steals it. I just choose not to because I don't want to. I have plenty of deductions."
The voice asked curiously.
"Oh really? What deductions do you have right now?"
Conan instantly felt cold wash over him. He gulped slightly as he asked hesitantly.
"Are you sure you want me to answer that? I just got you to trust me."
The voice shot back just as quickly.
"Well then I definitely need to hear what you are thinking about."
Conan sighed.
"Well, as far as evidence he drank something at my place, so I could possibly get a saliva sample. I didn't take any blood, fingerprints, hair, or anything like that. As far as deductions go, they come as second nature to me now, so I can't really help but deduce things about his personality, this place, and even you."
The voice whispered, sounding impressed slightly.
"What…what deductions have you made about this place, and me?"
Conan smirked at the challenge and straightened to his full height in the chair.
"Would you like the deductions I have on the location, or on who you are?"
The other voice didn't answer. Conan took a deep breath and started to deduce, thinking out loud.
"Well, I know that I am within an hour over Beika, not sure exactly which stations or train line we used, but that is not too much of a problem. Now, KID pulled out the headphone in my ear for about five seconds talking to me in the street, and during that time, I heard the sounds of what sounded like a main road, a shopping center, or a marketplace of sorts. Not a suburban place, or where houses are, so naturally I would assume that the place we are currently in is a business of sorts. Which begs the question which business would be closed, on a Friday morning?"
The voice was awfully quiet. Conan continued to muse aloud.
"I walked in through the front door and as far as I can tell, if it is a business, no one objected to me walking in, which meant there was no one here to begin with, so it is closed. There is only one that I could possibly think of, which is a bar, or maybe a casino of sorts? You are here which means you probably own it instead of just working here. I am guessing I'm not in the main room, but some back room or supply closet or something."
Conan leaned forward, elbows on knees and hands clasped.
"Now let's talk about you. Based on the feel of your wrist and you finger, they are very thin, and you have some calluses that leads me to believe you are a billiards player. So I am guessing you are a middle aged person, that owns a billiards bar. You also call KID 'Young Master' which means that A, you have known him for a long time, and B, you call him that because maybe you served his father? KID and his father both shared the profession, and maybe you were the original KID's assistant as well? Sound right so far?"
The other voice was silent for a long pregnant pause, before stating quietly.
"I was right to think you were a threat."
The elation of his deductions being correct was instantly smothered at the suspicious tone in the other's voice. Conan sighed. Back to square one again. This is why he should be less competitive, especially about deductions. Didn't Ran say it was socially unacceptable at one point? Probably.
"Well, lucky for you, there are probably hundreds of billiard bars with elderly people owning it, and it takes way too much energy, time, and effort to try to find it. Your secret is safe with me. I have no plans of trying to sniff you out and turn you in."
He felt a feathery touch on his shoulder making him jump.
"I know Edogawa Conan-kun. I believed you."
The grip suddenly tightened on his shoulder. Conan turned toward the person in confusion. Did he say something wrong?
"Someone is here."
The voice was a whisper, no longer in Mouri's voice. Conan could not help but register the person as male. That alone proved the person trusted him enough to hear his real voice. He whispered back, just in case.
"KID?"
"No, he is never that loud."
Conan then heard the shout from the front room.
"Where are you old man?"
Conan's blood froze in his veins. He recognized that voice only from the videos he had watched the night before. He whispered urgently.
"Spider."
Shoot, KID's prediction came true, and he had no idea where the Phantom Thief was. This was bad, but not unsalvageable. His brain instantly started strategizing as he heard the man start to move toward the door.
"Wait, he's dangerous."
He moved off the chair and instantly felt a hand on his shoulder pushing him back.
"Don't make me restrain you Edogawa Conan."
Conan froze. No, this guy wasn't going to—
A crash of what sounded like a bottle sounded in the other room.
"Come out before we destroy this place."
A different voice and Conan's stomach sank as he recognized him as Snake. Both of them? And there was at least one or two more voices murmuring in there as well.
"Let me help."
Conan hissed urgently. If this loyal man walked in there, he would be torn apart by the wolf pack. He couldn't do that to KID. He refused to allow them to take this well meaning old man that was obviously very important to KID away from the Phantom Thief. Thiey would never take anything from Kaitou KID again. The man replied gently.
"I promised him I would keep you safe. Don't make me break it. Stay here."
And with that he was gone. Conan's fingers twitched as he leaned against the door, pulling lightly against the doorknob and cursing silently as it offered resistance. The old man had locked it. He heard muffled sounds as the men conversed naturally, the man giving the excuse that he was in the bathroom. He clenched his fists. He was not going to die. Not on his watch.
He reached up fingering the blackout sun glasses for a split second. KID would forgive him, and he needed his sight. He would apologize later, but he had bigger priorities. He ripped off the glasses, blinking at the cool light in the back room. His eyes scanned his surroundings, looking for anything useful: a weapon, a distraction, a trap, an exit, anything. There were shelves filled with things he could throw in a pinch, and a back door, which he could definitely utilize. A plan formed instantly, but first, he had to inform the thief of the situation.
His eyes landed on his backpack and he leapt toward it. He pulled it open, hands searching desperately. Another crash and raised voices came from the other room.
"Where is he?! Where is KID?"
Conan's hand shook as he almost ripped his backpack apart. No. Focus, calm and collected. Rushing only wastes time. He took a deep breath and reached down, and finally felt the smooth round object. He jammed it in his ear and whispered.
"KID!"
Kaito slipped in the window easily, closing it softly behind him. He had already ran by his house and the KID hideout there, grabbing enough sleeping gas to knock out half of Japan and smoke grenades to match, along with many other magician essentials that he might not need, but took nonetheless. He felt much more prepared. There was just one more stop to make before going back to Jii-chan. He decided against visiting Akako for the moment. He would love to talk to her, but he felt there were more time pressing things to do.
Now though, he needed to pay a visit to someone else.
He stepped almost silently in the familiar house, glancing around for its occupant. Typing from the bedroom drew him closer. He eased open the door and smirked.
Nakamori Keibu was lying in bed, typing on his computer, looking sour. There was a bandage encasing his upper arm where he was sliced the night before. He was probably in a foul mood because he was forced to take a few days of leave to recover, and it killed him that he was in here and not out looking for his nemesis. Kaito stepped into the room and shut the door with a small click, flicking his wrist to flutter the cape dramatically.
Nakamori Keibu glanced up at the noise and movement, and did a double take, gaping at the international Phantom Thief standing in his bedroom. Kaito watched as his face changed colors from white, to pink, to blood red and he imagined smoke billowing out of his ears as his blood pressure skyrocketed.
"KID! What the hell are you doing here?"
The shout only caused Kaito to grin, pulling his top hat down a little over his face as he bowed slightly.
"Careful Keibu, don't bust open your stitches."
Nakamori Keibu raised his arm to shout loudly.
"Why you!? How could you just come into my own home—"
He winced, dropping his injured arm back down. Kaito gave him a sympathetic look but continued with his usual poker face.
"Why, I am just checking up on my favorite inspector of course! Had to make sure my loyal taskforce was all ok after last night's party."
Despite the obvious jibe, Nakamori Keibu stilled at the serious undertone. He carefully set aside his laptop.
"We are all fine. I was probably the worst of the bunch. A couple others got scraped up and one broke his nose by a punch and another got a black eye, but other then that we are all fine."
Kaito's poker face did not change but his body language did, only shown in the barely perceivable relaxation of his shoulders and stance. Thank goodness. They were all ok. He did not know what he would do if there was even one casualty because of his secretive war against the Syndicate.
"Well I am here for three main reasons Nakamori Keibu. The first is I have already told you, to check in and make sure you guys are ok."
Nakamori Keibu scrunched his eyebrows together.
"Why would you do that? We have been trying to capture you for years. I could arrest you right now!"
Kaito watched as Nakamori Keibu's hand drifted closer to the handcuffs next to his bed.
"I would ask you to refrain for the moment, as we have a common enemy this time Keibu."
The hand stilled, and Nakamori Keibu huffed. Kaito smirked and continued.
"Because, as you said, you have been chasing me for years, and an entertainer is responsible for his audience. You know my No Hurt policy. I do care about my beloved task force."
Nakamori Keibu folded his arms across his chest, wincing slightly.
"The other two reasons?"
Kaito chuckled. Wow, Nakamori taking the time to actually listen to him was a miracle. Kaito flourished his cape and stepped closer to the inspector.
"The second is to apologize. I want to take responsibility for your injury and your involvement. I had no intention of those men to attack you all. I am sorry."
Kaito bowed low, sweeping his hand across his chest in a sign of true repentance. There was an almost silent sigh, as Nakamori Keibu spoke.
"We are police officers KID. We might devote a lot of our time to chasing and capturing you, but when there is a real threat you better believe we will intervene, even if it is on your behalf. We involved ourselves, not you dragging us in to get caught in the line of fire."
Kaito's eyes widened from his bowed position. That was the gentlest Nakamori Keibu had ever sounded, at least to this persona. He denied quietly.
"I almost got you killed in the spring."
Nakamori Keibu was silent for a moment.
"Yeah, you saved my life didn't you? I do believe that is the opposite of getting me involved. I haven't really thanked you for that have I? Thank you."
Kaito closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He had had nightmares about that night, of if he was just a second too late to notice, to leap. That simple thanks lifted a burden on his mind he had gotten used to carrying. He stood up straight to see Nakamori Keibu looking at him with gratitude. Kaito's fingers twitched, wanting to leave but had to fulfill the purpose of why he was really here.
"Nakamori Keibu, the last reason of why I came here, was I might need your help. This is completely optional, as of course I don't want you or your men risking your lives for a war that was mine alone. You all have families, and I will not have you all perish because of me."
Nakamori Keibu didn't say anything, so Kaito continued.
"The people from last night are part of a larger force, an entire organization that I have been dodging and fighting with for years. I plan to completely take them down in the next few days, and the real problem is, I don't have enough handcuffs or police cars to take them to jail."
Nakamori raised an eyebrow.
"How are you taking them down exactly?"
Kaito grinned mischievously, the one that caused his classmates to shudder.
"Why Nakamori Keibu, surely you know how chaotic and effective I am at making fools of people?"
A tick mark appeared on Nakamori Keibu's forehead.
"I mean, are you going to alone?"
Kaito shrugged.
"I might have some help from Tantei-kun, but I have been doing this alone for years Keibu. I will take them down, I just need you all to take them out."
"We need a warrant, evidence."
"I will have your evidence. I just need transport and to make sure no civilians are hurt, and of course none of them get away. Again, you can easily refuse. I will not force you to, but…"
Kaito paused, before nodding determinedly.
"I do trust you Nakamori Keibu, and I need all the help I can get to bring these criminals to justice."
Nakamori Keibu's mouth dropped open, before he asked.
"How are you going to contact me?"
Kaito reached into his pocket, tossing a cheap phone onto the officer's lap
"I have the number of this phone on another burner phone I have. In the near future, say today, tomorrow, three days from now, you get a call and you will know it will be me. I will only tell you the location of the final hideout and hopefully all the agents there. I want to clean it up quickly."
Kaito gestured with one hand out theatrically.
"However, Nakamori Keibu, I cannot stress this enough. You do not have to take it. I can easily leave, do it on my own, and drop off them off at the station."
The last thing he wanted was Nakamori Keibu dying and letting Aoko cry. Nakamori Keibu picked up the phone, turning it over in his fingers and was silent for a few moments.
"Last night, I spoke with the task force, about taking on the criminals that pursued you. I told them if they didn't want to stay, they could leave. Not a single one left. KID you are infuriating and annoying and cause me heart attacks, but you don't deserve to be dead. If you are taking on this organization, and they have been terrorizing you for years, then there is no doubt that me and the rest of the task force will be there to take them down with you."
Nakamori's eyes burned with conviction. Kaito was taken aback slightly before he smiled gratefully, bowing once again.
"Thank you. I do apologize for all the trouble I have caused."
Nakamori Keibu set the phone next to him.
"I have one question for you KID, before you leave. Are you going to disappear, like last time?"
Kaito blinked at the question, of the obvious hiatus from his father to him.
"No, if this succeeds, I will have one last heist to announce my retirement. I will not leave without saying goodbye Keibu."
He was about to continue when a sudden hiss tickled his ear from the earpiece he had stolen from Conan's bag.
"KID!"
He flinched at the suddenness of it and his blood instantly ran cold. Conan wouldn't contact him unless it was an emergency. Nakamori Keibu cocked his head in confusion as he saw the different look in the thief's eye. Kaito gave him sorry not now look and ordered.
"Be ready Nakamori Keibu. I am guessing you will hear from me sooner then expected."
Then he whisked out the door, finger drawn to the button to communicate back with his little ally.
"What is it?"
Conan whispered urgently.
"They are here! Hurry back."
KID gulped. No, how had they found out about the Blue Parrot, and so quickly. Why did he even bring into words that they would find Conan and jinx them again. No, this was doable. He wasn't too far away, and Conan was not defenseless. He was probably chomping at the bit to intervene. He rushed back onto the street, doing the fastest disguise change in his life as he sped down the sidewalk.
"I'm about 20 minutes away. Where is my assistant?"
There were muffled footsteps in the background.
"He went out to confront them and locked me in here. I can hear at least three voices, and two are Spider and Snake. They are going to kill him. I have to do something."
Kaito gulped. No, he could not deal with this. He could not lose Jii, after everything else he had lost. Conan's voice broke through the panic, grounding him.
"I am going to try to distract and lead them away KID. I am leaving my real glasses. Sorry about the safehouse location."
KID heard the earnest eagerness to move, to protect, to do something from the detective, almost as if he was asking for permission. He understood that the blacked-out glasses were probably discarded immediately, as well as leading away meant he would know the general vicinity. Right now, though, he did not care at all. Jii's safety was precedent. Real glasses? Why would he mention that though unless…he was giving him a way to find the sleuth again. Understanding the short and concise message almost instantly Kaito snapped back a reply.
"Good luck. I will catch up as soon as I can."
He heard the smirk as Conan clicked the earpiece off and he felt a small satisfaction of Conan taking on Spider and Snake and shocking them, hopefully. He sprinted down the street, worry lending speed to his legs. He just hoped Jii-chan and Tantei-kun were safe.