Chapter 15: Unlikely Alliance

Author's note: Before anyone asks, no the events of the movies are not included in this story. Kid finds out who Shinichi is in the movie The Last Wizard of the Century (movie #3), but it's only heavily implied that he knows his identity in the show. If I interpreted it correctly, Aoyama might have made movie 3 canon in the Fairy Lip case, but I'm not certain, so in this story the whole truth comes out here.

At the unexpected voice, Ran let out a small gasp and leapt off the couch to stand behind Shinichi. He looked back at the window. Despite nothing having been there just moments ago, a striking figure now stood, silhouetted against the moonlight. The white of the man's suit glowed around the edges where the light caught it from behind. A glint near the face signified the wide, cat-like grin being directed at them.

The entire scene was quite picturesque. Shinichi scowled.

"What are you doing here?" he gruffed. Ran shuffled nervously on her feet behind him. The figure gracefully moved from the window so that the backlight no longer obscured his features. Not that anyone had been left wondering—there was only one person this could be, after all.

"Now, now, tantei-kun," said Kaitou Kid lightly. "There's no need to be hostile. I just came to see your new houseguest." Ran froze in place as his gaze trained intensely on her. Shinichi's eyes narrowed.

"Why are you really here?" he asked, not bothering to give any free information. The thief grinned like he'd won something, and Shinichi realized too late that he hadn't denied Ran was his houseguest. This was the Kudo estate, so technically Conan would be the one visiting. He tried not to let that realization show. If anything, this only confirmed that Kid already knew who he was. A serious mask immediately slid over the thief's face.

"… I was… ah… casing an area when I happened to see you snooping around with your new friend," he said, carefully choosing his words as a curious gaze landed on Ran. Shinichi also glanced up at her. She was rooted to the spot, eyes almost comically wide in a deer-caught-in-the-headlights expression. The last time she'd left the house for an extended period of time was…

He suppressed an irritated groan as things clicked. The person watching Ran in Ekoda must have been Kid. If he had secretly known about Shinichi's identity (all signs pointed to that being the case), it would only make sense that he'd be confused and curious about someone who looked like Shinichi accompanying… Shinichi. And then, like a creep, decided to spy on them for a week. Assuming that was him. Shinichi clicked his tongue.

"If you were the one watching us all week, you already know who this is," he said in a flat tone. He wasn't even going to try to hide this, but his pride also wouldn't allow him to show his hand first.

"You're no fun," pouted Kid, but the grin was back. Ran continued fidgeting behind Shinichi. Kid snapped his fingers and a rose appeared in his hand. He tossed it in the air and it disappeared in a cloud of pink smoke, miraculously reappearing behind Ran's ear. She jumped slightly, and looked down at Shinichi, worried and unsure. The sleuth rolled his eyes, and she relaxed a little.

"If you're not here to talk, then get out," he spat. "Or else, turn the lights back on and get out of that eyesore you call a suit before it draws the neighbors' attention." Kid clicked his tongue a few times.

"Temper, temper," he said lightly, but the lights came on with another snap of his fingers. Shinichi and Ran both blinked away the discomfort, and by the time their eyes adjusted to the light, Kid was in an inconspicuous black outfit, a cap pulled low over his face.

"I didn't come to pick a fight, honest," he said, lifting his hands placatingly. Shinichi's eyes narrowed as he scanned the man before them suspiciously. He couldn't find any hidden tricks, but that didn't mean anything where Kid was concerned. He relaxed only a little, but left his guard up.

"Just my luck Subaru's out," he grumbled. Kid laughed.

"Luck had nothing to do with it, tantei-kun," he said. "Now, suppose we talk about why your missing princess is masquerading as you? I'm dying to know."

"Why?"

"Because I'm curious," he said, gaze snapping back to Ran, who hadn't moved since the rose appeared. Shinichi could see a few drops of sweat beading along her temples, and saw the corner of her mouth twitch uncomfortably. Kid stared hard at her for a few more moments, studying her. Then, his expression softened. "And I might be of some help."

"… A thief willingly offering to help a detective?" Shinichi asked, voice laced with skepticism. "What makes you think I won't catch you right now?"

"Because you haven't, yet." His grin was smug. "And because you enjoy the chase." Shinichi glowered at him, but couldn't exactly refute his words. Instead of answering, though, he only glanced back up at Ran and nudged her a bit, snapping her out of whatever thoughts kept her frozen to the spot.

She jumped and blinked down at him. He jerked his head to the door. Her gaze nervously flicked between him and the thief for a moment before she finally moved again.

"W-w-would you like some tea…? She squeaked out. Kid shrugged. Perhaps sensing her discomfort, his grin was a bit less predatory.

"Sure, why not?" He gave an over-the-top bow. "Thank you, miss."

Ran suppressed a grimace and hurried out of the room, escaping into the kitchen. Shinichi sighed.

"How much do you know?" he asked in a resigned tone.

"Only that she is your princess," said Kid, tone more serious than Shinichi'd ever heard it. "She's not wearing a disguise, is she?"

Shinichi wearily sank back onto the couch and nodded.

"Care to explain?" His tone was light, but careful. Shinichi glanced up at him, but couldn't read Kid's expression, as most of his face was kept hidden.

"… I wish I could," he said darkly, staring at the door Ran disappeared into. "But… If I tell you what we know, I need you to do something for me." This encounter might turn things around, he decided. Kid hummed thoughtfully.

"That would depend on what you want me to do, wouldn't it?" he said, tilting his head with a dry smile. Shinichi found himself grimly chuckling.

"I think you might actually get a kick out of it," he said, and Kid's smile morphed into a grin that bordered on downright wicked.

xXx

Shinichi explained the situation first, since his request would make more sense to the thief if he knew exactly why he needed what he needed. He grudgingly admitted to himself that it was nice to have your informants well informed—a luxury he hadn't been able to indulge in with Takagi and the children.

Kaitou Kid's expression never changed throughout the whole explanation, gaze sharp and attentive. Despite the poker face, the atmosphere was grim. Ran came in with freshly made tea right after Shinichi's brief exposition, and after thoughtfully regarding her for a moment, Kid gratefully accepted the refreshment.

"So," he said, leaning back with the cup after an appreciative sip, "what does my cute little tantei-kun need from me?"

"I'm not cute and I'm not yours," growled Shinichi. He opted not to dwell on how cutesy he tended to make some of Conan's interactions. "Don't act like you didn't offer your help first." Kid smirked.

"But teasing you is so much fun!" He took another sip of tea and placed the cup on the coffee table. "I never said I wouldn't help. Besides, what kind of gentleman would I be if I ignored a princess in distress?" Ran flushed and stared intently down at the hands in her lap.

"I didn't know teasing was acceptable behavior for a gentleman," said Shinichi with a scoff.

"It is if they're of the phantom thief variety," said Kid, grinning wider. "As long as it's in good taste, I see no reason not to have a little fun."

Shinichi rolled his eyes. It was a very Kid thing to say, but it was hardly the time or place for his mischief. He opened his mouth, about to attempt to get the conversation back on track, when the thief's gaze shifted, along with his attention.

"Before we get down to business, it appears your princess has a request," he said, voice surprisingly soft. Shinichi blinked and looked up at Ran, who was nervously wringing her hands in her lap, eyes darting from the table to Kid. She flinched at the attention, and bit her lip. Kid waited patiently for her to speak, as did Shinichi, curious to know what she could possibly want from the thief.

"I just—I mean… I-I thought that maybe, s-since you're a master of disguise, that…" She clenched her hands into fists on her lap, looking up at Kid with a hopeful expression. "M-maybe… y-you could make me look like… me…?"

Shinichi blinked in surprise. He hadn't thought of that. It was by no means a perfect solution, and it wouldn't fix the problems at hand, but it might help to ease some of the tense atmosphere. Kid regarded her with an unreadable expression for a few moments before answering.

"I'm afraid not," he said, tone carefully neutral. Ran stood up from her seat, a desperate look on her face.

"B-but—!"

"I'm a magician, not a wizard; even if I had the right materials with me, I wouldn't be able to give you what you want," he said. Ran looked dejectedly at the floor.

"I… I see… Forgive me, it was a selfish thing to ask." She turned towards the door.

"Ran," Shinichi called after her, but she just walked out of the room, shoulders slumped. He glared at the thief.

"What was that about? I've seen you easily put disguises on others just to shake things up! Did you really have to be so cruel?!"

"Cruel?" said Kid in a low voice, leaning back. "If I wanted to be cruel, I would have agreed to do it."

"… What do you mean?"

"Do you know why my disguises are perfect, tantei-kun?" Shinichi frowned at the non-sequitur and shook his head. "It's because I'm the one underneath."

"Isn't that a bit conceited, even for—" Kid raised a hand to stop Shinichi before turning his full attention on the shrunken teen. The intense seriousness of his expression sent chills down Shinichi's spine.

"Hear me out, first. Let's say I did make up your princess to look the way she's supposed to look. And let's say your professor rigs up a hands-free voice changer. What do you think would happen?" At Shinichi's wordless stare, he continued. "Definitely, she'd be happy at first, and she might even feel relatively normal. But after a while, something else will happen." He leaned back again and glanced at the ceiling, gathering his thoughts.

"The problem lies in the fact that she isn't asking for a disguise. I'm not making her look like someone else, I'm making her look like her. No matter how good the mask is, it's not perfect, and eventually, she'll notice that.

"The costume is only half of the disguise, tantei-kun. The part that really sells it is the performance that's given. She won't be performing, so she'll only notice the discrepancies of the costume.

"But let's say none of that is an issue. Let's pretend for a moment that the costume by itself is perfect in every detail, down to the smallest scratch." Here, Kid's demeanor changed, something dark flitting behind his gaze. "Once more, it's still just a costume, and must be taken off at the end of the day." He looked gravely at Shinichi, the air seeming to chill around them. "How do you think she'll react to having to take off her own face every day, only to reveal someone else's underneath?"

Shinichi felt sick, and his mouth was suddenly too dry. He sipped his tea to wet it before speaking.

"A-are you—" His voice cracked, and he cleared his throat. "Has this… happened before…?" Kid didn't answer, only giving a cryptic smile before his demeanor changed again, demolishing the oppressive atmosphere.

"So, meitantei; what is it you need me to do?" he asked brightly, flashing his trademark grin. Shinichi was certain he'd have whiplash before the night was through. He shook his head to recollect his thoughts.

"I…" He licked his dry lips. "Right. I need you to get information from the police." Kid blinked a few times.

"Is that all? Don't get me wrong; I absolutely love the idea that a detective wants me to acquire police records, but that's something you can do yourself, isn't it?"

"If I could, I wouldn't be asking you," Shinichi snapped. "You already know what I need—I've already taken care of all the cases here in Tokyo, and Hattori's checking out the ones in Osaka. There are a few places I might be able to get the information from, if I use the name of Sleeping Kogoro, but…" He frowned. "That runs the risk of the man himself finding out."

"And the added risk of your perpetrators finding out someone's digging," Kid supplied. Shinichi's shoulders slumped slightly despite his best efforts to appear in control.

"Yeah."

"Well," said Kid as he stood up, "since I can't leave a lady in need, I will officially offer my services." He touched the brim of his cap, and despite being in casual dress, he somehow still looked classy. "I have one condition."

Shinichi straightened his posture, looking curiously at the thief.

"Don't come to my next few heists."

"… Why?" asked Shinichi, completely taken aback. He'd expected a harder request. "I thought you enjoyed the challenge." Kid grinned, but it looked a little strained to him.

"As fun as it is to have to push my abilities to the limit, I really can't afford to be distracted right now." Something about the way he said that didn't ring quite true to Shinichi, but he elected not to comment on it.

"If that's all you want for your help," he said slowly, "then I really don't have a choice. Just don't mention this to anyone, even if it's for teasing Nakamori-keibu."

"Of course not!" Kid's tone was light again, imitating offense at Shinichi's words. "Now, I think you'll find your princess is in need of some comfort, so I will take my leave." And just as Shinichi blinked, the thief was gone, no trace of him ever having been there besides an empty teacup he was sure was free of fingerprints.

He huffed irritably, not even bothering to look for the vanished thief—he wouldn't find him, anyway. He wasn't entirely sure what to make of Kid's request, but consoled himself with the fact that if anyone could discreetly get police records, it was Kaitou Kid. As he turned to go find Ran, his phone rang.

"Hello?" he said, not looking at the caller ID.

"What the hell, Kudo?!"

"… Hattori?"

"Were you takin' a dump or somethin'? I've been tryin' to call ya for the last thirty minutes!" Shinichi pulled his phone away to look at the list of recent calls, before realizing this was probably Kid's doing. He glared at the spot the pest had been standing, and growled at the empty air.

"Jerk!"