Chapter Text
In hindsight, he thought as the balls of his feet left the comforting safety of the roof, Shinichi knew the plan would, somehow, fail. Gin's not the type of your off-the-mill criminal whose sole purpose is to kill aimlessly and needlessly. Well, there's that, too, but also the brains of being one of the top officers of a nation- world? - wide criminal syndicate.
Something's bound to go wrong.
Then again, Shinichi mused trying very hard to keep his balance for those few more, precious seconds, when has anything in his live, regarding private matters, gone according to plan?
One last chance to find out.
One last leap of faith.
And so, he leans back and lets the wind envelop him in its embrace.
But let's get back to the beginning of things.
It's three years later when "The Fall", as press dubbed the take down of a criminal syndicate, happens. Shinichi knows, nothing of what transpired would be possible to accomplish without every person present there that night.
The FBI, led by Akai Shuichi, safe distance away with a sniper rifle and a little boy by his side throwing orders left and right.
The secret police with, commonly known as Amuro, Zero taking the charge.
And of course last, but not the least, the enigma known as Magician under the Moonlight, The Last Wizard of the Century, Kaitou KID.
If he were to be honest with himself, the cooperation between the trickster and both ex-members of the Black Organization, Bourbon and Vermouth, was a key part of the whole operation.
However, after everything was finished and done with, the magician vanished without a word, thus it's why Shinichi, two months later, was currently running - jumping? - over the staircase leading to the roof of the hotel.
Yep, it's another KID heist.
Secretly, Shinichi's happy for two reasons. Well, three.
Firstly, it's because he can now officially thank the magician for all the help. Not just with the take down. With every time the little 'Conan' needed one and the thief happily obliged.
Secondly, because it means that the bullet wound sustained during the memorable night wasn't as serious as it looked.
And thirdly, well…
During his recuperation time after taking the antidote, courtesy of one Japanese FBI agent who figured out his real identity along the way, Shinichi had a lot of time to think.
Like, a lot.
And during his musings of how to breach the subject of his absence with Ran, what to do to keep the Detective Boys in his life, how to worm his way back into the good graces of the Police Department, there was always one constant thought nagging at the back of his mind.
KID.
Now, the Heisei Holmes knows that the emotional qualities are antagonistic to clear reasoning, but he couldn't hep it.
He missed the thief.
Missed their conversations, be it planning a raid on the organization or simple, meaningless exchange of opinions on the most mundane of topics.
Now that everything's over and he's back in his body, Shinichi let himself sulk quietly in his mind. For there's no reason for him to pursue the thief anymore.
It's Conan that's the "KID killer", not him.
What reason could possibly a homicide detective have, to drop by a heist that's perfectly safe for all, save for the star himself?
And even that's a valid argument, because the branch of the organization pursuing Pandora was also caught that night.
And yet…
When the heist notice popped on the screen of his TV one morning, a week ago, Shinichi could swear he never deciphered something quicker in his entire life.
Thus brings us back to the present, as the young detective stumbles the last few steps and crashes into the door, forcing them to open.
Immediately, the cold wind brushes his cheeks and Shinichi needs to momentarily squeeze his eyes shut to adjust to the slight intrusion.
"Hm?" A voice in front of him murmurs, and it's owner turns around, regarding the newcomer curiously,
"You're a new face around here," the thief says in a louder voice and Shinichi needs to take a step back at the suddenly close proximity with the other. Who's holding a blooming white rose in his hand.
"Welcome to the party. It's a pleasure to make acquaintance with the Great Detective of the East," Kaitou KID says with that ever insufferable, attractive?, smirk on his face.
Stupefied, said detective wordlessly takes the professed flower and puts it to his nose, inhaling the calming and soothing aroma, before looking at his… friend?
Well, it's a one way friendship, for now, since the other doesn't know who he is.
'Oh, so it's a young man this time,' Shinichi thinks, finally looking at the thief's face.
During his time as Conan he learned that Kaitou KID was anything, if not thorough. Which is why, every heist, he had a new face as his disguise, accompanied of course by a matching voice to it. Which, frankly, infuriated the detective to no end, because of the near impossibility to at least get a hint to the magician's true identity.
"Aren't you a gentleman," The Heisei Holmes scoffs, yet the smile is evident both in his voice and on his face.
KID's grin is, simply put, shit eating as he bows, the hat low over his eyes.
"I'm nothing if not an accommodating host,"
"Clearly," the detective answers, taking a slow step forward, so as not to alarm the thief.
Who's currently watching him curiously from under the rim of his hat.
"Is Tantei-kun faring well, Meitantei?"
That question stops his next step mid-way, wide eyes filled with slight panic looking to the magician.
"How-?"
"You are his cousin, are you not?" He inquires softly, and Shinichi can swear he hears an undertone of fondness there, "I imagine you're aware of his whereabouts as well as our… cooperation, at few instances,"
'Ah, damn it,' The detective thinks, letting out a slow sigh, 'It's not exactly how I wanted him to find out, but beggars can't be choosers, I suppose,'
"Meitantei?"
"KID, listen, the truth is I'm Co-"
And just like that, because Shinichi's life can never be easy, there's a sound of a gun being fired, followed by a scream down below them.
Alarmed, both of them look at each other for a split second and, somehow, just knowing what to do, the thief jumps down over the railing while Shinichi turns to the door, his destination also downward, ignoring the confused questions and baffled expressions of the task force's faces as he sprints by them.
By the time he makes it to the street, there's an utter chaos as people try to flee in all directions in panic.
Luckily, locating the magician is an easy task, bless the white outfit, so Shinichi makes his way there slowly surveying the area.
'Why would the sniper,' for it's most certainly not a coincidence at this point that there's a shooting occurring at a heist, 'try to shoot an innocent civilian, instead of aiming for KID? It doesn't add up. If it's the remnants of the organization they should go for either of us. Unless…'
Dread pooled in the pit of Shinichi's stomach, his eyes sharply scanning the windows and roofs of the nearby buildings.
'Unless…'
His gaze catches the split second light being reflected by the moving window and before he's aware of what he's doing, his body moves, running at full speed towards the striking white just as another shot rings out.
'Unless they know his real identity and are trying to lure him out by targeting someone close to him,'
Kaito is in a, to put lightly, state of morbid panic as he descends down onto the street, already looking for that blob of wild, brown hair.
'Aoko, please be safe,'
That sole thought pushes him forward, into the panicking crowd, and it says something about the state of fear they must all feel if none of them stops for even a second to take notice of him.
"-to!"
"Kaito!"
He hears a voice to his right, just at the edge of the slowly thinning out crowd and said teen gives a long exhale of relief, slowly making his way over to his friend, oblivious to everything around him at the moment.
And just as he's about to sweep down and rescue the princess, there's a sudden weight pushing his side and Kaito stumbles sideways, ignoring the splash of something on his cheek.
"KID! Are you alright?" Shinichi's desperate voice calls out to him, wide, unfocused eyes gazing at him in worry.
'Why would you worry about me, Meitantei? You don't even know me,' Just as Kaito's about to voice his thought out loud there's another scream, right next to them.
Both of them turn to look at the one who screams, before following their gazes to the finger pointing down.
There's a girl lying flat on her back, with blood slowly seeping through and soaking her baby blue shirt.
A girl with wild, brown hair.
"Aoko!" Kaito calls out without thinking, kneeling and gathering her in his embrace, gently shaking her, "Open your eyes! Aoko!"
"You shouldn't... move her so... much," Shinichi wheezes, crouching next to them whilst holding his right arm, "It might… aggravate her wound more…"
Kaito sharply turns his head to the detective, eyes ablaze with fury.
"You… Why?! Why did you do it?!" He roars angrily, startling the Heisei Holmes.
"Why… I just…" Shinichi tries to answer, but the pain as well as the sudden outburst leave him speechless. Unconsciously he grips the small package inside his jacket, before withdrawing his hand.
"If you didn't push me out of the way Aoko wouldn't get shot! She would be fine!" The magician continues, sadistically pleased at the pain he sees in those azure orbs. Good, he wants to inflict even more of it because the idiot beside him deserves it.
"If I didn't push you away you'd be dead!" Shinichi snaps back, letting the sudden spike of anger and adrenaline fueling his veins get the better of him.
"So what?! It's not up to you to decide who lives and who dies," Kaito whispers, before suddenly bursting into a maniac laugh, "I guess it's true what they say. You are a death magnet, detective, leaving nothing but piles upon piles of corpses in your wake,"
Shinichi's eyes widen, the words cutting straight through his very soul. Anyone, he would let anyone say those words, but not him.
Not KID.
Not the one person who he thought…
Who he…
And as if to jab the last nail straight into Shinichi's figurative coffin, Kaito says loudly, looking straight at him,
"I despise you. I hate you. Never. NEVER come near me again, you freak ," Shinichi can swear he hears the sound of something shattering.
'Ah,' he thinks numbly as his feet carry him away from the pair, ignorant of the small package that fell from his jacket in the motion,
'That must be my heart,'
Allowing himself one moment of weakness, the young detective stops a few feet away from Kaito and, without turning around, murmurs in an ice cold voice, first tears streaming down his pale, sweaty face,
"I've always assumed that love is a dangerous disadvantage. Thank you for the final proof,"