Yes I am aware of the many cliffhangers I give, and I might end this one with one too. So…fair warning. Also yes, I am aware I need more Kaito in this chapter. Don't worry there will be lots of Kaito. I also apologize for any OOCness that I have accidentally written. My plan is to finish this fic, before working once again on Masks. It will definitely happen, I just don't know when.
Shinichi tugged the door close and locked it for good measure. Snake was not going to escape until hopefully the police get up here. He had taken one of the notepads from one of the office desks, scribbled a note that Snake was dangerous and not to take him lightly, and left it right above the lock for the police to find.
Shinichi hopped up the stairs two at a time, skipping most of the floors now that he knew the police were on the way. He would love to stay and take out the lower-level enemies but leaving Spider to his own devices sounded like a mistake. He would take care of the assassin first, then see if he could head to where KID was and help there.
The detective frowned as he continued up the last few floors to where Spider was supposed to be. The radio silence from KID was concerning to say the least. He should have at least radioed in saying he had caught the boss, but there was nothing. They could be talking, but that only made him more concerned. Usually, KID was calm when facing a criminal, collected when everything around him was chaos, but it was different this time. KID had personal ties to this case; it was his whole life work, with some family mixed in. It would be so easy to rile the thief up. He hoped the thief wasn't doing anything stupid.
Another pang jolted through his body, causing him to grip the railing with a grunt and wait for the fit to pass. They were becoming more and more frequent. All the more reason to finish this as quickly as possible. He just hoped it could hold out until all of the organization was put safely away.
Finally, he reached the floor where the vault was. He checked his watch and ball belt just in case. He didn't have any more zip ties, so he would have to rely on duct tape or something else to keep the assassin contained. He pulled out his phone, scrolling through the camera feeds to that floor. He smirked as he put on his special weapon and stealthily crept onto the floor.
The hallway was dark, and Shinichi could barely see in the poor light. He tip-toed toward the large bank-like vault. There was no sign of the assassin anywhere, which certainly wasn't good for Shinichi's paranoid nerves. He knew he was here; maybe the Spider didn't activate the web because this was not the insect he wanted to catch.
Nevertheless, Shinichi needed him to. Let's shake this up a little then.
He fiddled with the dial on his soccer ball belt. After a moment he expelled the normal looking ball. He gave it a good punt down the hallway before he slipped back into the emergency stairwell. After a few moments, the ball exploded with a loud POP, ejecting colored lights into the hallway. Still no sign of Spider, but at least it should have shaken him up a little. Shinichi rushed back into the hall, using the light from the firework as a light source to try and spot the assassin.
"What have we here?"
Shinichi flinched away from the voice that whispered in his ear, way too close for comfort. He stumbled, but quickly gathered his wits, reaching for his watch. He whirled around to point the watch at Spider, but the assassin had once more vanished into thin air.
Shinichi stepped carefully backward until his back hit a wall of some kind. Was Spider gone? No, it had to be a trick or illusion. But how had he already fallen for it when he had been careful not to make eye contact with him? He scanned the hallway from his position thoroughly, trying to observe anything out of place. The air was silent…far too silent.
Suddenly something pulled at Shinichi's limbs, pulling ankles apart and wrists straight out to his side, an invisible force that was impossible to struggle against. Of course, that didn't stop Shinichi from trying. In a few seconds he was bound and pinned against the wall, caught in the spider's web. The detective gritted his teeth and tried to wriggle free, only for his bonds to tighten. If he looked close enough, he could almost see the wisplike string that was wrapped around his wrists and legs.
Spider seemed to step out of thin air. Shinichi's eyes quickly picked up the mirror that had hidden the assassin from view and almost rolled his eyes. Magicians and their stupid dramatic flair.
Spider gripped the detective's chin, forcing him to look at him.
"Now then, who are you?"
Shinichi would have glared at Spider, if not for the risk of being hypnotized again. He grinned as he heard the confusion.
"Wait, what—"
Spider had no time to consider the darkened sunglasses that Shinichi had used earlier that day as the blind disguise as suddenly the light off the wristwatch hit his face, blinding the assassin. Of course, they were repurposed with tiny holes scraped off in the paint to act as windows for Shinichi to see through, but they were enough that Spider couldn't tell if Shinichi had his eyes closed, blinking or not looking at him completely. The secret weapon that Shinichi had insisted upon in the internet café before this heist got started.
As Spider reeled back, Shinichi yanked hard on the threads holding him in place. They were strong enough that Shinichi couldn't break them on the first try, but desperate jerking finally pulled the strings free. The detective stumbled to the side, managing to keep upright. Spider latched onto his wrist, angrily exclaiming.
"You—"
Shinichi whirled around, pulling free from the assassin and managing to kick off a soccer ball at top speeds right at Spider's head. The assassin dodged the ball but didn't dodge the needle that Shinichi shot almost immediately afterward. Spider blinked but disappeared back into the darkness.
Shinichi jogged forward, dribbling the ball between his feet, ready to kick it at Spider. The assassin's voice seemed to come from everywhere.
"Now that is interesting."
Shinichi tugged down his cap over his face more, even though Spider had already seen it. He was wary, scanning constantly and blinking at random intervals so Spider wouldn't get the drop on him. He had no time to be hypnotized. He had to take care of this clown so he could go help KID.
"Who are you then? I expected KID to come raid the vault, not some nobody."
Shinichi almost shivered. He felt too exposed out in the middle of the hallway like this, but the last time he went up against the wall, he was almost caught. Not to mention, he still couldn't get a lock on Spider's location. Suddenly, needles came out of nowhere and Shinichi gasped, diving to the side and rolling back to his feet, glaring into the darkness where there was nothing. Spider continued, sounding amused.
"However, you are interesting. Those gadgets were what the kid used today."
Shinichi retrieved his ball, dribbling back in forth, even as his blood ran cold. Did Spider figure out his identity already? Surely not. It was a simple observation, not an accusation. He took a step and paused, smirking. There was a glint off a mirror that was just slightly down the hall, reflecting an office door that was on the opposite side. He chose not to say anything, pretending not to notice the illusion.
"Do you know the kid perhaps? He was interesting too. I was thinking of picking him up after this. After all, once KID is taken care of, we need to tie up loose ends."
Shinichi without warning, blasted the soccer ball forward, ricocheting off the opposite wall to curve behind the mirror. There was an audible grunt as it slammed into a body. In seconds, Shinichi was there, pulling the mirror away to expose Spider against the wall, holding tightly to his stomach. The assassin gasped and reached for his mask, perhaps attempting to use his hypnosis, but it was too late. Shinchi's next soccer ball caught him right in the face, shattering the mask and perhaps a nose. Spider spun away, crashing into the wall with great force.
The detective moved quickly, kneeling next to the assassin and ripping off the mask, exposing Gunter Von Goldberg, just as he had seen in the videos the night before. Well, if that wasn't enough evidence, then he didn't know what was.
Spider regained his wits to start struggling, and Shinichi shot him with another dart as he pulled out the duct tape. He wanted Spider docile for when the police came up here, and he didn't want to be overpowered by him.
The assassin sagged slightly, arms and fingers spasming as Shinichi bound his arms and legs together into a ball he couldn't possibly escape from. After a quick pat down search and he found the needles that he had shot at him earlier, inconvenient for cutting through duct tape, so he relieved the assassin of his tools, and a gag for good measure. He took a moment to survey his handiwork and moving the mirror far enough away that Spider couldn't break that and use the glass pieces. Satisfied, he had one last task before moving on. He patted Spider's shoulder and whispered, masking his voice easily.
"Hakuba can't wait to see you in jail."
Behind the gag, Spider's face contorted into anger and began making muffled sounds. Shinichi stood, took stock and moved on. Time to go help the idiot thief.
Kaito blinked at the office that he had walked into. The tile floor was almost bare except for the two couches and coffee table. Further into the room, there was a desk facing the large wall sized window that looked out into the Tokyo skyline, which sparkled like a sea of stars now that the sun had gone down. A single lamp lit up the desk, and Kaito could see the desk was almost spotless, clear except for a laptop and one singular pen. There was a red leathered ornate office chair facing the desk, the kind that swiveled, because of course the evil villain had a swivel chair. The chair was occupied, judging by the black dress shoes that were under the desk.
Kaito glided further into the office, card gun raised at the mysterious figure. He hated how his hands trembled slightly before a quick breath dissipated any nerves he might have had.
"Ah, I was wondering when you would show up."
The tone was sickly sweet with charisma, luring unwitting targets to their demise. Kaito wasn't going to be fooled. He almost wished the voice was someone he recognized, someone he had always known, lurking in the shadows, but no, it was unfamiliar. A slightly older wrinkled hand flopped out from behind the chair, dangling the Pandora replica between the fingers tantalizingly.
"Are you here for this?"
Kaito stepped closer, his eyes glued to the back of the chair.
"A real shame, considering it is a fake."
Kaito smirked.
"Oh, you didn't like the gift I gave you?"
The chair suddenly turned, and Kaito froze, staring greedily at the sight before him. It was the CEO from the picture he saw in the internet café, but it still was so much different in real life, for multiple reasons.
One, he looked so ordinary. Dark black hair, middle aged man with a business suit with no identifying features. Completely mediocre, could blend into the crowd on the street with ease, and yet this man was the one who murdered his father. Seeing him in person, made it real.
Kaito took the rising anger and grief that threatened to overwhelm him and shoved it down deep, to be untangled and dealt with later. He couldn't afford to lose his composure here. He could see the man look him over and raise one singular eyebrow, patronizing.
"You are Kaitou KID?"
Kaito's eyes flitted over the CEO's form, searching for anything useful. One bulge in the jacket front pocket; a pistol by the looks of it. He had to do this carefully; if he was careless, he could die, but if he was too uptight it would be going against his principles of being Kaitou KID. He relaxed his stance minutely and twirled his card gun in his hand nonchalantly, his eyes never leaving the CEO however.
"I was about to comment the same. You don't exactly look as I imagined you."
The man dangled the jewel in his hand, making it clink.
"So, this was your doing?"
Kaito shrugged, gliding around the couch in easy steps to creep just a little closer.
"What can I say? I aim to thwart."
The CEO's ruthless smile made Kaito want to have a warm shower.
"And the real one?"
Kaito carefully kept his expression neutral as possible. The jewel in question definitely wasn't in the locker in the internet café down the street. He hummed, pretending to tap his chin thoughtfully.
"You know I am not sure. I am sure it is here in Japan somewhere, can't remember where I left it though. Don't worry though, I will make sure it is destroyed so you never have to kill someone over it again."
Whoops, a little of his sardonic bitterness snuck into his tone there at the end. The CEO frowned as he fiddled with the fake.
"Now, why would you want to do that, Kaitou KID? I remember offering you this chance before, to get in on our deal, where if you find it for me you could also get in on immortality."
Kaito bit his lip, deciding not to say anything. The CEO continued, eyeing Kaito from his chair.
"But you refused. Interesting. Why would you not want immortality? There are plenty of perks, and I would make sure you were handsomely rewarded."
Kaito cocked his head to one side, confused at the offer. He gave a small chuckle.
"You must be truly desperate to be asking me that. I don't want to live forever thanks, or work for the evil mastermind. I have seen too many betrayals on henchmen to commit to be one."
The CEO crossed his legs and laid the jewel on his lap carefully. He steepled his fingers together, resting his elbows gently on the arm rests.
"You really are like your father. He said something along the same lines."
And just like that, pure ice filled Kaito's soul as anxious thoughts swirled like bees in his brain. Did he know who he was? Was his cover blown? How dare this man so casually mention his dad? His fingers ached from how hard he gripped his card gun in his hand. As sweet as poison, he commented.
"Oh, did he tell you that before you murdered him?"
The CEO had the audacity to look at Kaito with something like pity.
"I didn't want to kill him. It wasn't my fault that he refused to take my offer. Then after refusing, I gave him many warnings, to which he ignored. I couldn't let him continue, as a rival in the business."
Kaito narrowed his eyes. Did this man just blame his father for his own death? The CEO gave a patronizing smile.
"You know how it is."
Kaito had never felt any desire to eliminate any 'rivals in the business'. Even this guy he didn't want to kill, although the longer the man talked the more he could see the appeal. Guess he hadn't upgraded to 'Super bad guy' status just yet.
"No, I don't."
The CEO shrugged.
"Ah well, you are young."
The man stood, walking over to stare out the large window upon the city.
"I did order the death of Kuroba Toichi. It was almost too easy to rig that accident. How long has it been now, ten years?"
Kaito said nothing. The man was trying to trap him, leaving a breadcrumb trail in which he would lose his poker face and composure, make a mistake of some kind. He wouldn't play these kinds of games. The CEO huffed out a brief laugh.
"Then imagine my surprised when the famous Kaitou KID began performing and stealing again. It was like Kuroba Toichi was back from the grave. I had to double check with Snake to make sure he did the deed and hadn't slipped up somewhere. But then I started to notice some things; the name was the same, and the style was similar, but still different enough to lead me to believe it was a different person. Someone to take up the mantle..."
He paused, meeting Kaito's eyes in his reflection.
"I must commend you. As much of a thorn in our side Toichi was, you have been far worse. Snake has had nothing but complaints about you, Spider has also been quite impressed by your abilities. Truly the successor Toichi wanted you to be."
He turned, giving a slow clap that only made Kaito want to shiver with disgust and beam with pride. Instead, he gave a short bow, hand resting on his chest.
"I am glad I could keep the audience entertained at least. I wasn't going to just let you all do what you wanted."
The villain stepped closer to the phantom thief, making Kaito tense uncharacteristically.
"So now that you understand what an absolute nuisance you are, you can understand how bringing you to your knees will be the ultimate satisfaction."
The tone was no longer cordial, instead frigid enough to give any listener frostbite. Kaito only smirked at the pressure change. Finally done beating around the bush, were they?
"That is supposed to be my line. I am ready to pull out all my tricks to bring you down."
The boss stepped back, towards his computer.
"Tell me, Kuroba Kaito, how is Nakamori Aoko these days?"
Kaito wrestled down the sheer panic that threatened to engulf him. Not only did he know his name, but Aoko's as well? That was a straight one two combo that Kaito wasn't prepared for. Then came the implications of the sentences. Was he suggesting that Aoko was in danger? That his carelessness was going to get her injured or killed? That she was in this man's custody? No, that wouldn't possibly be—
His father's voice, clear as a bell, penetrated his anxious mind.
Do not forget your poker face.
Kaito's eyes narrowed as he observed the body language of the man standing across from him. No, he was bluffing. He looked more interested in Kaito's reaction then the smugness of some criminal with everything going his way. It would probably be pointless to lie, Kaito just raised his eyebrows as he smirked.
"She is fine, and out of your reach."
The boss simply raised an eyebrow at the reaction.
"The old man too?"
Kaito gave a brisk nod. He took hold of the hope that both Jii-chan and Aoko were safe with both hands, holding it tight to his chest like a good hand of cards. He was going to bluff his way through this until the other guy folded. The boss considered him for a moment before turning back to his desk. He typed a few things on the laptop as he spoke.
"Unfortunately, you are correct. We do not have them because they seem to have disappeared without a trace today. I see you invited her father here. Tell me, since obviously you missed my message in the spring, how would it be if I took care of him like I took care of Toichi?"
The relief at the admission that Aoko and Jii-chan were safe was cruelly yanked away as the CEO flipped the screen around, showing Kaito his task force making their way through the building, led of course by Nakamori Keibu. The CEO smirked.
"You seem to care quite a bit about that family. Would be a shame if the girl lost her father like you lost yours. Then there is this other little hiccup."
He flipped the computer around, pressed a few buttons, a different camera pulled up, showing a figure in dark clothing and a baseball cap, sprinting up the emergency stairs.
"This person, who seems to be an ally to you, but I can't figure out their connection with you whatsoever. Would you also like their death on your head, along with the rest of your precious police force?"
Kaito stiffened as he glared right at the computer screen, seeing his allies in danger and there was nothing he could do about it. The only thing he could do was take care of the head of the snake and hope the rest of the body will surrender. The CEO offered out a hand.
"I am a flexible man Kaitou KID. I am sure I can make a bargain with you."
Kaito readjusted his grip on the card gun, scowling and ready for the pure garbage about to spew out of this monster's mouth. The boss gave a short chuckle.
"Let me and my subordinates have Pandora and we will escape, never to interfere in your life again, including letting these meddlesome trespassers go."
His chuckle trailed off and he finished sternly.
"Or, I will order my men to finish off this lot, and you will spend the rest of your life looking over your shoulder. It might be next week, or next month, or next year, or next era. You don't know when it will be, but you will live in a paranoid prison of your own making, until I decide that it is time for you to die. It is your choice."
The threat was obvious, and Kaito could feel the metaphorical claws tightening around him. This man truly believed that he was escaping tonight and getting off without any consequences, that the great Kaitou KID was going to lose this wager. Kaito took a moment before giving his answer. He raised his card gun with one hand, pointing it directly at the boss.
"I pick the third option. Which is I help put every single one of you in jail for the rest of your life."
If he hoped that some mild intimidating would make Kaito back off when he was this close, he was sorely mistaken. Sure, this was a little selfish on his part, putting his allies in danger, but considering who the allies were… Nakamori Keibu had protection in the form of body armor and his task force, and they were fiercely protective of him. Kudo Shinichi was not someone who even needed his worry, considering his history of taking down baddies left and right. He trusted them to take care of themselves.
The CEO frowned.
"Are you really going to be as heartless as letting the people you care about get slaughtered just for revenge?"
Ah man, this guy really had no idea how Kaito worked. Kaito stepped forward, his tone as harsh as the card he shot at the desk as a warning.
"You don't get it do you? I am not sacrificing them for revenge. I am protecting them by locking you up somewhere where you will never again have any authority to murder someone. They agree with me."
The boss eyed the card and shook his head in pretend disappointment.
"Really now, KID. You think you can go against us without any consequences?"
Kaito froze, card gun pointed at the man. Did he know something he didn't?
BANG the office door was thrown open and a familiar voice yelled.
"There he is! Get him!"
Kaito dove behind the couch and somersaulted away from the small group of guards, led by the second in command. He glanced up at the CEO and said cheerily.
"Hold that thought, be back in a minute."
He shot his grappling hook toward the opposite wall of the office, down low. He retracted it quickly, sliding him across the floor too fast for them to shoot at, tossing a smoke bomb toward the group.
Instantly he was in the smoke cloud with them, pocketing their guns and blowing sleeping powder into their faces. The second in command shouted.
"Don't just let him do what he wants! Kill him!"
Kaito suddenly found a machine gun in his face. He ducked and winced as machine gun fire almost blew out his eardrum. Ears ringing, he disarmed the second in command and within moments the entire group was sleeping and tied up. Dusting off his hands arrogantly, he raised an eyebrow at the CEO, who was once more sitting at his desk over his computer.
"Now then, what were you saying about consequences?"
The CEO chuckled, twirling once more in his chair to face Kaito.
"I have one final decision for you, Kaitou KID."
Kaito stiffened slightly under his poker face. He sounded far too smug; big red flag that a trap was ahead. The CEO held up one finger.
"Now, I am going to leave this room, go up to the helipad, and escape using my helicopter."
Kaito was careful not to react, even though he wanted to. Was this man out of his mind?
"If you think I am going to just let you—"
The Boss interrupted him.
"Yes, I think you are."
He stepped to the side, gesturing to the computer. On the screen there was a loading bar, showing a sixty-eight percent.
"This is the only computer that has all the evidence of our illegal activities. I am deleting all the files as we speak. You only have a chance to stop one of us."
Kaito's eyes widened slightly. If he didn't get the CEO…the man knew his name, his identity. He would be stalked or killed if he escaped to do more evil deeds. It didn't matter if he had the evidence if the man went free. However, on the other hand, if he didn't have the evidence to put the man behind bars, the Boss and all his subordinates would be released anyway. How was he supposed to choose between them?
The loading screen jumped up to seventy-two percent. Making his choice, Kaito leapt forward, quickly typing on the keys to try to stop the process. He could hear the Boss laugh as he casually strolled toward the door.
"Farewell Kaitou KID. I am sure we will meet again soon."
Kaito ignored him as he feverishly typed in commands, desperately trying to stop the deletion. Maybe if he hurried, he could get both. This one just seemed more time sensitive. He slid the USB that was going to download all the information into the terminal, trying to race the computer. It had jumped up to eighty-nine now. He was running out of time. He couldn't lose this. Not when he was this close. He murmured desperately.
"Come on, come on! Work."
"KID!"
A sudden voice from behind him caused him to whirl around. Shinichi was standing in the doorway, his sapphires flashing frantically around the room. Kaito allowed a tiny bit of relief at seeing the detective unharmed to overtake him before turning back to the computer.
"Boss is trying to delete the evidence. He went up to the helipad. You get Snake and Spider?"
Short and concise, and Shinichi understood immediately. In a moment, he was hovering over Kaito's shoulder, watching him try to hack into the computer.
"Both gift-wrapped for the police. Go, I got this."
Kaito glanced over to see the detective glaring at the computer in determination, willing the deletion to slow down by sheer will alone.
"You sure?"
Shinichi turned that glare at him and Kaito couldn't help but smirk at it.
"You can't let him escape. Go get him."
Kaito thought back to that moment a few days ago, when he had debated on asking the sleuth for help. Man was he so grateful to his past self for allying himself with Kudo Shinichi.
"Aye Aye, Meitantei!"
He let go of the keyboard, only for his hands to be replaced by Shinichi's. He started typing vigorously as he said.
"I will be right behind you, once I get this taken care of."
Kaito sprinted from the room, using his grappling hook to add velocity as he dashed toward the stairs to the roof. He knew he could trust Shinichi to finish the task.
He burst through the door to the whirring of a helicopter propeller, almost deafening in the night sky. There was a pilot already in the seat with a headset, pushing random buttons to get the helicopter ready to go. A few guards, looking slightly more professional than the goons downstairs, lined the walkway toward the door. The Boss was walking steadily toward the aircraft without another care in the world. Kaito felt a spike of irritation. Did this guy really think he would get away?
The card embedded into the door handle right next to the Boss's hand, an ace of spades. The Boss hesitated, glancing over his shoulder to see Kaito standing there with a casual smirk.
"Sorry, I can't have you do that. Why don't we go downstairs to see the good officers of the task force?"
For a moment, for the first time, genuine anger straightened the Boss's spine. He slowly spun back toward the thief and a simple gesture made the few guards raise guns almost in perfect unison. Kaito simply shrugged and discreetly pushed the button on his remote.
The helipad suddenly exploded with sound, fireworks and sparklers shooting off sparks of fire. Just because Kaito was trying to get up to the Boss's office as quickly as possible, didn't mean he didn't make a pitstop on the way to make sure if the worst had to happen, he had a contingency plan.
It was awfully hard to fly a helicopter or shoot someone when you couldn't see anything because of fireworks exploding in your vision after all.
The grappling hook wrapped around one of the guards as Kaito used him an anchor to slide into another guard, taking him out instantly, leaving him gasping on the floor like a fish out of water. Kaito whirled around and with a flick of the wrist unwrapped the other guard, causing him to stumble off balance. A gunshot blended in with the other bangs of the fireworks and Kaito ducked instinctively, glancing around the scene to find the shooter. The other guard was frowning as he adjusted his aim. He cried out as a few cards shot through his clothes around him, pinning him to the wall behind him.
Kaito flew forward and flippantly tossed a sleep bomb directly at the guard so that the wind wouldn't blow it away. The firework show finally fizzled out, leaving behind three stunned guards, a disoriented pilot, the boss and Kaitou KID.
There was a second of stillness, Kaito eyeing the Boss and the Boss looking more furious, and to Kaito's delight, worry. Someone was finally feeling the pressure, feeling nervous. Someone was finally seeing the trap draw shut, never to be opened again.
Kaito stepped forward, card gun held relaxed in his hand, ready at any time to shoot. Instantly the pistol is in the Boss's hand, pointing directly at Kaito's face. The Phantom Thief's eyes hardened. He had almost run out of patience for this man. What was it going to take to get him to quit? The Boss hissed with complete animosity.
"I will not be stopped here, not when I am so close."
Kaito glanced over to the helicopter. The pilot had gotten over the shock and was once again fiddling with dials and levers, getting ready to take off. Kaito took a deep breath before he lifted his card gun.
"That is my line."
There was several seconds of a stalemate, neither making a move, before both burst into a flurry of motion at the same time.
Kaito shot his card gun, aiming for the shoulder to disarm the Boss. The Boss fired his pistol, obviously aiming for Kaito's face. The bullet missed because Kaito dodged, rolling on his shoulder to the side and landing in a crouch to shoot again.
The already quick action then became even faster. It was at that moment, several things happened in very rapid succession.
A door slammed against a wall. Another pistol shot out again. A shout. A body cannoned into Kaito, throwing him to the ground. A soccer ball whacked into the Boss's hand and sent the pistol flying.
Kaito barely registered the weight on him as he rolled him off, taking the moment to recognize the detective before flying forward. The Boss was still not completely incapacitated. Kaito slipped behind him as the man threw a wild punch. Now Kaito wasn't known for his physical fighting prowess; he was more of a dodge and escape kind of guy. That didn't make it very satisfactory to use his card gun as a bludgeon to absolutely try his best to knock the Boss's head off. The man went down like a ton of bricks, hitting the helipad with a meaty thud. Kaito was quick to throw a sleeping bomb in the helicopter to take out the pilot, before breathing a sigh to expel the leftover adrenaline.
Finally. It was over.
It was a surreal feeling. It didn't feel possible, and sure the boss wasn't technically in handcuffs yet, but still. The hard work was finished. Now it was time to just finish cleaning up.
Kaito clamored out of the cockpit, calling out with cheer.
"Thanks for your help, Meitantei. Couldn't have done it without you."
The Phantom thief paused. Kudo Shinichi was still laying on the helipad, where Kaito had left him, laying on his back. The lack of snark was enough to be concerning. The Thief was by the detective's side instantly and immediately found the problem.
There was a steadily growing crimson stain growing on the detective's abdomen.