Socchan (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
soc_puppet) wrote2004-10-19 06:45 pm
soc_puppet) wrote2004-10-19 06:45 pm
Entry tags:
Ficbit: Communications: 8/?
Communications
Fandom: Detective Conan/Magic Kaito
Summary: Kaito's first heist has some complications...
Installment:
Freefall
By socchan
—A few months ago…—
“I know it’s you.”
Kaitou Kid came to a lingering halt a few meters from the edge of the roof. He’d half expected this. The part of him that was still Kuroba Kaito was terrified, but the part of him that was Kid was in control just now, so he turned slowly to face his adversary.
Kaito panicked as Kudo-kun stared into him, past the costume, the top hat and the monocle, boring into what they hid and pinning it down like a butterfly collector with a precious specimen. Kid stared back, a confident half-smile never leaving what could be seen of his face. “I’m sorry, I don’t believe we’ve met,” Kid said, polite tones amused and bordering mocking.
Kudo-kun scowled and continued. “We need to talk.” Kid said nothing, content to smile; inside, unseen, Kaito squirmed. “I thought you might try something once you found out, but this—!”
Kid kept smiling and lifted a shoulder, unflappable. “I’m going to return it, so I don’t see what the problem is. It’s not as if I want it.”
Kudo-kun opened his mouth to retort. He closed it again with a snap and his eyes narrowed. “So that’s how we’re playing, is it? Fine; we’ll play it your way.”
Even Kid felt the rush of panic as Kudo-kun pulled a cell phone from his jacket pocket and began to dial, but it faded when the number was clearly not that of the police. It was Kaito that fear sank into, raking icy claws across his skin and nerve endings. He recognized that number. How long, Kaito wondered distantly, had he been watching people after all? Certainly long enough to become familiar with a series of numbers on a phone pad (he knew for a fact that Kudo-kun refused to use speed dial ‘for security reasons’). Anxiety paralyzed him as Kudo-kun began to speak.
“Hello, Kuroba-obaasan?” Kudo-kun was watching Kid/Kaito as he spoke, making sure the party not on the phone heard and understood what was being said. Kid’s face smiled impassively while Kaito’s heart pounded in terror. “This is Shin’ichi. Is Kaito there? He’s busy, you say?” Kudo-kun’s eyebrow kicked up, punctuating his disbelief. Kid’s smile pulled a bit wider—he could appreciate a good joke—but sweat dripped down Kaito’s back. “No, no, don’t get him. But when he’s done could you ask him to meet me tomorrow? Six fifteen at the park. Yes, thank you. No, I’m certain he’ll be able to make it. Thank you, Kuroba-obaasan. Good night.” Kudo-kun closed the phone and tucked it back into his jacket. “There. Satisfied now?”
“For now, yes.” Mischief was evident in Kid’s tone. Kaito’s heart rate slowed. “But I’ll probably need to try again later.”
Kudo-kun looked out over the city, looking for the first time since the encounter began at something other than the thief. “You can go now if you like.” Kid turned to do so, but it was Kaito who stopped for the young detective’s next words. “I’d better see you tomorrow, though.” And Kudo-kun was looking at him again. “You owe it to me, Kuroba.”
For the first time that night, Kid and Kaito were the same person. It was this person who smiled faintly, knowingly, this person who answered Kudo: “I know.” And then Kaitou Kaito turned again and casually stepped off the roof. For a few seconds there was freefall; then his hang-glider caught in the air and he was soaring home, Kid and Kaito parting again on the wind.
---
Kudo was waiting for him when he reached the park, a scenario Kaito that had half expected. He still hesitated a moment before he could gather the courage to walk up to the young detective. Either Kudo would accept his reasons for being the Kid or he wouldn’t. If he didn’t it would make the game a bit more difficult, but Kaito wasn’t going to give up without a fight. Most likely Kudo wouldn’t leak the Kid’s identity—it would have too many negative repercussions, not all of them legal—and would instead put special effort into catching the Kid. But if Kudo did accept his reasons… Well, there was no reason to get hopes up yet.
Kaito stopped a few feet away from Kudo. “Hi,” he said awkwardly.
Kudo didn’t frown but he didn’t smile either. If Kaito had to put a name to his expression it would probably be ‘expectant’. “Hello.”
Kaito squirmed in the silence that followed Kudo’s one-word greeting. He held out for approximately thirty-five seconds before the urge to speak became unbearable. “Look,” he told Kudo, “I’m sorry about last night. Well, mostly anyway. It’s just—”
“When did you find out?” Kudo interrupted.
Kaito blinked. “Um, about three years ago.”
“When did you decide you were going to do this?”
“Right after I found out; why?”
Kudo ignored the question. “Does Nakamori-kun know?”
“Does Mouri-chan?” Kaito shot back, starting to feel irritated.
Kudo looked repentant for a moment before continuing to grill Kaito. “Do you know what your father was looking for?”
“I have a few leads, but—”
“Why are you doing this, anyway?”
Kaito finally snapped. “Because we haven’t had a good lead in over two years and we had to do something! It may as well have been this, and it may as well have been me! I know it’s not exactly legal, I know it’s causing pain for people I care about, I know it’s hypocritical to commit a crime to catch a criminal; I know. I won’t say it wasn’t fun, either, but it was still hard to convince myself to do it, even with three years to prepare myself for it. And don’t tell me I should’ve let someone else take care of it. This whole case has been ours. We can’t give it up to someone who wouldn’t—wouldn’t care about it the same way we do.
“I have to do this, Kudo. And you don’t have the right to stop me.” Finished with his tirade, Kaito sagged, feeling deflated. Still, it was a relief to finally be able to say some of that after three years, to justify it out loud; he couldn’t help being a little satisfied with himself.
Kudo held his posture for a few seconds before he too deflated. “…I figured it out about four years ago,” he confessed. Kaito’s jaw dropped. “I was looking through some old files with Ran when I saw something about a robbery and it just… clicked.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?” Kaito demanded, a little hurt.
Kudo smiled wanly. “I thought it would be better if you didn’t know.” He chuckled, though he didn’t seem amused. “Fat lot of good it did me in the end, huh?”
It must have been hard, Kaito realized, for Kudo not to tell him. He must have been horribly conflicted, the desire to work together towards solving the case and putting the organization behind bars warring with guilt over his methods and fear of what Kaito might do when he found out. “Kudo...” The detective looked at him, and he almost felt bad for what he was about to ask. “…Does Mouri-chan know?”
Kudo pondered this. “I never said anything to her about it, but there’s no telling whether she figured it out on her own or not.” Kaito nodded, filing the information away. “Does Nakamori-kun?”
“Yes,” Kaito admitted. “I told her almost as soon as I found out. I know it must be hard on her, but she never complains about it.”
Kaito took a seat on a low stone wall. Kudo hesitated a moment, then sat down beside him. “It used to worry me,” he told Kudo, “what with her dad and her strong moral character and everything. One day I asked her why she did it; why she diecided to help me out when it might cost her her freedom, her relationship with her father or a million other things.” Kaito smiled wryly at the memory. “She just gave me this look—you know, the ‘what are you, nuts?’ look—and told me straight out that ‘she has a stake in this too, thank-you-very-much’.” Kaito imitated Aoko’s voice perfectly, and Kudo chuckled. “Now? Well, I still worry a little from time to time, but I don’t feel like asking any more.”
“Hey, uh, you wouldn’t mind if I told Ran, would you?” Kudo asked.
Kaito blinked, not certain he’d heard right. “Pardon?”
“It’s just,” Kudo explained, “she’d kill me if I didn’t let her help, too.”
Kaito grinned at his friend. “I’d be insulted if you didn’t.” Kudo smiled back at him in earnest, and Kaito found himself thinking that maybe he could hope after all.
—End—
This is the scene the series started with.
Well, actually, it started with a simpler idea, but it worked its way up from there.
Here, I’ll show you.
The original idea was just a stray thought along the lines of: If Shin’ichi knew Kaito before he became the Kid, he’d figure out who the Kid was in no time flat.
After a few seconds, I was presented with the rough outline of the rooftop scene. It didn’t really have a specific date attached to it or anything; it was just:
[Shin’ichi: Good to see you again, Kid.
Kid: I have no idea what you’re talking about.
Shin’ichi: That’s bull and we both know it. I’m gonna let you go, but you owe me.
Kid: …Right.]
And that’s all it was for a little while. Then came the question: Why does Kaito owe Shin’ichi?
First Thoughts: Well, obviously Shin-chan let him get away here.
Second Thoughts: Yes, but he’s also not revealing the Kid’s identity. And besides, didn’t he know Kaito pre-Kid?
First Thoughts: …True. We can work with that.
(That’s where the murder mystery worked itself in.)
First Thoughts: So Kaito owes Shin’ichi partly because he’s helping solve Toichi’s murder and partly for not turning him in.
Third Thoughts: Also, this would be a great way to work in (cut for spoilers).
First Thoughts: Ooo, I didn’t think of that…
(a little later)
Second Thoughts: You know, if Shin’ichi has been working on the Toichi case for that long, don’t you think he would’ve found out about the Kid along the way?
First Thoughts: You’re right. And he wouldn’t tell Kaito about it because he thinks it would work as a catalyst and cause Kaito to also become a phantom thief (which it does). Which means…
[Shin’ichi: You owe me, Kid.
Kaito: So? You owe me too for not telling me about Dad.
Shin’ichi: Okay, I’ll give you the murder mystery for that, but you still owe me a favor for deciding to assist an internationally wanted criminal.
Kaito: …Deal.]
It kinda wrote itself backwards from there. (And a little forward to (spoiler), but we’ll get to that later.) Anyway, that’s how Communications started.
Uber thanks to Summercloud this time for advice. Unlike some previous sections, I ended up sticking two together for this one.
Fandom: Detective Conan/Magic Kaito
Summary: Kaito's first heist has some complications...
Installment:
Freefall
By socchan
—A few months ago…—
“I know it’s you.”
Kaitou Kid came to a lingering halt a few meters from the edge of the roof. He’d half expected this. The part of him that was still Kuroba Kaito was terrified, but the part of him that was Kid was in control just now, so he turned slowly to face his adversary.
Kaito panicked as Kudo-kun stared into him, past the costume, the top hat and the monocle, boring into what they hid and pinning it down like a butterfly collector with a precious specimen. Kid stared back, a confident half-smile never leaving what could be seen of his face. “I’m sorry, I don’t believe we’ve met,” Kid said, polite tones amused and bordering mocking.
Kudo-kun scowled and continued. “We need to talk.” Kid said nothing, content to smile; inside, unseen, Kaito squirmed. “I thought you might try something once you found out, but this—!”
Kid kept smiling and lifted a shoulder, unflappable. “I’m going to return it, so I don’t see what the problem is. It’s not as if I want it.”
Kudo-kun opened his mouth to retort. He closed it again with a snap and his eyes narrowed. “So that’s how we’re playing, is it? Fine; we’ll play it your way.”
Even Kid felt the rush of panic as Kudo-kun pulled a cell phone from his jacket pocket and began to dial, but it faded when the number was clearly not that of the police. It was Kaito that fear sank into, raking icy claws across his skin and nerve endings. He recognized that number. How long, Kaito wondered distantly, had he been watching people after all? Certainly long enough to become familiar with a series of numbers on a phone pad (he knew for a fact that Kudo-kun refused to use speed dial ‘for security reasons’). Anxiety paralyzed him as Kudo-kun began to speak.
“Hello, Kuroba-obaasan?” Kudo-kun was watching Kid/Kaito as he spoke, making sure the party not on the phone heard and understood what was being said. Kid’s face smiled impassively while Kaito’s heart pounded in terror. “This is Shin’ichi. Is Kaito there? He’s busy, you say?” Kudo-kun’s eyebrow kicked up, punctuating his disbelief. Kid’s smile pulled a bit wider—he could appreciate a good joke—but sweat dripped down Kaito’s back. “No, no, don’t get him. But when he’s done could you ask him to meet me tomorrow? Six fifteen at the park. Yes, thank you. No, I’m certain he’ll be able to make it. Thank you, Kuroba-obaasan. Good night.” Kudo-kun closed the phone and tucked it back into his jacket. “There. Satisfied now?”
“For now, yes.” Mischief was evident in Kid’s tone. Kaito’s heart rate slowed. “But I’ll probably need to try again later.”
Kudo-kun looked out over the city, looking for the first time since the encounter began at something other than the thief. “You can go now if you like.” Kid turned to do so, but it was Kaito who stopped for the young detective’s next words. “I’d better see you tomorrow, though.” And Kudo-kun was looking at him again. “You owe it to me, Kuroba.”
For the first time that night, Kid and Kaito were the same person. It was this person who smiled faintly, knowingly, this person who answered Kudo: “I know.” And then Kaitou Kaito turned again and casually stepped off the roof. For a few seconds there was freefall; then his hang-glider caught in the air and he was soaring home, Kid and Kaito parting again on the wind.
---
Kudo was waiting for him when he reached the park, a scenario Kaito that had half expected. He still hesitated a moment before he could gather the courage to walk up to the young detective. Either Kudo would accept his reasons for being the Kid or he wouldn’t. If he didn’t it would make the game a bit more difficult, but Kaito wasn’t going to give up without a fight. Most likely Kudo wouldn’t leak the Kid’s identity—it would have too many negative repercussions, not all of them legal—and would instead put special effort into catching the Kid. But if Kudo did accept his reasons… Well, there was no reason to get hopes up yet.
Kaito stopped a few feet away from Kudo. “Hi,” he said awkwardly.
Kudo didn’t frown but he didn’t smile either. If Kaito had to put a name to his expression it would probably be ‘expectant’. “Hello.”
Kaito squirmed in the silence that followed Kudo’s one-word greeting. He held out for approximately thirty-five seconds before the urge to speak became unbearable. “Look,” he told Kudo, “I’m sorry about last night. Well, mostly anyway. It’s just—”
“When did you find out?” Kudo interrupted.
Kaito blinked. “Um, about three years ago.”
“When did you decide you were going to do this?”
“Right after I found out; why?”
Kudo ignored the question. “Does Nakamori-kun know?”
“Does Mouri-chan?” Kaito shot back, starting to feel irritated.
Kudo looked repentant for a moment before continuing to grill Kaito. “Do you know what your father was looking for?”
“I have a few leads, but—”
“Why are you doing this, anyway?”
Kaito finally snapped. “Because we haven’t had a good lead in over two years and we had to do something! It may as well have been this, and it may as well have been me! I know it’s not exactly legal, I know it’s causing pain for people I care about, I know it’s hypocritical to commit a crime to catch a criminal; I know. I won’t say it wasn’t fun, either, but it was still hard to convince myself to do it, even with three years to prepare myself for it. And don’t tell me I should’ve let someone else take care of it. This whole case has been ours. We can’t give it up to someone who wouldn’t—wouldn’t care about it the same way we do.
“I have to do this, Kudo. And you don’t have the right to stop me.” Finished with his tirade, Kaito sagged, feeling deflated. Still, it was a relief to finally be able to say some of that after three years, to justify it out loud; he couldn’t help being a little satisfied with himself.
Kudo held his posture for a few seconds before he too deflated. “…I figured it out about four years ago,” he confessed. Kaito’s jaw dropped. “I was looking through some old files with Ran when I saw something about a robbery and it just… clicked.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?” Kaito demanded, a little hurt.
Kudo smiled wanly. “I thought it would be better if you didn’t know.” He chuckled, though he didn’t seem amused. “Fat lot of good it did me in the end, huh?”
It must have been hard, Kaito realized, for Kudo not to tell him. He must have been horribly conflicted, the desire to work together towards solving the case and putting the organization behind bars warring with guilt over his methods and fear of what Kaito might do when he found out. “Kudo...” The detective looked at him, and he almost felt bad for what he was about to ask. “…Does Mouri-chan know?”
Kudo pondered this. “I never said anything to her about it, but there’s no telling whether she figured it out on her own or not.” Kaito nodded, filing the information away. “Does Nakamori-kun?”
“Yes,” Kaito admitted. “I told her almost as soon as I found out. I know it must be hard on her, but she never complains about it.”
Kaito took a seat on a low stone wall. Kudo hesitated a moment, then sat down beside him. “It used to worry me,” he told Kudo, “what with her dad and her strong moral character and everything. One day I asked her why she did it; why she diecided to help me out when it might cost her her freedom, her relationship with her father or a million other things.” Kaito smiled wryly at the memory. “She just gave me this look—you know, the ‘what are you, nuts?’ look—and told me straight out that ‘she has a stake in this too, thank-you-very-much’.” Kaito imitated Aoko’s voice perfectly, and Kudo chuckled. “Now? Well, I still worry a little from time to time, but I don’t feel like asking any more.”
“Hey, uh, you wouldn’t mind if I told Ran, would you?” Kudo asked.
Kaito blinked, not certain he’d heard right. “Pardon?”
“It’s just,” Kudo explained, “she’d kill me if I didn’t let her help, too.”
Kaito grinned at his friend. “I’d be insulted if you didn’t.” Kudo smiled back at him in earnest, and Kaito found himself thinking that maybe he could hope after all.
—End—
This is the scene the series started with.
Well, actually, it started with a simpler idea, but it worked its way up from there.
Here, I’ll show you.
The original idea was just a stray thought along the lines of: If Shin’ichi knew Kaito before he became the Kid, he’d figure out who the Kid was in no time flat.
After a few seconds, I was presented with the rough outline of the rooftop scene. It didn’t really have a specific date attached to it or anything; it was just:
[Shin’ichi: Good to see you again, Kid.
Kid: I have no idea what you’re talking about.
Shin’ichi: That’s bull and we both know it. I’m gonna let you go, but you owe me.
Kid: …Right.]
And that’s all it was for a little while. Then came the question: Why does Kaito owe Shin’ichi?
First Thoughts: Well, obviously Shin-chan let him get away here.
Second Thoughts: Yes, but he’s also not revealing the Kid’s identity. And besides, didn’t he know Kaito pre-Kid?
First Thoughts: …True. We can work with that.
(That’s where the murder mystery worked itself in.)
First Thoughts: So Kaito owes Shin’ichi partly because he’s helping solve Toichi’s murder and partly for not turning him in.
Third Thoughts: Also, this would be a great way to work in (cut for spoilers).
First Thoughts: Ooo, I didn’t think of that…
(a little later)
Second Thoughts: You know, if Shin’ichi has been working on the Toichi case for that long, don’t you think he would’ve found out about the Kid along the way?
First Thoughts: You’re right. And he wouldn’t tell Kaito about it because he thinks it would work as a catalyst and cause Kaito to also become a phantom thief (which it does). Which means…
[Shin’ichi: You owe me, Kid.
Kaito: So? You owe me too for not telling me about Dad.
Shin’ichi: Okay, I’ll give you the murder mystery for that, but you still owe me a favor for deciding to assist an internationally wanted criminal.
Kaito: …Deal.]
It kinda wrote itself backwards from there. (And a little forward to (spoiler), but we’ll get to that later.) Anyway, that’s how Communications started.
Uber thanks to Summercloud this time for advice. Unlike some previous sections, I ended up sticking two together for this one.