Welcome back to the only fic I've succeeded in updating constantly so far! This chapter isn't the over-detailed monster that was the first chapter, so it's already ten times better, I promise.
Reviews:
Guest: SLAMS TABLE YOU GET IT! YOU GET IT! Thank you for understanding my vision I am very hyped for the different mysteries surrounding this adventure. Also, this takes place during KH2, as you'll find out in this chapter! Thank you for your review, and I hope you enjoy this update!
To all of my other reviewers, yes, I know, that first chapter was… a lot and went way too much into things. I was a lot more careful in this chapter, as you can see by the much lower word count lol. Honestly, I probably should go back and streamline the first chapter, but it's kiiiiinda a lot, and it was long and detailed for a reason so I'm just. Not gonna touch it. Sorry!
There are a few tiny plot holes that I need to fix, and I need to fix my tags on Ao3, but otherwise I'm not touching it.
Disclaimer: I do not own Detective Conan or Kingdom Hearts.
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Summary: Determined to find out the origin of the strange glowing red gem he found after yesterday's case, Conan decides to go to a Kaitou KID heist in search of answers. Unfortunately for him, destiny has other plans.
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Chapter 2: Detectives, Thieves, and Those Who Fight
Conan checked his stuff one more time, making sure he had everything he needed for the heist. He was wearing his customary blue suit today, his trusted bowtie already placed securely around his shirt collar. He didn't pack much else, knowing that he'd be fine as long as he was at a KID heist.
Plus, Hattori was going to be there as well, seeing as how the heist was actually being held in Osaka this time around. Despite their combined combo of bad luck whenever they hang out together, Conan had a good feeling that Kaitou KID's honestly absurd amount of good luck would cancel it out. Probably. Hopefully.
He was going to hope beyond hope until the heist officially began because, really, anything was fair game until then. And Conan really needed to be at this heist.
Speaking of, he opened up his suit jacket, digging through one of his inner pockets to take another glance at the red gem he had picked up yesterday. Looking at it now, it seemed so innocuous, so normal compared to how he found it before.
As he had observed before, the gem was roughly cut, the work looking to be done by an amateur. Most of the facets weren't properly smoothed down, and the cuts themselves were uneven, making it seem as if the person sliced the gem in random places rather than carefully planning out each part. In fact, it was so bad that bits of rock still clung to the gem, making the gem shift uncomfortably in his hand.
The only weird thing about the jewel was that, while the edges were translucent as a normal jewel was, the gem became more opaque as one looked closer to the center, becoming completely solid in the middle. It gave the odd impression of looking down a deep hole, an endless void or a wall of darkness that ends just out of sight.
Still, it wasn't too unreasonable considering the terrible cut of the gem and its deep red color. Nothing otherworldly or glowy about it. It didn't call to him. It was just… there.
He wondered if he had just been imagining things yesterday. He had been fairly sleep deprived, after all; maybe it was a fluke, a figment of his imagination.
Even as he put the stone back into his inner pocket though, Conan just couldn't shake the feeling that it had been real (he trusted his own mind more than he trusted most people, even after his whole world had been turned upside down by the poison. He had more people he could wholeheartedly trust with his life, but he also had many more who wouldn't hesitate to take that life away. If he couldn't trust himself, then who could he trust to take down the Black Organization?
It wasn't paranoia if they were really out to get you).
However, it wasn't time for thoughts like that now. If he wanted to make the next train in time, he couldn't afford to stay here and get lost in his head. He grabbed his backpack (mostly filled with snacks, water, and the basic first-aid kit that Ran has not let him leave without these days) and headed out of his room, noticing that Kogoro had already left for the case he had been called into earlier. All that was left was Ran, who was cleaning up some of the dishes leftover from their lunch.
She beamed at him as he entered. "Conan-kun! You're meeting Hattori-kun at the train station in Osaka, right?"
He nodded. "Yep!" Indeed, Hattori and Ran had come to an agreement that Hattori would accompany Conan as much as he could, mostly so that, if Conan ran into trouble, at least the older detective would be there to back him up. He honestly couldn't begrudge them for it, and he enjoyed Hattori's company anyway, so this time around he was more fine with the overprotectiveness than usual.
Though the most difficult part of it would be to find a way to talk to KID alone, without Hattori there. But he'd have to cross that bridge when he gets to it.
She nodded, satisfied, her expression softening. "Stay safe, ok? I'll save some dinner for you!"
"Thank you, Ran-neechan! I'll see you later!"
He waved at her as he exited the building, refusing to look back despite the urge to. Still, he couldn't shake the feeling that something big was going to happen. He could only hope that he was wrong, but his intuition unfortunately usually had the tendency to be right.
Conan reminded himself that he'd have both Hattori there and, to an extent, Kaitou KID, so he did his best to shake the feeling and continue his journey unhindered to the station.
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"Oi, Conan!" Hattori waved him down at the Osaka station, a wide grin on his face as he called out. Conan waved and smiled back as he made his way towards his friend.
As soon as he was within arm's length, Hattori took the chance to ruffle Conan's hair. His grumbling about it was subsequently ignored. "Ready for tha KID heist?"
Conan nodded, though inwardly there were still a few things he had to worry about in regards to why he wanted to go to this heist in particular. Still, he didn't need Hattori to know that. "Is there any new information about it?"
So far, he had only known about the location and time of the heist, and he also had a vague idea on the theme. It was at an old bank turned into a sort of modern history museum, though the architecture of the bank had remained relatively untouched outside of new buildings and rooms being built around it. As for the theme? He couldn't be too sure, but Kaitou KID's heist notice seemed to indicate that he intended to use the museum's status as a renovated bank to his advantage.
It seemed very fitting, for a thief.
Hattori shrugged in response to Conan's question. "Not really. Inspector Nakamori's been there for awhile already, and he's blocked anyone but the rest of the task force out, but no one's found anythin' outta the ordinary."
Figures. There usually wasn't much to find before a heist, but it didn't stop him or anyone else from looking around anyways. He had to commend the task force's determination, honestly. Even after years of chasing KID, they never let up, even if their skills were always far behind that of the thief that they chased.
The two started to walk towards their destination. The venue luckily wasn't very far from the station, only being about ten or fifteen minutes away. The heist wouldn't start for at least another couple hours, so they could afford to take their time.
"Hey, ya said ya found somethin' yesterday after the case, right? Some sorta jewel?"
Conan nodded. He almost forgot that he had mentioned finding the gem to Hattori. "Yeah. It was in those underground tunnels, but I don't think anyone knew about the room I found it in." He frowned, thinking. "It was in a weird spot, behind a weakened spot in the wall, so I don't think it was even part of the original passages in the first place."
Hattori nodded, understanding blooming on his face. "Ah, so that's why ya didn't give it to tha owner."
That wasn't the reason, but at least it gave him a valid excuse. "Plus, those tunnels went on for so long, it'd be no surprise if it wasn't even on the mansion's property anymore. I want to be sure that something that valuable ends up in the right hands."
His friend nodded again, though Conan knew that he would quickly change his mind if he ever figured out Conan's current plans for it. "I gotcha! I have a few people here in Osaka if ya don't have anyone to bring it to yet, if you want."
Bless Hattori's heart, really. Even if he couldn't take him up on the offer, he was still touched that he had even offered in the first place. Though he also felt bad for deceiving him…
To stave off the guilt, he vehemently promised himself that he would tell Hattori everything after he took the gem to KID and found more information on it. Not yet, but hopefully soon.
So, he shook his head at his friend. "I have someone in mind, but if it doesn't work out, I'll let you know."
Hattori grinned, accepting the answer. "Lemme know what you find out about it, 'k?"
Conan smiled back. "I will, promise."
There. Now there was no going back on it.
Soon enough, the two arrived at the heist location, the old bank surrounded by KID fans and the police force alike, though more the former than the latter. Luckily, one of the task force members found them almost immediately and was able to lead them through the crowd without much fuss.
Then, after the customary face-pulling by yet another task force officer, they were let in and led straight to Inspector Nakamori. Though the mustached inspector was usually based in Ekoda as part of the police force there, first and foremost his job was to capture KID and put him behind bars once and for all. Hence his presence here in Osaka.
Said inspector almost immediately noticed the two young detectives, his previously serious expression growing more confident as he caught sight of Conan. "Hattori-kun, I see you've brought Conan-kun with you!"
"Sure did, Inspector!" He ruffled Conan's hair again as if to prove the fact.
Conan ignored it and instead smiled up at the inspector. "Hi, Inspector Nakamori." He didn't need to exclaim or pretend too much around the older man; they both knew why he was here, and the inspector already had an idea on how smart Conan really was. No ordinary kid could be smart enough to even marginally disrupt KID's plans, after all, so Conan really could not pass as an ordinary kid in the presence of those who usually went to heists.
Still, he had to be careful. He could pass off as an abnormally smart child just fine, but he couldn't exactly afford to let them suspect much else if he didn't want his identity to be in jeopardy.
Regardless, the truth of the matter was that being at KID's heists usually allowed Conan to not hold back as much as he usually did. Today would be no different, especially since today he had a goal that went beyond just catching the thief. Conan would have to be even more astute than usual, and for a multitude of reasons that were already starting to make his head spin.
He had a couple of hours to figure something out, but he knew that things never liked to go according to plan, especially at a KID heist. He'd have to be careful.
Inspector Nakamori seemed to be unaware of his internal struggle, luckily, as he grinned at Conan's greeting. "It's been awhile, KID Killer! Now I know we'll be able to capture that darned phantom thief once and for all!"
Both Conan and Hattori sweatdropped at the inspector's confident guffaws of laughter, well aware that it wasn't going to be as easy as he thought it would be. Still, the other members of his task force seemed to perk up just at hearing their boss's spirited voice echo across the otherwise empty venue, so Conan supposed that at the very least his overconfidence led to some great morale boosts.
The three soon got to work on investigating the museum, going through it more thoroughly this time around now that Hattori and Conan were present and that the time to the heist's start was getting closer.
The main room, the one that they had arrived in, was the largest room in the museum and was the original building that the old bank had resided in. There even remained a portion of the counter that used to split the bank tellers and their customers, some of the filing cabinets and drawers visible behind them. And even beyond that, in what could almost be described as another room due to the large doorway that stood in-between, was a large, old-fashioned vault, the kind that you'd see in Hollywood movies with several thick handles protruding from the center acting as a sort of lock. Though Conan had heard that the vault was usually open to act as an extra room for special exhibits, today it seemed to be closed securely, two task force officers already standing guard in front of it.
Inspector Nakamori must have noticed his questioning gaze, since he suddenly seemed a bit cocky as he explained, "We closed and locked the old bank vault as soon as we figured out KID's heist note last week. The jewel he's after has been in there the whole time too, so there's no possible way KID would be able to steal it either before or during his heist!"
Conan didn't think it was worth pointing out that he's seen KID both break into and break out of traps much more elaborate than a century-old bank vault.
The rest of the museum was a lot newer and modern compared to the main building, as most of it was made not even a decade ago in comparison to the original hundred-year-old bank it was based around. It also resembled an actual history museum, with most exhibits either featuring war memorabilia or technological advancements made over the past several decades.
Why a museum like this was allowed to host a jewel as large as Kaitou KID's usual targets, he'd never know.
Investigating an entire museum thoroughly was no easy or simple task, though Conan couldn't regret doing it. There have been times in which traps KID had set up beforehand were found, though it didn't happen often. Still, the fact that they had found anything at all at previous heist locations made it all the more worth it to try and look in all future ones.
It helped that the only other people that had been permitted inside were other task force members and a handful of the museum staff, so at least there wasn't anyone getting in the way while the police and detectives did their jobs.
Conan couldn't help but feel apprehensive at the lack of people, though. Museums, especially larger ones like this one, were supposed to be bustling and full of life. The wide halls created for such foot traffic, even when lined with ancient objects, just felt so… barren. Almost haunting.
Even the katanas and samurai armor that usually seemed so strong seemed dull and colorless without the reflection of a crowd marveling at their history.
He shook his head to rid himself of those thoughts. Now was not the time for feeling bad for inanimate objects. He scoffed. Really, he didn't need anyone, let alone himself, to be questioning his sanity, especially so close to the heist's beginning.
Still, his mind remained on the swords and armor even as he walked around them, noticing how they shone blue as he passed them by.
It took another hour to get through the rest of the museum, with him and Hattori noticing a few things that the Inspector hadn't. It wasn't anything KID related, but they were able to lock down a few hidden entrances and corridors that were otherwise easily missed.
There were only a few minutes left until the heist, now. Most of the officers were placed in front of entrances or other hallways around the museum, though there were now also several who stood with Nakamori near the vault's entrance, ready to follow any orders as soon as they were given.
Nakamori himself was busy double-checking that any member of his task force hadn't been replaced with Kaitou KID, pulling on each of their faces as if they had personally slighted him. Even poor Hattori's face was pulled, his cheek glowing red by the time the inspector was satisfied he wasn't an imposter.
Conan's face was not pulled since he was a kid who KID couldn't disguise as even if he tried. (At least, that's what Inspector Nakamori thought. In reality, Conan could still clearly recall how the thief had been able to somehow disguise himself as Genta of all people. It probably wasn't an easy disguise and required a lot of misdirection and subterfuge, but unfortunately it meant it wasn't impossible. So, if KID was capable of possibly even disguising as Conan, why didn't Conan tell Nakamori?
Simple. KID respected him too much to do that, and Conan just did not want his face to be pulled. He's gone through way too much already, so let him have this at the very least.)
Even though all the doors leading outside were shut, Conan could still hear the cheers and murmurations of the KID fans just outside. There were less than usual, but it was still a decent crowd that had gathered to see the phantom thief of the century show up with one of his famous shows. These heists didn't happen every day, after all.
Conan couldn't keep himself from feeling a bit excited either. He always looked forward to the heists, and this one in particular was going to be a bit different and more interesting than usual due to his need to actually talk with Kaitou KID instead of simply capturing him. So, he had a few smaller goals to keep in mind:
Find a way to distract Hattori long enough for Conan to talk with KID.
Make sure that everyone else was also distracted long enough for them to have a decently-lengthed conversation.
Make sure that he and KID could talk somewhere secluded that would make them less likely to be interrupted by outside forces.
It wasn't going to be easy, especially since he didn't go to many heists with Hattori. Hattori was smart. He'd even go as far to say he was almost as smart as Conan himself. So he had no doubts that his best friend would be able to keep up with the phantom thief like Conan usually does. But he also didn't know how far the other detective was willing to go to catch him or what actions he'd risk just chasing him down. Make no mistake, Hattori was reckless by default, but he was also smart enough to know when that recklessness was necessary or not.
Conan considered himself pretty good at improvising, but doing so in spite of his friend instead of directly cooperating with him would make it difficult.
Looking at him now, he could say that Hattori seemed quite determined. He was making glances around the venue, likely trying to see if he could spot KID's hiding spot before he appeared before the task force. His expression was more on the serious side, but Conan could see the smirk that was trying to form on his face too.
Conan couldn't help but smile at that. It was nice to know that he wasn't the only one who enjoyed KID's heists.
"Ladies and Gentlemen!"
Speak of the devil and he shall appear. With a puff of golden smoke, the phantom thief Kaitou KID arrived with a bow and a grin, perched atop the old bank counter. "Good evening, Inspector! I see you've brought some guests to assist in my futilecapture." His grin grew wider. "Excellent choice; you'll definitely need them if you have any hope of catching me!"
Inspector Nakamori's serious expression turned furious. Wow, the guy got ticked off so easily. "KID! You bastard, what are you planning this time?! You won't get away with–!"
Before he could finish his tirade, KID snapped his fingers, and the inspector was wrapped up in a colorless smoke for a moment. A few of the task force members moved towards him, but they were too late as it was revealed that both his mouth and body were wrapped in large, sparkling golden chains. It was topped off with a silver lock half the size of the inspector, placed on the front of his chest. The man would have toppled over with the weight of it if his loyal officers weren't already on their way to help him.
Nakamori tried to continue to yell at KID, but all that escaped from his mouth were muffled squawks that sounded suspiciously like some… choice expletives. His struggles were futile, and his task force seemed immediately shaken and unsure as they were left without someone to lead them.
You would think they would know better by now, honestly.
KID seemed to agree with Conan, shaking his head and tutting at their confusion. "How tragic. You guys have gone soft on me! You should be ashamed of yourselves, really! Well," he hopped off of the counter, his stance changing from something less lax and leaning more towards mischievous and almost predatory. "I suppose I'll have to whip you all into shape in lieu of the Inspector here."
And with a flourish of his hands, the room immediately devolved into chaos.
First, the giant vault in the back started to open of its own accord, the knobs and handles twisting and turning as if moved by invisible hands. The cluster of task force officers stationed there startled, some of them moving out of the way on instinct while others gathered their bearings quickly and tried to force the door to close. It seemed it was to no avail though, as the vault continued to inch open slowly but ever so surely, and officers fell one by one as the struggle tired them.
Simultaneously, the room had exploded with glitter, the stuff flowing from the connecting museum rooms. It was an ocean of silver and gold that would have swept Conan off of his feet if Hattori hadn't lifted him up just in time. It did, however, succeed in knocking the majority of the task officers in the room down to the ground, and several more had quite literally flooded into the room with the waves of sparkles.
Hattori luckily stood his ground, though he wouldn't be able to risk moving much if he didn't want the flow of the glitter to topple him over. Though honestly, it wasn't much better than falling over, since they were left just as useless stranded in the middle of the room while KID had taken the opportunity to stand on the protruding knobs of the vault. His feet moved deftly as he balanced on the still-moving handles, almost dancing as he showed off.
By the time the now foot-deep river of glitter had slowed enough for Hattori to set Conan down and move, it was too late. The vault had opened completely, and KID was already striding out, the yellow jewel rolling across his fingers.
If Conan had had the chance, he would have admired it. It was fairly large and flat, almost looking like a giant coin due to the golden color and the fact that it rolled so effortlessly in the thief's hands.
The task force officers who had remained near the vault's entrance pounced at KID, but the thief only needed to move to the side to avoid them. The glitter monstrosity that he had unleashed did most of the work for him when it came to everyone else's maneuverability, while he himself walked through and on top of it as if he were magic itself.
Glitter dominated and clung to the officers' suits, but it only accentuated Kaitou KID's brilliant white.
Conan, due to his shorter stature, was unable to move much in the glitter, frustratingly sinking into it with each step. Hattori was not so hindered, so he was able to take an opportunity to make a grab for the gem. However, KID effortlessly glided past, and then used the detective's back as a sort of pseudo stepstool to safely make it back to the bank counter. The "stepstool" ended up on the ground with a face full of glitter.
Conan had to wonder if the glitter had some sort of adhesive attached to it, as it seemed to cling to Hattori's face a little too well.
In the meantime, Kaitou KID cackled at the chaos he had wrought, his smirk downright maniacal as he watched everyone struggle to get up and catch him. Conan had to admit, the thief already had every single one of them in his clutches, and it hadn't even been five minutes.
Still, the thief seemed to at least have a modicum of mercy in his heart, as he soon sighed. "I suppose I'm being a little unfair. So, how about this?" He snapped his fingers again, but instead of smoke, the room became filled with the tinkling of metal.
A wink. "You might want to duck~"
His warning was short, but luckily anyone still standing heeded it. And not a moment too soon, because that tinkling sound they had heard?
It was the sound of what must have been hundreds of keys falling from the ceiling.
They stopped about five or six feet from the ground, hanging on incredibly long strings that allowed them to be reached by most people of average height. They ranged in all sorts of shapes and sizes and colors, from large to small to gold to bronze or silver.
Looking up at the ceiling, it was hard to even discern how the keys had been held up there for so long, let alone so securely and unnoticed until the big reveal.
Unfortunately, he didn't have a lot of time to investigate or speculate. KID's voice guided his attention back to the thief. "As you can see, I've devised a practice exercise for you all! All you have to do is find the key to the room that I'll be hiding in! Oh, but you must be wondering what I mean by that."
This time, KID's smile seemed more sinister, but also somewhat anticipatory. Almost conspiratorial, as if he was letting them in on a secret. "I'll be waiting for one of you to find me in one of the rooms in this beautiful museum! I won't tell you where, because that'd ruin all the fun, but I will tell you this."
He gestured to the area around him. "The key can be found somewhere in this room. Not beyond or above or below! I made it easy for you guys, so don't disappoint me, okay? Okay!" KID gave them all a two-fingered salute, and, with another smoke bomb placed at his feet, he was gone with a whoosh.
That's what Conan would have said, anyways, if the thief hadn't grabbed him by his shirt's collar and lifted him out of the glitter.
He hardly even had a chance to yelp in surprise before his feet found solid ground again. And then, before he could even move his stun watch towards KID's position, there was a whisper in his ear….
"You've got one hour, tantei-kun. Good luck~!"
And then he was actually gone this time, leaving a trail of glitter swirling where he once stood. Where Conan now stood, apparently.
He grumbled as he felt some of the glitter land in his hair. He had a feeling that it would take several days before he got all of it out, even with constant showers. At least it wasn't rainbow glitter.
…He was going to regret thinking that later, wasn't he?
As Conan wondered just how much he was tempting fate today, Hattori waded towards him not looking much better. His face seemed a bit red, but his expression was something that resembled resignation more than embarrassment.
Conan got his answer as Hattori absently scratched at his face. The glitter didn't even budge, and Hattori further frowned at the reminder. He must have tried to get the glitter off earlier and failed. Conan could only be thankful that he himself hadn't actually fallen into the sparkly nightmare.
It didn't take much longer for his friend to reach the counter where Conan had been unceremoniously placed. "How the hell're we supposed ta look through all these keys?!"
Looking at the sea of keys above and the ocean of glitter below, Conan suddenly felt very tired. "It's going to take a while, that's for sure."
"Guess we better start lookin' then…"
Conan glanced at the ceiling again. He sighed. "…I don't think I can help, actually."
"Huh? Whaddya mean you can't help? Don't tell me you suddenly pity KID or somethin'!"
"It's not that! Geez." To make his point understood, Conan, who was already standing on the bank counter, reached his hand up towards the keys above them. The tips of his fingers were about half a foot away from the lowest keys even though he had something to stand on.
It was a frustratingly short counter.
The two stood there in silence for a moment. Conan wished that Hattori would hurry up, since his arm was starting to get tired.
"…You can piggyback off of me or one of tha other guys if ya want?" Hattori pointed to a group of some task members who had swiftly recovered from KID's actions and had taken it upon themselves to start taking down some of the keys. The rest were either still getting up or were listlessly standing around, looking confused as to what to do.
There were a few more who had remained by Inspector Nakamori to try and get the chains off.
But Conan shook his head. "I don't think that would be comfortable for either me or you." Before Hattori could protest, Conan continued. "Someone has to figure out which room KID is hiding in, anyway."
Hattori hesitated, but Conan could see the gears in his brain working as he took everything said and found reason in it. "Ah, I guess you're right. How about I help you with that and we leave the rest of these guys to take down tha keys?"
"Yeah, and we can get him together." He smirked a bit. "I think I already have an idea where he is."
His friend smirked back, though he was sure that the other detective didn't know where KID was. Hattori just trusted him (and his mind) so wholeheartedly that he had no reason not to believe Conan's words, at least when it came to chasing down criminals.
Conan didn't exactly know when he had earned such trust from his rival, the person he could call his best friend over most everyone else, and he didn't know if he could ever truly be able to pay him back for the unbridled faith his friend seemed to have in him. Their friendship had started off as a rivalry between East and West, between two teenage detectives who had to prove themselves to the world. Now, even though that rivalry had stayed, they had also learned to respect each other in the way that many others couldn't: their perseverance, their risks, the things they did for both the people they loved and the strangers they'd always do their best to bring peace to. They understood each other in the way only two teenagers with the weight of all the violence they couldn't prevent could.
Shinichi Kudo could not have asked for a greater rival, friend, and confidant.
Which is why he felt bad when he "accidentally" left Hattori in the locked room where KID was "supposedly" hiding in.
As his best friend knocked on the door vigorously to try and get Conan to let him out—calling out his real name instead of his alias in his desperation— Conan quietly placed the key on a shelf nearby, which happened to be half-hidden behind a glass case displaying an old safe alongside some rusted keys.
It was easier than he thought to convince Hattori about KID's whereabouts. When they had searched the museum for traps earlier, Conan had stumbled upon a door half-behind one of the exhibits, blended into the wall due to its similar color. It had been locked, but Conan had found the key on the shelf next to it, the teeth glinting as it peeked over the edge.
Both Hattori and Conan had found a few different doors and passageways forgotten by the staff, and most seemed almost invisible to the average observer, so it was easy to conclude that KID would be hiding away in one of those places, hoping that they'd miss him entirely.
The room Conan had found was the only one he had a key for, and it also happened to be the closest to the main room and thus the one that they would check first.
All Conan had to do was slip the key into the pile of them they had received from the task force.
He had had Hattori enter the room first under the pretense that, due to Hattori actually being a teenager and not a kid, he'd have a strength advantage over the phantom thief. Conan unlocked the door for him and let him through.
And then he quickly shut the door and locked it before his friend could realize KID wasn't in the room and that Conan hadn't followed behind him.
"Kudo, what the hell do ya think you're doin'?! Lemme out!"
Conan sighed. He unfortunately couldn't figure out a way to get Hattori out of the way while also not bringing suspicion to himself. It was kind of his only choice at the moment. He yelled back, "Sorry Hattori, I'll explain later! Just trust me on this!"
Before he could hear his reply, Conan ran off, hoping that his friend wouldn't be too mad at him for locking him in. He just needed to make sure he could talk to KID alone without anyone interfering.
He didn't want to drag Hattori into something if it was dangerous and they had no information on it. He needed to figure out some information for himself before he put anyone in danger. And as much as he trusted his best friend, he also didn't trust himself to keep Hattori from getting hurt.
He would do almost anything to keep the people he loves safe.
Conan sprinted back to the vault room, thinking about what rooms KID could actually be in. He didn't think his deduction about the forgotten rooms was inaccurate, but he needed to figure out which one of those rooms the thief was hiding in, as well as how the hell he'd find the key to it.
He didn't have much time. Only about forty minutes, now.
Wading through the glitter pool, he retreated back to the counter to get a better vantage point. There were luckily some shelves behind the counter that he could use as a pseudo ladder to get himself up, since he didn't have Hattori or KID to lift him up this time.
As he put his foot down on the bottom shelf though, he felt his shoe kick something backwards.
Frowning in confusion, he took his foot off and kneeled down in the glitter to take a look at what he accidentally kicked. He hoped it wasn't something important to the museum.
It turned out to be a bronze key tied with a white ribbon and with a small note attached to it.
Conan gently picked it up, analyzing the object. The key was incredibly intricate, especially considering it was a proper key and not one of those fake, decorative ones. It was embellished with minuscule details, vines and petals tracing its edges, and the handle depicted a dove in the middle stretching its wings on a twisting branch. It also had a bit of familiarity to it.
After examining the key, Conan took a look at the note:
"Halfway there, tantei-kun! " It was signed off with a signature KID doodle.
Conan blinked. He didn't like the implication that KID knew what Conan would do, that he'd eventually come back here and climb the shelf to get back on the counter. The key was probably also strategically placed perfectly in the spot he'd place his foot. AKA, KID knew exactly what he'd do, how he'd do it, and that he would be the one to find the key.
That damn thief was too smart for his own good.
He sighed, knowing there wasn't much he could do about it (in fact, if nothing else, it only reassured him that KID could be reliable in the times Conan needed him to be). What he could do, though, was try and figure out where this oddly familiar key led to.
KID had magnanimously lessened most of the work it would take to find him (seriously, he had been getting a headache just thinking about going through all of those keys), and all Conan had to do was work out the rest.
He tried to think. Where had he seen the design of this key before…?
(A stained-glass floor glowed underneath his feet as doves flitted away to reveal the image depicted. The sight would have been magical and ethereal—if the picture hadn't been his own face staring off into the distance.)
Ah, that's right! There was a stained glass art piece near the back of the museum, and it had been one of the last places he and Hattori had checked for traps. Conan had thought the piece to be rather out of place, considering that this was a history museum and not an art gallery. It was especially odd since there wasn't any information about the piece beyond an estimated creation date of the 13th century.
Ridiculous, since he was sure Japan hadn't even invented stained glass that early on in its history. As far as he was aware, it had originated in Europe and had stayed there centuries before it properly spread. That didn't even take into account that Japan had almost always been an isolated and very private country and didn't properly share its crafts (and became exposed to other art in turn) until around the 19th century.
So, he didn't know why the stained glass was displayed in the museum. But what he did know was that the image depicted on it did happen to resemble the one found on his key: a dove placed in the middle, sitting on a branch with its wings spread and surrounded by vines and flowers. Even the layout matched, with the dove in the upper half of the window and the majority of the dark flora on the bottom half and the edges.
Anyways, rant or observations aside, there had actually been a small door hidden behind the tapestry behind it (which had also depicted a similar image to the key and glass; how cliche was that?). Conan would bet his powered shoes that that was where KID was currently hiding out. Waiting for him.
He felt his inner jacket pocket, making sure that he could still feel the bulge of the gem sticking out. To his relief, the zipper had held strong, and it hadn't been stolen or lost despite the excitement of the heist.
A deep breath, and then Conan hurried as fast as his feet could take him, clutching the key tightly in his hand lest he accidentally let it go and lose it.
He couldn't afford to lose this chance now, not when he was so close.
It took a few more minutes than he'd like, but he eventually reached his destination, about thirty minutes left until the thief's proclaimed departure. That should hopefully be enough time, but, at the very least, it should be more than enough to at least get a barebones explanation about the jewel that Conan could admit he didn't have the expertise for.
Quickly, he swept aside the dusty tapestry to reveal the door, which was almost disappointingly bland compared to the tapestry and stained glass that protected it and the key that was meant to unlock it.
The key fit perfectly into the slot, and the door opened with ease.
And there, his back turned to the moonlight shining through the large window in the back, was none other than the international phantom thief, the one who would hopefully hold all of his answers, Kaitou KID.
The moment Conan had opened the door, KID had given him a large grin that should have been unsettling but was instead familiar and playful. The yellow gem from today's heist was clutched firmly in his hand, glinting softly underneath the moon. It didn't glow. "Meitantei, I knew you'd make it!"
Conan shut the door quietly behind him, but he kept his gaze fixed on the thief with an eyebrow raised. "You were expecting me," he said as a statement rather than a question.
KID only grinned wider in response. "You know, a little birdie told me you locked poor tantei-han in a closet. Sorry tantei-kun, I don't have any job offers available for 'Kaitou KID accomplice,' but maybe I could make an exception just for you if you really want it~"
He scowled. "There's no way in hell I would ever be your accomplice—!"
"Oh my, language, tantei-kun! What would your dear nee-chan say if she heard you say that—"
"—and I have a perfectly reasonable explanation for Hattori accidentally getting locked in the wrong room."
This time, it was KID who raised an eyebrow at him, clearly not convinced if his smirk was anything to go by. Conan sighed, long suffering. "Look, people locked in rooms aside, I… I actually needed to talk with you. Alone."
KID's mirth died down at Conan's serious tone of words. The fact that Conan hadn't even reached for his stun watch or his soccer ball belt probably also spoke volumes to the importance of his presence and the need to actually hold a conversation with his rival rather than playing their usual game of cat and mouse. The thief still wore a smile on his face, but it had turned a touch softer. "You have my word, Meitantei. Lock the door, and I'll hear you out. We can't have anyone eavesdropping!" He winked and held his finger to his mouth in a show of a secret promise.
Ha, as if KID never eavesdropped on any of his conversations. Nevertheless, Conan only hesitated for a moment before he placed the intricate key into the plain lock and twisted it shut. Sure, he'd be stuck in a room with KID with no quick way out, but he was willing to take the risk.
As long as the thief didn't freaking taze him again, they would be fine. And if he did, well…
Let's just say KID should hope he can take it as well as he can dish it.
After locking the door, Conan turned to find the thief no longer in the moonlight but instead was on the right side of the room, his foot not even an inch from the light. His monocle glimmered as he looked at Conan, the yellow gem rolling across his fingers again as he waited (impatiently, Conan noticed).
He moved to the other side of the moonlight flooding the floor, making sure to keep out of the window's view. KID nodded in both satisfaction and a signal for the younger detective to start talking.
"…Did you hear about the case Hattori and I solved yesterday? The one at the old mansion up in the mountains?"
A blink, as if KID didn't expect such a recent case to be brought up. Which, reasonable. "Yes, I heard about it. The one with three murderers?" His tone was full of both disgust and something else, maybe… disbelief? Astonishment?
"Yeah, that one. Technically, it was four murderers since the guy that got murdered was also a murderer."
"That does not make it better!" Ah, the note in his voice was horror. And maybe he had a point, but Conan was used to it, it was fine.
Still, he pretended he didn't hear KID's protest as he continued. "They were committing murders for riches and power, to get all of the rare artifacts hidden inside the mansion legally without the owner ever being aware of their existence in the first place."
"Right, right, the news mentioned that…" KID said it listlessly, but Conan could see the inquisitive sparkle in his eye, his usually languid and lax body language leaning ever so slightly forward.
"All of the hidden artifacts were found, but…" Here, he hesitated. The gem suddenly felt heavy in his pocket.
"But…?"
He shook it off. "I found something in the back, far away enough in the underground tunnels to be off official property. I don't think even the original owner knew about it."
"This thing you found. It was a gem, right? That's why you came to me."
Conan nodded, glad that KID followed along with his logic quickly. "Right."
"But I do wonder, why me, though? I know I'm great and all, and it's well-known that I'm very informed on each and every one of my targets, but it's even more well-known that I'm a thief, soooooo…." He shrugged, but Conan could see the ghost of a smirk haunting his face. The damn thief was ecstatic that he went to him, probably so that he could rub it in his face later.
But if that was the worst he'd get, Conan would take it. "Like you said, you're the expert. Plus, this gem was pretty weird, I trust you with weird objects more than any normal person," and any non-normal person beyond Hattori and Haibara (because anyone else could be put in danger or could possibly be the danger), "and I know you're looking for something. You've helped me out before. I admit I owe you for that. I'm under no illusion that this probably isn't it, but I figured I might as well kill two birds with one stone."
Honestly, that whole last part was pretty much just some last-minute spewed bullshit, but he also found that he wasn't being dishonest about it either. He knew that the thief was looking for something. What's the point of being a thief if you returned everything you've ever stolen? KID was far too smart to use his talents just to fulfill some adrenaline-pumping dream. No, there was a method to his madness.
With the thief being seen putting up his stolen marks to the moonlight more often than not, and with Conan's own gem shining red from it… There was definitely a possibility of connection.
"What's so special about the gem you found?" The thief's voice had a lilt of humor to it, but it was obvious that it was just a mask to hide his nervousness. Was KID's usually pristine poker face off today? Or maybe even that was a mask, something to catch him off guard?
Conan took a deep breath. Well, no time like the present. Goodbye, KID's respect for him. "It glowed red under the moon."
And. The Kaitou KID stilled completely, frozen as a statue and the yellow jewel almost falling out of his hands. For someone who constantly moved, even when standing in place, it was extremely eerie. He didn't move a muscle, even as a soft question left his lips. "…What?"
Yeah, KID didn't believe him. He thought he was crazy. Well, in for a penny, in for a pound and all that. "I found it in this giant cavern, and a moonbeam hit it. It glowed red. It stopped glowing red when I took it out. It's very rough cut and rudimentary but it definitely looks like a gem. But gems aren't supposed to glow, and I don't know who else to go to, so I had to go to you."
"Does anyone else know about this?"
"Hattori knows I found a gem, but that's all I told him."
"Good. If what you're telling me is true, then…" Conan was surprised by the resolve in which he replied, but it trailed off as the thief got lost in thought. "Did you bring it with you?"
A nod.
KID stepped forward into the light. "Show me."
However, before Conan could even start to reach for the jewel, a different red glow appeared…
…a pinprick of red just over the brim of KID's stark white top hat.
Luckily, KID seemed to have noticed it too, or at the very least he was ready for it, since he quickly jumped out of the way and to the corner of the room closest to the window. The moment he had moved, a bullet came crashing through the glass, the previous quiet of the room replaced with the sound of the projectile hitting the ground and of tinkling shards falling to the floor.
Conan cursed under his breath as he found shelter in the other corner near the window. Where he and KID were standing, neither of them could get hit by the sniper outside, but the problem was that there was a freaking sniper outside.
"Shit, not again…"
Conan had almost thought the Black Organization was after him (he did not need his identity exposed right now), but if KID's reaction was anything to go by, "Again?!"
The light from the sniper gun was gone but that didn't mean the sniper themselves were gone. They were probably patiently waiting for one of them to get into view again. After all, there were only two exits: the door they entered through, and the window that the sniper shot through.
And the door was very visible from the window.
From across the room, KID grit his teeth. He took out his signature card gun, and it glinted dangerously in the dark room. "Tantei-kun, if the gem you're holding is the gem I think it is, you need to leave. Now."
Kaitou KID didn't say why he needed to leave, but Conan could take a good guess. This was likely the gem KID was after, and the people shooting at them were after it too.
The thief shot the card gun in his direction, but Conan didn't flinch even as the card dug into the wall next to him. KID smirked briefly at his tenacity before growing serious again. "Take the card and go. I'll cover you!"
He didn't have to tell him twice. After grabbing the card, and with a simultaneous nod, the two rushed into action, Conan headed for the door while KID whooshed behind him facing the other way, the thief once again illuminated by the moon and engulfing Conan's small figure in shadow.
Usually, putting in a key and unlocking a door seems quick and easy, but, usually, people aren't getting shot at while unlocking said door, so. He couldn't help but feel anxious as he went through the motions and heard gunshots fire behind him.
He didn't look behind him as he finally left the room, but he didn't hear any grunts of pain or heavy thuds to indicate a body falling on the ground, so he'd have to trust that the thief was okay for the time being.
(Plus, it seems that KID has dealt with this sniper before, so he could only hope he knew what he was doing. The two were going to have a long and hopefully enlightening conversation about the snipers that supposedly liked showing up to KID heists.)
By the time Conan made it to the task force and returned back to the room with a group of them, both KID and the sniper had disappeared. The only signs left of their existence was the broken window, the glass scattered in shards on the floor, and some dents in the wall where both bullets and KID's cards hit.
Inspector Nakamori, who had been freed from his chain prison, thanked Conan for his hard work again (KID had somehow had the time to put the yellow gem from today into one of his other pockets while they were conversing), and shooed him away from the scene. He was told that it was because this was an official crime scene now and that Conan didn't have any jurisdiction or authority to allow him to stay, but he could tell it was because the Inspector was really shaken by the event and didn't want a kid to risk getting hurt after already getting shot at.
Conan hoped that the man would be alright. He recalled that he had a daughter around Shinichi's age, so he was probably thinking of her as he and his task force investigated.
Now back in the main room where some of the police were working on cleaning up some of the glitter, Conan took the chance to glimpse at the card KID gave him.
It was one of his special cards probably made special for the card gun, made of a malleable metal alloy that was somehow both sturdy and flexible. It could easily be mistaken for a regular card if it weren't for how much it could bend and the just-visible metal ridges.
The card itself wasn't important though. It was what was written on the card that held the information he needed.
"Meet at the top of the Ekoda Bell Clock Tower, 5:00 PM tomorrow. No tricks, no riddles, no other people. I'll be waiting, Meitantei! —Kaitou KID "
It was also signed with his signature doodle like the note he had found earlier.
Well, he guessed he had a plan for tomorrow, then. Thank you, KID, for setting up a time as soon as possible so that he wouldn't spend too much time worrying about it.
He placed the card in the same place as the red gem, and then he went on his way to the station. There was still some time left before the last train, but he kind of just wanted to go home. He needed to check on a few things, and also call Haibara because if anyone could help him get information on snipers at a KID heist, it would be her.
Plus, now that he knows that the gem is likely the one KID is searching for, he could get her opinion on it. He had to admit that she was his voice of reason more often than not…
Conan left the building without Hattori. Honestly, he didn't even realize until he was halfway to the station, but he winced anyway. His friend was going to be pissed once the task force found the key to let him out of there. But, like he said, he was already halfway to the train, and he just wanted to go home, and Hattori would be fine. Both of them could take care of themselves.
Plus, Conan just knew that they'd run into a murder on the way there, and then they might actually miss the train.
Look, snipers and heist aside, neither of them had run into a crime today and it was starting to put him on edge. With their combined luck, it'd be another serial bomber or something.
It was pitch dark outside, but the station was still bright and bustling with people as he arrived, most of them commuters returning home from the workday. No one paid him any mind as he made his way in and found his way to the line back to Beika. It wouldn't be here for several minutes yet, but he had both of his phones in case anything happened (as well as all of his inconspicuous number of gadgets. Sometimes, he was admittedly in awe of Professor Agasa's technological abilities—when his inventions didn't blow up half the time).
Ran would probably be asleep by the time he got back to the detective agency. Her dad would probably be asleep too, or maybe he'd be up watching Yoko Okino reruns on TV… it was a toss up. At least they knew to expect him back late.
He wondered if he could get the professor to drive him to his destination this time, or maybe he'd have to take the train again? He'd probably have to ask the professor for an excuse to go there, anyway; he didn't have much reason to go to Ekoda. Ran wouldn't accept 'I'm meeting a famous phantom thief to talk about my glowing gem and the snipers at his heist,' as a plausible reason.
He took out his Conan phone. It lit up with a few notifications, but luckily none of them were missed calls, just text messages.
Hattori: KUDO YOU BETTER GET BACK HERE you need a very good reason to leave me in here! KUDO
Hattori: KUDOOOOOOO
Ran: Hi Conan! I put some curry and rice in the fridge for you, so just heat it up when you get back! I made sure Dad didn't eat any of it! I'll see you tomorrow!
Hattori: I'll sick your neechan on ya if you don't let me out right now
Hattori: let me out
Hattori: LET ME OUTTTT
Haibara: Edogawa-kun, give me a call as soon as possible. It's important.
Hattori: you're so lucky the task force let me out but you better watch your back
Hattori: hey what do they mean when they said you got shot at
Hattori: Kudo?
Hattori: KUDO YOU BETTER ANSWER IF YOU GOT SHOT AGAIN I SWEAR TO GOD
At seeing Haibara's text, Conan frowned. Haibara probably would have called him if she was in danger, but it wouldn't hurt to call her right now. Plus, she had messaged about forty minutes ago, and if her information was time sensitive, he shouldn't wait. He still had ten minutes until the train arrived anyway.
He dialed her number quickly, and she picked up on the second ring. "Kudo-kun, we have a situation." Her voice was steel, but he could detect the hint of a waver. That didn't bode well.
"Haibara, what's going on?"
"When I texted you, one of the cameras at the Osaka train station caught something."
Considering that Conan was at the Osaka station right now, well. That wasn't good. "What'd you find?"
"It was a figure wearing all black."
The Black Organization! What were they doing here?! Conan cursed. "Did you see who they were or where they were heading?"
"I'm tracking them right now. I couldn't see their face, but it isn't any of the ones we know. This one is too short to fit the usual suspects, but they're not a child either. As soon as they left the station, they started to walk around the city, and they haven't engaged with a single person."
"So they're looking for something."
"Yes, that was my guess too. But the question is, what?"
"You couldn't tell what they were looking for through the feed?"
A few keystrokes were heard through the speaker before she continued. "No, not that I can see. If I didn't know any better, I'd say their search was aimless. However, they were too methodical in their movements, and they only looked in the same places twice when it was reasonable to check again."
"It sounds almost as if they're looking for a person. They wouldn't be rechecking places if it was an object."
"…You're right. But I can't tell who they're looking for."
"Where are they now?"
"…Edogawa-kun, are you at the Osaka station right now?"
"Yeah. Why?"
"They're headed your way right now. Be careful."
"What?" Damn, and here he thought he'd come out of the day unscathed. He supposed it was only fair it'd even out to something this catastrophic.
He placed himself closer to the wall, behind a small group of adults who were too tired from the late night to pay attention to the kid who decided to stand next to them. And just in time, because down the main steps he saw the figure run.
The figure was abnormally short, but Haibara was right when she said they weren't a kid, either. They were too assured of their steps, and they were still taller than either Conan, Haibara, or any of their younger friends.
However, there were two things that stood out. One was the black coat they wore, long enough to drag along the floor and with a hood that covered their face (did they wear something on top of their hood…? No, he must be seeing things, it's gone now). And the other was the aura they had around them. Conan didn't know how to describe it, but he could tell this person wasn't normal. There was something about them that seemed to exude power and authority.
It wasn't exactly the usual fear and anxiety that he usually felt from Black Organization members, but the fact that they had such an aura at all was suspicious even if they hadn't been wearing pure black.
The figure, by some miracle, did not notice Conan and stood near the front near where the train would arrive.
He didn't know what to do. He couldn't confront them right now, nothing would come of it. It seemed that they would be boarding the Beika train though, so Conan would have to keep his guard up on the train back home. Both to prevent the Black Organization from causing any harm to the passengers and to keep his identity safe.
"Edogawa-kun, look at the train pulling in right now."
Train? There wasn't supposed to be one for several minutes yet. He trusted Haibara though, so he looked. And sure enough, there was a train pulling in, though it was abnormal. It was only one car, and it was the most intricate train car he's ever seen in the normal train system. It was a dark saturated purple, with gold detailing and star-shaped windows and even a tiny little wizard's hat on the front of it. It looked like one of those special event trains companies would make to advertise their movies, except this was way too detailed to be one of those and that there weren't any movies coming out soon that matched the aesthetic of whatever this train was supposed to represent.
Despite all of those things though, the thing that caught his attention the most was that there was no driver in the front. Now that was worrying.
The door near the front of the train opened. The figure walked in. No one else walked in or out, and no one else even batted an eye at the train's existence.
Conan walked towards the train.
"Edogawa-kun, where are you going?"
He kept walking, but he frowned at Haibara's words. He knew she probably wouldn't approve of him entering the train after the figure, but what choice did he have? They've been dry on clues about the Black Organization for weeks now, and this could be their only chance in a long time. "I'm following after them. I know it's dangerous, but—"
"Following who?"
That got him to stop. He replied in confusion, "The person in the black coat that you called me about almost an hour ago? The one that just walked into the train?"
"There's nothing there, Edogawa-kun."
There's nothing there—? Conan looked. The train was still there, and the door was still open, beckoning him inside. It sure seemed real.
Did Haibara want him to ignore its existence because she recognized it? Or because it was so suspicious and out of place that she guessed it was a trap?
But that wouldn't make sense. She would tell him if that's what she thought. She wouldn't go all vague on him and tell him that it didn't exist. At the very least, she would tell him that she would explain it later.
Something very fishy was going on here. And he was going to find out what.
"If anyone asks, Haibara, I'm staying with you and the professor for a few nights."
"Edogawa-kun, wait—!"
He hung up and walked inside the train.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Wow ok, second longest chapter I've ever written for anything, cool cool cool.
There were a few things that I wanted to add that I didn't get to add but they were just small unnecessary things so it's fine, this chapter was getting too long anyways.
The original plan for this chapter was for the train bit to happen before the heist, and then have what's coming up next chapter take place in this chapter instead. But then I really wanted to write Kaitou KID, and I have some plans for him later that would have been difficult to figure out if he and Conan didn't interact first, so it was for everyone's benefit that I wrote a heist chapter. It was fun!
Thanks for reading! Next chapter is when the fun stuff really starts to begin, so please look forward to it!