A Matter of War, Chapter 3
Dec. 16th, 2018 01:15 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
sinnatiousSummary: Magic Kaito/Detective Conan, multi-chapter, gen. “It’s such a waste,” Shinichi said. “With your skills, you could make a real difference.” Shinichi later regretted those words.
Warnings: Contains death and violence.
Author’s Note: And now we get to some small bit of action. Not sure if I can post next weekend (being the weekend before Christmas) but WE'RE NEARLY AT THE END OF THE YEAR, WOOO! Going to do my best! There will be at least one more post before the year's end.
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Chapter 3
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His phone trilled. Shinichi answered it, feet swinging idly off the edge of the desk as he watched the bank of security screens. The office was unmanned over the weekend, the security automated to a contract company that only sent personnel out when an alarm got tripped. “What do you want, Hattori?”
“Seriously, Kudo? Do I really gotta explain? We have the news here in Osaka too, y’know.”
That had been his only real concern. If the news coverage reached Osaka, however, there was no chance KID had missed the notice. “And?”
“And I’m wondering what the hell you’re thinking! That was you, right? What the hell is so important that you’re suddenly sending out fake KID notices? You know if you get busted there’ll be hell to pay, being a minor ain’t gonna get you out of that one!”
Shinichi sighed. “I just need to talk to him. It’s urgent.”
Not that he didn’t understand Hattori’s concern. He’d been steadfast on only engaging KID at his heists in the past – this was well outside of their usual unofficial rules of engagement. But then, this whole situation was outside the norm.
Hattori’s tone grew serious. “This related to your friends in black again?”
“Maybe.” Shinichi was operating mostly on hunches at this point. But he didn’t think he could wait around for more evidence, not if those hunches were correct.
“Dammit, Kudo, hang tight, I’ll get a train-”
“You won’t make it in time. Besides, we’re only going to talk.”
“Sure,” Hattori snorted. “You really think KID’s gonna play nice with that? You know how he normally treats fake notices, right?”
“I’m not going to interfere in anything he wants to do or cause any trouble. Just talk. Can you think of a better way to get KID’s attention? We don’t exactly have his home address.”
“Yeah but y’know if I figured it out, other people might too?”
A calculated gamble. With Nakamori out, Division Two were in disarray, and were unlikely to solve the heist notice correctly on their own, especially not under time pressure. As evidenced by the streets outside empty of police cars, and the news reporting the squad still guarding that chunk of tanzanite in a museum three wards away, instead of the prehnite that formed the centrepiece of this office’s ‘good luck and spiritual health’ display. The owner of the firm was a superstitious sort and had poured a considerable amount of money into the building’s installation.
“It’s a risk, but no one else has shown up at the real location so far,” Shinichi said. He’d gained access to the security office – illegally, but trespassing was one of those laws he’d come to accept as collateral in the wake of larger cases – which largely doubled as the backroom for reception. The office of a medium-sized accounting firm had no real need for high security – that it had cameras at all was an anomaly due largely to its expensive decorations - and he didn’t expect to get any warning about KID from the screens. He was mostly just keeping an eye out for any sign of police or rogue security guards that could interrupt.
No sooner than he’d said it, though, Shinichi caught a glimpse of a silhouette slipping in through the back entrance. “Hold that thought, I think he’s here. I’ll have to call you back.”
The moment he hung up, the building’s power died, plunging the room into darkness.
Shinichi froze, waited a beat, and then muttered, “No backup power. Of course.” No reason for an accounting firm to bother with one.
The obvious meeting point would be by the prehnite, so Shinchi cautiously opened the door leading to reception, and the main foyer beyond. It was only 8pm, but that was more than dark enough to leave the interior near pitch black. No helping it. He flicked the flashlight on his wristwatch on, scanning the room, ears strained for any telltale sounds of movement.
The light caught the edge of the prehnite in its case – it scattered glimmers of faded green that sparkled and glinted across the other good luck charms and knick knacks on display.
No sign of the thief, however. Maybe he was waiting for the copycat to show himself? Shinichi had hoped KID would recognise his handiwork, but in retrospect he had a lot more experience solving KID’s riddles than the other way around. This was the exact sort of move he’d pulled plenty of times in the past to pull off tricks or unnerve copycats or disrupt plans.
Suddenly, footsteps came rushing up behind him in the darkness. Shinichi whirled, bringing the flashlight to bear – onto the barrel of a gun.
Not KID.
Shinichi froze, for just an instant. That instant was enough for the stranger’s hand to reach out and grab his arm, tugging him into the air. The light from his watch bounced wildly across the walls.
Black trenchcoat, black hat. Gun in his left hand, Shinichi dangling from his right.
The Black Organisation.
“You’re that brat who’s always showing up at KID’s cases,” the stranger said, voice gravelled and carrying the stench of tobacco. A cruel smile spread across his face. Shinichi struggled, trying to shake his hand free. He needed his wristwatch-! “Looks like we have a lucky break then.”
“Let go of me!” Shinichi hissed, twisting like an angry cat. He was a child. A fuss was to be expected. The man’s grip was iron, though, and Shinichi’s attempts at kicking him in the stomach were evaded with ease.
A cut above the usual goons then. A sliver of fear snaked down his spine.
He hadn’t set up a meeting. He’d created a trap.
The man tapped on his ear with the hand holding the gun – a radio? “Snake? I followed up on that hunch. You’re at a dummy, looks like this place is going to be the real deal.” He watched Shinichi with intense eyes, shadows dancing across his face from the wristwatch’s bouncing light. “…Yeah, in Nerima ward.” There was another pause. “That brat that’s always helping the police is here. Figure he wouldn’t be unless it was the right one.”
Shinichi went still, part listening, part conserving his energy for the moment there was a window to act. The guy scowled. “No, I don’t have eyes on KID yet. But the power cut out, and I doubt the brat did it.” Another pause, and the guy’s gaze dropped back to him. “What? I was gonna use him as a hostage. No way KID’ll show his face otherwise.”
Shinichi renewed his struggles – fruitless though they were. The angle was all wrong – there was no way he could launch and kick a soccer ball anywhere useful to break free. Damn his small body, but he was not going to be used as a bargaining chip against KID!
“Those other guys were idiots. I’m not-” He cut himself off, then sighed. “Yeah, yeah, I got it. Elk’s here too. It’s covered.” He scowled.
Shinichi pulled himself up, and sank his teeth into the gloved hand holding him in place.
“Shit!” Instead of dropping him, the man slammed him onto the floor, pinning him. Shinichi’s glasses bounced away and he gasped, stunned. “You damn brat!” He clicked the safety off, and pointed the gun between Shinichi’s eyes.
He’d been too worried about KID, but now he realised the stakes were even higher.
“Don’t-” he whispered, barely able to get the breath from the pressure against his chest. His thoughts raced, scrambled, tripped. His feet scraped uselessly against the floor as he tried to trigger the charge on his shoes – maybe with a lucky kick…
“Thought you’d be more use alive, but orders are orders,” he sneered. Cold steel pressed against Shinichi’s forehead.
It couldn’t end, not like this-
He screwed his eyes shut. A gunshot echoed through the space – something wet spattered his arm. Then an instant later, that impossibly strong grip relaxed, and the man collapsed above him.
Shinichi froze. A moment later, the man was rolled aside, freeing him. “Grasshopper,” a familiar voice identified, muffled by the ringing in his ears.
Kaitou KID stood over the fallen gunman’s form, the white outline of his suit unmistakeable even in the room’s deep shadows. Shinichi scrambled back to his feet, heart still jumping. He snatched up his glasses, and brought the wristwatch flashlight to bear on the thief. The beam shook, unsteady, when he saw the spatter of red flecked across his arm.
“You really do have the worst luck, don’t you tantei-kun?” KID remarked, seemingly unbothered by the quivering spotlight. Shinichi’s eyes jerked from the thief back to his assailant. Grasshopper, he’d called him. He was splayed out on the floor, unnervingly still. KID had made no move to confiscate his gun from his limp hand.
“You killed him,” Shinichi realised numbly.
KID eyed the prone body. “He was about to shoot you in the head.”
Shinichi’s gorge rose in his throat, but he swallowed it down. He’d faced death before, and he’d recognised it on sight, but that same experience helped him keep focused. “You couldn’t have disarmed him?” He’d seen KID perform insane feats of marksmanship before.
“Not from that angle. Not without hitting you as well.” KID held out a white gloved hand to him. “Are you okay?”
Shinichi stared at it. He didn’t take it, and KID withdrew it a moment later.
“You should get out of here, tantei-kun,” KID said, strangely gentle. “It’s not safe.”
“You killed him,” Shinichi repeated dumbly.
There was a flash of regret across KID’s face, but he didn’t deny it. He was clearly unhappy about it, at least, but he was far too composed for the KID he’d known. Far too unbothered by the body lying at his feet.
“…He’s not the first one, either, is he?” Shinichi asked.
KID didn’t answer. That was an answer in itself.
“What are you doing, KID?”
“…Making a difference.” KID flicked out his cape, striding away, towards the fire exit. Shinichi followed, because KID had been right at least, in that they couldn’t afford to stick around – Grasshopper had called it in, and he’d mentioned a partner too - and because the detective was not done talking yet. “It’s what you suggested, wasn’t it?”
Shinichi flinched. “That’s not what I meant! I thought… you had rules.”
KID came to a stop by the fire exit, staring down at him. “I had rules,” he said. “No one gets hurt. What’s stolen gets returned.” His exposed eye glittered. “But then they broke the rules, tantei-kun.”
“The warehouse – that was your doing,” he said. He’d suspected – no, he’d all but known – but to have it confirmed that KID was actually fighting with the Black Org left him off-kilter. That KID, who he’d always trusted in the things that mattered, had just-
“I thought that much was obvious. Did you lose your touch while you were overseas?” KID mocked.
“This is more than stealing gems, KID,” Shinichi warned. “You just killed a man.”
“To save you,” KID pointed out. “What are you going to do, tantei-kun? Arrest me?”
“You crossed a line, KID. You crossed a line I never thought you would cross.”
“Always a critic,” KID hissed, and Shinichi could tell he was getting under his skin now. “Since you have all the answers, tantei-kun, tell me what I should have done. Sat back and waited for you or any of their other victims to die? To let myself get killed to satisfy your sense of justice? So they can continue killing other innocent people unopposed, as they have been for years now?” He dropped to a knee, poking Shinichi in the chest. “What would you have done?”
“I would never-”
“It’s easy to say that. But what if it were your parents at stake? Or one of the kids, or Tantei-han?” Kid whispered. “If it were Ran?”
Shinichi’s blood ran cold.
The words stuck in his throat.
He wanted to say that of course he would never abandon justice. That he’d never sink to their level, that he would always find a way.
But at the thought of losing Ran – of actually losing her…
He couldn’t be sure. If it had been Ran on the floor with Gin holding a gun to her head, moments away from death…
It wasn’t like he didn’t understand murder in self-defence. He’d seen it plenty of times before. No jury would ever convict KID over it. But this… wasn’t this vigilantism?
When he finally found his voice, it came through barely a whisper. “It’s murder. It’s never excusable.”
KID stood, cape flaring with the movement. “It’s warfare, Tantei-kun. And we are hopelessly outmatched.” He flung open the fire exit, and they emerged into a narrow, filthy alley. Overhead, the last vestiges of dusk painted the sky a deep purple.
“KID…” he began haltingly.
The thief didn’t care to hear it. He glanced down at Shinichi, and the miniaturized detective flashed back to that moment on a rooftop, with smoke rising in the sky behind them. “A word of advice, tantei-kun. This will be the last time I respond to a copy-cat notice. Don’t attend any others.”
Then with a burst of smoke, the thief vanished. Shinichi was left standing in a deserted alleyway, alone.
That hadn’t been how he’d intended his meeting with KID to go at all.
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Date: 2018-12-16 08:40 pm (UTC)~ Alyss Penedo