DCMK || KaiShin || DCMK || The White Collar Phantom Thief || DCMK || KaiShin || DCMK
Title: The White Collar Phantom Thief – The Secret of Pandora
Fandom: Detective Conan / Magic Kaito
Disclaimer: All rights reserved to Gosho Aoyama for he created the awesomeness that is Kaitou KID. Ah, and Detective Conan, too. This fanfiction on the other hand is entirely mine. No money is made with this, though reviews are more than welcomed.
Tags: m/m, future fic, post-Conan Shinichi, secret reveals, slow-burn, hurt/comfort, canon-typical violence/death, canon-typical magic, canon-typical crossdressing, fake relationship, fluff, adoption, found family, explicit intercourse, anal, oral, f/f, m/f
Main Pairing: Kaito/Shinichi
Side Pairings: Sera/Ran, Saguru/Aoko, Heiji/Kazuha, Makoto/Sonoko, Takagi/Sato
DC/MK Characters:
Task Force: Kuroba Kaito | Kaitou KID | Tsukino Guinevere, Kudou Shinichi, Hakuba Saguru, Nakamori Aoko, Hattori Heiji, Sera Masumi, Koizumi Akako, Furuya Rei | Amuro Tooru | Bourbon, Akai Shuuichi, Takagi Wataru, Sato Miwako, Jii Konosuke
Others: Mouri Ran, Suzuki Sonoko, Kyogoku Makoto, Tooyama Kazuha, Suzuki Jirokichi, Nakamori Ginzo, Megure Juzo, Mouri Kogoro, Kuroba Chikage, Kudou Yuusaku, Kudou Yukiko
Detective Boys: Agasa Hiroshi, Haibara Ai, Yoshida Ayumi, Tsuburaya Mitsuhiko, Kojima Genta
Black Organization: Gunther von Goldberg II | Spider, Snake, Rose
Summary: Akako gives Kaito a prophecy: If KID is not captured by the demon of light, both of them would die and only if he gets captured will he be able to reach his goal. Kaito would rather go to jail than risk Shinichi's life
With Kaitou KID gone, Snake starts going after the jewels more actively and people get killed. It doesn't take Shinichi long to see a connection to KID – and that this is the last branch left of the BO he had taken down.
Shinichi forms a special task-force to end the BO for good. And for that, he needs Kaitou KID's help.
The White Collar Phantom Thief
The Secret of Pandora
Case 22: The Volley Comet Dagger
Kaito missed the spotlight. He knew that him stealing these daggers – or more checking if the right dagger was among them – couldn't draw attention. Not until they had what they wanted and could use it as bait for the Men in Black. Didn't mean he couldn't miss the spotlight though. The adoring fans, the stand-off with his detective, driving Nakamori up the wall along the way.
There was something dangerous in Kaito's chest. A warm, giddy feeling of hope. Ever since Shinichi had shared his plans with Kaito, this feeling inside grew. Every time he saw Shinichi fluently perform a trick, every time Shinichi flawlessly mimicked a Kaitou KID motion or facial expression, every time he could feel his own eagerness at this being a real possibility. That they could pull this off. This could work, Shinichi could pretend to be Kaitou KID, while Kaito was just himself, giving himself the perfect alibi. That Kaito had been hiding, with the help and protection of the FBI, because they thought the organization would be targeting him in prison. It wasn't even a full lie, really. He had been hiding with the help of the FBI and they had kind of protected him.
It was still a little surreal to him that these law-enforcers were willing to lie for him. More so for Shinichi than him, really. There was a deal in the making. That they would help Kaito get out of the charges – less legally because legally would mean it still being on his record, him still being Kaitou KID in the eyes of the world, and for Kaitou KID to stay useful, they needed to undo that. And if they did, he would help them. Take down international art thieves and forgers, the way he had done so far, but this time, for the FBI. That seemed a deal worth taking, especially if it meant that he could be with Shinichi. He wouldn't have to hide anymore.
Hope was a dangerous thing, Kaito knew that from years of having hope. Hope to bring his father's killers to justice, hope that just one more, this next one would be it. Hope that he could get a normal life then, after. He remembered being a young teenager, thinking he would be able to solve all of this all on his own, soon, and then he could be with Aoko. Be with her, romantically. Just one more heist and he could give up being KID and they could be boyfriend and girlfriend, the childhood sweethearts. It was silly, looking back at it. All of it. No, not all. Aoko was wonderful, was one of the best people Kaito knew and he would have been damn lucky if she'd been his girlfriend in high school. But that was in another timeline, and he had no regrets.
Aoko was happy with Hakuba – however that was possible – she was in a place in her life where she wanted to be, loved her job, had worked hard for it. And Kaito was… happier than he'd ever been, with Shinichi. He didn't wish for things to have been different, not at all.
But he was aware that once upon a time, he had pictured them to be different, and when things hadn't worked out like that, when heist turned into heist turned into heist, lies piled up and alienated him further and further from Aoko, when Aoko and Hakuba had first started being sweet on each other, he did remember the pain of dying hope and it was one of the worst things to experience.
He could not do that again. He could not get his hopes up that, this time, he could get everything he wanted, this time, he could be happy, just for it to not work out. For something to get in the way.
"White Dove, check in."
Kaito blinked, furrowing his brows at the voice in his ear. Akai, on the roof opposite the museum, just to make sure. Having Kaito's back. It was nice to have someone backing him up. Holding the dagger up, Kaito took a small bottle out of his pocket. A… potion, from Akako. She'd been a little exasperated that they had asked her for yet another favor, feeling like she had done more than enough to help – and, quite frankly, she had. Without her, they wouldn't have even known what to look for. Still, they didn't know how to determine whether the dagger was the real deal. A potion to determine whether something was of this world – which was such a surreal thought to Kaito. But in the end, the comet was alien. A drop of the potion hit the dagger and it sparkled.
"I'll be damned," Kaito whispered. "I… found it. This is it. Either that or a different alien dagger, and at this point in my life, I wouldn't even question that."
"Repeat that, with less rambling, White Dove."
"I found it," Kaito repeated more firmly. "I found it, Eagle Eye."
"Put it back and get out of there," came the order from another voice.
Kaito sighed, a pout on his lips. "Copy that, Sparrow."
The plan was to put this back now, get a copy of it done, slip in again in secret to switch the two out and then they would announce a proper heist for it. They could not risk the dagger falling into the wrong hands, so they needed to secure it ahead of time. No risks, not with Mizuki's safety on the line. So he put the dagger back and made his way back outside.
/break\
Shinichi flushed as he read the newspaper. He was used to being in the newspaper, but usually it was for the cases he'd solved, the genius he was. Not in the gossip pages, not about what a 'beautiful family' him and his gorgeous fiance and their foster daughter were. There was a picture too, from the last time Shinichi and Kaito had taken Mizuki out to the park, Mizuki sitting on a swing and Shinichi giving her a boost from behind. They did look like a happy family.
"Kudou-san, I bring the… requested item."
Looking up, he put the newspaper down and saw Kaito leading Jii inside. The original Kaitou KID's assistant, the one behind all of Kaito's forgeries. Including the Volley Comet Dagger. The elderly man smiled as he put it on the table, for both Kaito and Shinichi to look at.
"That looks amazing, Jii-chan," Kaito turned to smile at his assistant.
Jii laughed and looked so proud. It made Shinichi smile a little himself, even as he kept inspecting the dagger. This was it, this was a direct copy of the thing that these men wanted to use to kill Mizuki. His eyebrows furrowed in a deep glare. They were going to destroy the real one, after using it to lure the last of the Men in Black out. Rose had been giving them good leads, the longer they roasted her, kept her locked away, the more they got out of her. Voluntarily and involuntarily – the things she gave away with silence and facial expressions.
"We'll get them," Shinichi's voice was a whisper, his eyes on the dagger even as he reached out to grasp Kaito's hand, giving him a gentle squeeze. "We're going to get them."
Kaito tilted his head to look at him with the softest smile, squeezing his hand back. When Shinichi said it, Kaito could actually believe it. It felt less like hope and more like a fact.
/break\
Everything was set up for the heist. The real dagger was safely tucked away in their safe, the fake dagger was placed in the museum and the heist note had been sent out. The dagger was adored with some rubies, so it wasn't too out of the norm for KID to steal it, for the public eye. There was nothing they could do right now, so Shinichi channeled his energy into something else. Something he no longer wanted to neglect. His inter-personal connections.
"I don't know about this, Kudou-kun," Takagi heaved a worried sigh.
"I'm no expert about romance, or women, but I do know you two deserve a real honeymoon after the wedding," Shinichi smiled in a reassuring manner. "It's an offer, you don't have to take it."
The two of them were sitting on the couch in Shinichi's place, with an old family photo album in front of them. Pictures of a vacation the Kudou Family had taken in Hawaii. A thought that had crossed Shinichi's mind the other day, after Satou and Takagi had returned from their last mission where the cover had been a 'romantic getaway'. It reminded him that their wedding was drawing closer and closer and that the salary of two detectives wasn't exactly enough to cover the wedding and the kind of honeymoon they definitely deserved. Traveling to other continents was expensive. The Kudou vacation home in Hawaii stood empty most of the time. It would save them quite some money and it wasn't entirely giving off charity vibes like if he were to offer to pay for their honeymoon. He had that mansion, it wasn't going to be used anyway during the time, so they could as well use it and really enjoy their honeymoon, at the beach, exploring a new country.
"That's very generous of you," Takagi offered the smallest of smiles.
"You two," Shinichi paused, unsure how to phrase this without either giving something away (though he suspected that Takagi had figured his secret out long ago on his own) or sounding like a weirdo. "You kept showing me what love can be, and that love can be found even when you are buried deep in your work, and it gave me hope when I felt like I let my work fully consume me. And you have been… a very good friend, Takagi-san."
The small smile on Takagi's lips grew more genuine and bright. This man was truly one of the best people Shinichi knew and he wished nothing but the best for him. That Takagi and Satou had finally figured out not just to be in a relationship and how to make that work with their jobs, but that they had now gotten engaged and were planning a true life together? Shinichi wanted to help, to show his appreciation, because they deserved this happiness, they truly did.
/break\
Kaito was tending to his doves. All but one. Tama-chan had fled as soon as the door had opened, flying straight for where Shinichi was, Kaito knew that. She was just as obsessed with Shinichi as Kaito himself was, so he understood it. He too would, if given the chance, go straight for Shinichi's lap to cuddle up to his detective. Today, Kaito wasn't tending to the doves alone through. No, he had his little helper, eagerly following all of his instructions.
"They're so pretty," Mizuki whispered in awe, petting one of the doves.
"They are," Kaito puffed his chest out proudly.
"I always wanted pets," Mizuki looked at the doves, not at Kaito. "Mama was allergic against cats and papa didn't like dogs. I had a fish, once, but fishes are… boring."
Kaito made a face at that. Thankfully, that laid in the past. If they'd taken her in and she had brought her pet fish with her, Kaito would have to hide in his own home! His face softened as she brought up her parents though. She rarely talked about them, but lately, she had stopped talking as though she expected them to come back. Though he suspected that she was still struggling with the concept of forever. He himself was still struggling with that concept. But for a child, to realize they would never get to see their parents again. A flash of Toichi's smile came before his eyes.
"I'm glad I'm with you," Mizuki whispered softly. "Papa's friend would have taken me in otherwise? That's what the woman from social services said. But he was always weird. Not bad! But really bad with children. He always wanted to shake hands and stuff, like I'm a grown-up and he didn't know any cartoons. I like you and Shinichi-nii-san."
That made Kaito smile. "Not all adults are good with children. But Shinichi and I, we like you a lot too, Mizu-chan. We're glad you're staying with us."
"Will I… stay with you for forever?"
Kaito paused what he was doing and turned to look at her with soft, slightly pained eyes. "I… can't promise you that, Mizu-chan. You know that I'm pretending to be someone I'm not with everyone else, right? And… once I stop pretending, I don't know… how others will take that. I don't know if they will let you stay with us then. And they're still looking for your family."
"But even if they found someone, they wouldn't be family," Mizuki argued, looking upset. "I wouldn't even know them! Mama and papa's funeral was already! Everyone who knew them was there! If there was real family, they would have come. And I would know them."
The look in Kaito's eyes softened. She was such a clever girl. And she was right. Whatever third cousin five times removed they might track down had probably never even met Mizuki's parents, much less Mizuki herself. What good was this? Why did blood matter that much?
/break\
"Normal people don't climb onto roofs, you know."
Kaito grinned, lazy and pleased. "Have I ever given you the impression I'm normal?"
Shinichi huffed as he climbed up onto the roof to join his boyfriend. Kaito was sprawled out on his back, his arms crossed behind his head and his eyes up in the sky. It was beautiful, the night-sky. Dark, nearly black, but a huge, stunning silver moon, stars sparkling all around it.
"I missed this, while I was in prison," Kaito whispered, a more forlorn tone to his voice. "Being locked up behind bars meant no going outside during the night."
Heaving a sigh, Shinichi went to lay down next to him, resting his head on Kaito's biceps so he could also look into the night sky. He'd often thought about that. About Kaito's time in prison. Even though he tried not to think about it, because it made him feel guilty. After all, he was the one who had put Kaito behind bars to begin with. Kaito adjusted himself, so he could wrap his arm around Shinichi's shoulders, pulling him closer.
"I don't blame you, Shin-chan," Kaito's voice was soft. "I was the one who confessed. I went to prison. It was my choice. Besides, you're the one who got me out of there."
"Why are we like this, Kaito?" Shinichi heaved a sigh. "Why can't we be like normal people, leading normal lives? Like… Like Takagi-san."
"Personally, I blame our parents," Kaito drawled with a sarcastic half-smile. "I mean, how was either of us ever supposed to turn out 'normal' with that DNA? My parents are both internationally wanted criminals, and yet I'd argue that your parents are weirder than mine."
"I'm not arguing that point with you, you are fully right."
Kaito laughed and turned to press a kiss to Shinichi's temple. "Normal is overrated."
"But a bit more normal and less… hunting giant evil organizations that are looking to achieve immortality would be nice," Shinichi reached up to rub the bridge of his nose. "Did you reach your witch-friend? When will she be by to help us destroy the cursed dagger? See. These are not normal sentences to say to your boyfriend, Kaito."
"Okay," Kaito laughed, loud and full. "Okay, you win, maybe our lives are a bit too not normal."
Shinichi raised his eyebrows like he was silently saying 'See.', though then he heaved a sigh. "Well? It wasn't a rhetorical question, thief."
"Right," Kaito was still chuckling a little. "She is cryptic as ever, but I think she might be by before the heist. Tomorrow? The day after? Something like that. Whenever her master Lucifer provides her with the needed insight," Kaito paused for a moment, blinking repeatedly. "...Our lives do need some more normalcy…"
That made Shinichi chuckle ever so softly as he rolled onto his side, toward Kaito, resting his hand on the thief's stomach. For the most part, he loved their life. Master thief and master detective. Even the hunting of very dangerous criminals. But the magic, the gods, those were too much. Curses, immortality, magic gems and daggers, this was too much.
"We have to break this dagger," Shinichi whispered against Kaito's chest.
Kaito's voice dropped. "I know."
"No," Shinichi shook his head just a little, his fingers clawing into Kaito's shirt. "We have to break this dagger. It can not be used to harm Mizu-chan, or anybody else."
Kaito pressed a kiss against the top of Shinichi's head. "I know."
/break\
Akako was as unsettling as ever. At least some things never changed. She also still had that royal aura, as though she was a queen to be bowed to and answered accordingly. Good thing Kaito had never done good with authority. He stood there, his arms crossed, watching her with sharp eyes. Though they needed her help, he still didn't entirely trust her, would probably never. She had all this power, this magic, and chose to use it in the most selfish and manipulative ways. Her philosophy in life and his were directly opposed, there was no way around that.
"Well," Shinichi's voice had an edge to it "What do we do with it?"
"Fancy a trip to a volcano in Greece?" Akako asked, a bemused smile.
She threw something up into the air, for Kaito to catch. A vial with black liquid inside. Not watery in consistency, more like goo, and if the light hit it right, it seemed dark-red. Something about it was… unsettling. If a liquid could give off a bad vibe, this one did.
"Not… particularly," Shinichi frowned. "We set a date for the heist."
"To steal what you have already stolen," Akako raised an eyebrow, looking at the dagger.
"It's about more than just having the dagger, it's about stopping the men who want it."
Akako hummed softly. "Give it to me then and I will take care of it."
"I just… struggle with accepting that you're selflessly helping," Kaito narrowed his eyes. "I'm going to come with you, and we will make it quick. The heist is in three days."
Akako didn't look offended or surprised, if anything she looked amused. "I assumed so."
Her eyes found Shinichi then, inquisitive. No, he did not like this at all. But he was going to let it happen. There was nobody he trusted more than Kaito. Turning toward his thief, he pulled him into a brief kiss, resting his hands against Kaito's chest afterward.
"Be fast, be safe, and return to me," Shinichi ordered. "This is non-negotiable. Return to me."
A small smile found its way onto Kaito's lips as the thief nodded. "I'll put on a disguise, take one of the alternate passports. We're going to leave right away. I will be quick and I will return to you."
/break\
"I never liked your demon of light," Akako was staring out the plane's window. "I always knew he would lead you down a dangerous path. He still is. You could still die."
"We all could," Kaito spoke dismissively, busying his hands with a deck of cards. "This plane could crash right now and the both of us could die."
The woman on his other side turned to stare at him terrified and he offered her a reassuring smile. "I'm sure it won't. It was just an example. Like how you can get into a bus accident any time."
That didn't help the woman any, she looked even more distressed at that. Okay, maybe he should just stop talking to her before she'd have a panic attack. Instead, he turned toward Akako and his voice dropped into a bit of a whisper, to not draw any more attention.
"He is my life," Kaito whispered into her ear. "Even if it'll end in days, I would still chose the life that is shared with him over a long life without him."
Akako shook his head and turned to look at him with something akin to pity. "I don't understand you. I never will. But I will still help you."
Kaito narrowed his eyes. "Why."
"Fate," Akako shrugged. "Immortality is not for humans to play with. The means to achieve it should have never gotten into their hands. They're not even magic-users, much less gods. The gods want this to be taken away from mortal hands. Lord Lucifer requested my aid. It forces my hand."
A quest for the gods, then. Yet he wasn't doing it for the gods. He was doing it for his daughter.
Author's note: We found the dagger! Next up, we gotta catch some crows. Time to take them down for good ;)