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Chapter One
Kaito stood beneath a streetlight looking up at the large house in front of him. It was the dead of night and the rain flowed down his face in torrents, plastering his usually wild hair to his cheeks.
The magician didn't even feel it. He did however feel a mixture of emotions churning beneath the surface with the chaos that was his nature. Triumph, sadness, grief, anger; he could feel them all. His body burned.
Of course, the phantom thief reflected ruefully to himself, the burn could also be coming from the wounds that were slowly draining his life away. If it not for the fact the magician was shamelessly drawing on his life force, he would already be dead. Magic was such a useful thing.
Kaito, no for this he needed the Kid's strength of will, brought up his poker face and struck the deadly lethargy from his limbs. He couldn't stop, not yet. There was still one last task he needed to complete. With that, the darkly clad 22-year old, who despite what people thought possessed wisdom far beyond his years, disregarded the pain and walked to the door.
Inside the house Saguru Hakuba was still awake. After years of chasing the Kaitou Kid he was no stranger to odd hours. For once though, the young man was enjoying the company of his peers as opposed to working. Heiji Hattori was in town and he had brought Conan Edogawa with him. The three detectives were discussing the latest cases; though none of them were aware of the events the Kid had instigated this night.
Hakuba frowned over the table at Conan. Here, while they were alone the young teen did not seem to hold back the way he often did in public. Inwardly he sighed, the blonde had known the child prodigy for almost five years and was no closer to figuring him out than the day they had first met. There was just something off about Conan, he had tried talking to Hattori about it once but the kendo champion had just brushed him off. Saguru suspected the detective of the west knew more than he was saying.
His train of thought was interrupted by a brisk knock at the door. Surprised the blond-haired young man glanced at the entryway. Who would be calling at this time of night? His two companions looked equally perplexed. Oh well, there was only one way to find out. With a shrug, Hakuba rose from his seat and headed for the door.
The detective opened the door and promptly resisted the urge to shut it in his guest's face. He really should have known. Anyone else would have been inscrolled in their home at this hour.
"Hiya, Hakuba," Kaito greeted. A brilliant smile was spread across his face. He looked like the cat that swallowed the canary.
Hakuba just stared. "What are you doing here Kuroba?" he asked. Inside his two guests exchanged looks. Who was Kuroba?
The blue-eyed boy didn't seem at all put off by the half-British detective's greeting. "Oh, I just thought I'd drop by and tell you a story."
A story! Kaito had done some truly irritating things before but this took the cake. Saguru groaned. "Thanks, but no thanks. It's late Kuroba, don't you have better things to do than pester me?" he asked. As Hakuba moved to close the door Kaito's hand shot out with surprising speed, preventing his action.
As Kuroba raised his head meeting his former classmate's eyes, his entire demeanor changed. "But you'll like this story Hakuba," the cool voice stated with an air of unshakable confidence.
The detective stared at his rivals purplish eyes shocked. He knew that voice well. It belonged to the Kaitou Kid, an illustrious phantom thief. Saguru had suspected his classmate was the Kaitou Kid for a long time, but he had never been able to prove it. Yet here, Kuroba was practically surrendering himself to Saguru. What was going on?
Hakuba wasn't the only one to recognize the Kid's voice. Inside the house the detective of the west and the shrunken detective of the east, Shinichi Kudo, stiffened. With a look of perfect accord the two tantei quietly got up and approached the door, out of sight of Saguru's mysterious visitor.
"Ah," the Kid smirked, "I see you're interested in the story now." There was no response from the detective who at the moment resembled a cross between a statue and a fish (shudder). With a slight shrug Kaito continued to speak. His carefully controlled voice carried easily over the rain.
"Once upon a time," Kid started. "A long time before you or I came along there was a magician, but he wasn't just a magician. He was also a thief. Not just any thief either a phantom thief. The Kaitou Kid could disappear into thin air and walk up walls. No item was beyond his reach once he had laid claim to it,"Kaito couldn't prevent a bit a pride from leaking into his tone.
"As time went on his reputation grew, an entire task force was devoted to following his exploits. The magician's life was also going well, he fell in love with a beautiful young woman and they got married." At this point Kaito paused to take a breath; he knew he had to choose his words carefully.
Intrigued, Kudo and Hattori moved even closer to the door. Kid's origin had always been a great mystery. Hakuba was so absorbed in listening to the phantom thief's words he didn't even notice.
"Some years later," Kaito continued, "A group contacted the magician for a job. They were looking for a gemstone. The problem was no one knew where it was; its only distinguishing feature was that it glowed red in moonlight. There were legends about this gem. It was magic, it had healing powers, that the Pandora Gem cried tears of immortality."
"The thief didn't know if the tales were true and frankly he didn't care. He was paid on commission after all, whether or not the jewel was the right one." For a moment Kid's eyes showed pain, but it vanished as quickly as it had come.
"After a while though," Kaito stated. "The thief began to get curious about his employers. So, he did a little detective work of his own. He was not pleased with the results of his investigation. The magician went straight to his contact and told him the deal was off, that his contact, and their organization could take a short walk off a long dock. That he didn't work for murderers. He also decided it would be best if they never got the Pandora, so the thief continued his search."
For the first time a note of sadness entered the Kaitou Kid's voice. "Even if he hadn't it would not have made a difference. As several people of my acquaintance are well aware, the Black Organization doesn't leave loose ends."
At these words the two unseen watchers started violently. They knew all to well what happened to the Black Organization's loose ends. They disappeared.
"And so the thief and the Organization began their game of cat and mouse, each trying to find the Pandora first." Another emotion showed in Kaito's eyes, rage, before it too was hidden."But no one is perfect and just like that the magician was gone, killed in a stage accident. An accident," the young man spat,"as if a Kuroba's magic would simply go astray."
With that a huge piece of the puzzle clicked into place for Hakuba and he could feel a wave of cold moving through his body. It hadn't been an accident. Kuroba's father had been murdered.
Behind the door Kudo and Hattori, having come to the same conclusion winced in sympathy. In their line of work they had seen far to many people torn away from their loved ones due to the choices of another.
"The organization made a mistake though," Kuroba continued matter of factly. "The thief had a son, just a child really. He was only eight years old and knew nothing about his father's night job. Secrets however have a habit of being discovered and the son found out. He found out everything."
"The son made a promise the night he became his father's ghost. He swore he would bring his fathers murderers to justice, that he would destroy the Pandora Gem. Even if it cost him his freedom, even if it cost him his life, it would be worth it." Kaito's eyes burned with an inner fire.
Hakuba broke out of the paralysis that had engulfed him that night as he regarded his opponent with confusion. The slightest hints of foreboding settled in his stomach. "Why are you telling me this?" he asked softly. "I don't understand"
The thief regarded the detective pensively. "I suppose," he began, "it's because despite how I've always acted I have great respect for you and your abilities. I just, I just wanted you to know; because you see, the story is not over."
Kaito's face was losing color as slight tremors rippled through his body. "The son kept his promise. He destroyed the Pandora and set events in motion that will lead to the syndicate's downfall."The magician took a deep breath, "but one day he wasn't quite fast enough or smart enough." By this time the phantom thief's voice was shaking, "and, and so he ended up just like his father."
Then, all at once Hakuba knew and he stared at Kaito in horror.
"Don't look at me like that Saguru," Kaito whispered, because he was Kaito now, not the Kid. "I made my own decisions and have . . . I have very few regrets."
With that the young man's eyes rolled back in his head and his body pitched forward. Hakuba yanked the door all the way open and quickly caught the thief as he fell, looking with fear at the blood that was covering his hands. He didn't even acknowledge Conan and Hattori who were suddenly at his side. All of his attention was focused on the thief in his arms. "Kuroba, Kuroba please answer me," Hakuba begged. "Kaito!"
Chapter Two
There was no response. After a brief moment of panic, Hakuba's analytical mind took over. Without a second thought he reached for Kuroba's throat. He had a pulse, it was weak and thready but Kaito was still alive. Of course, Saguru reflected grimly, that could change in the near future. The blonde was furious with himself. The younger man had been bleeding to death right in front of him and he hadn't even noticed. He turned to his fellow detectives, "we need to get him to a hospital."
It was Hattori who answered. "We can't," he responded.
"What do you mean we can't," Hakuba's voice rose. "He's dying."
"And if we take him to a hospital he will be dead by morning," Conan broke in. "Like the Kid said, the Black Organization is very efficient about tying up loose ends. If we want him to live, we'll have to save him ourselves." He knew this to be the truth.
Hakuba glanced between his two companions. It was obvious they knew more about this Black Organization than he did, but he could grill them later. At that moment Saguru had more important things to do. Nodding his head in reluctant agreement, he motioned to Hattori to help him pick Kaito up. Carefully they moved him into the kitchen. Conan paused on the way, swiping a pillow from a nearby coach. Gently he moved it under the dark-haired man's head.
Once Kaito had been situated, Hakuba immediately took charge. "Hattori could you grab the first-aid kit off the wall?" he asked. "Conan the school supplies are in the second drawer. We'll have to cut the shirt off of him." The pair nodded as they went to do their tasks.
Conan completed his task first. "Here," he said, handing the cutting implements to Hakuba.
With a nod of thanks the blond put the blades to the cloth and began to cut. Then, he carefully removed the Kid's shirt. When Kaito's chest came into view, the two detectives couldn't quite contain a wince. He had been shot. Three bullets had entered his chest area and traveled through, exiting his back. The good news was, the bullets were no longer in him. Bad news, the thief had lost a lot of blood.
By this time Hattori had returned with the first-aid kit and some towels. Desperately, the three detectives tried to stop the stem of blood. It wasn't working.
Suddenly Heiji frowned. "What is that?" he asked. His two companions glanced at him questioningly as he nodded toward the thief's pants pocket. A red glow was emanating from within.
With one hand Hakuba reached into the pockets and pulled out the contents. "They appear to be pieces of a gemstone," he stated. As he moved his hand away from Kaito's body, the glow stopped. Curious Saguru moved his hand back and the four shards once again lit up with an eerie glow. Red, he thought to himself. Suddenly it struck him and a look of hope appeared on his face. He wasn't the only one who got the connection either.
"It glows red," Conan whispered. "Do you remember what he said, that the gem was supposed to have healing powers?"
"That depends," the Osakan drawled, "do you believe in magic?" On the surface, the stories sounded crazy, but he had seen some weird stuff over the years. What was one more?
"As a matter of fact," Hakuba answered, "I do." He had spent way to much time, both with Akako and Kaito himself for it to be otherwise. "Either way we have nothing to lose and neither does Kuroba."
Hattori plucked one of the shards out of Hakuba's hand placing it in the most serious injury, an entrance wound that was far to close to the magician's lung. "We'll just have to wait and see what happens," he said quietly.
The three young men didn't have to wait long. The shard immediately liquified seeping into the wound and it began to heal before their eyes. A few seconds later all that remained was the faintest of scars.
Conan let out a shaky breath. "What now," he asked, "there are five wounds left and only three shards."
"The ones on his back," Hakuba decided. "That would be best." A few minutes later the only wounds that remained were the two on Kaito's chest. One was a few inches to the right of his left shoulder, while the other had gone through his lower right side.
Heiji Hattori was about to relax when he noticed something that sent ice through his veins. "Shit," he yelled. When his two companions reacted to his shout, he didn't hesitate to inform them of what he was. "He's not breathing."
Hakuba paled and his bloody fingers shot to Kaito's throat. "He still has a pulse."
It was Conan who figured it out first. "The blood," he hissed, "it's in his lungs."
Hattori shoved Hakuba out of the way and began mouth to mouth, speaking between breaths, as he forced air into the Kid's lungs. "Speak to him," he told Saguru, "it could help."
The blond started violently and shook himself out of the stupor he had fallen into. "Come on Kuroba," Saguru urged. "Don't tell me you're giving up. I've never seen you surrender in any aspect of that convoluted mess you call a life, now is not the time to start. Besides," he continued, "you have to much to live for and I certainly don't want to tell everyone you're dead."
Kuroba remained still as Heiji struggled to breathe for two. "Don't you dare Kaito!" Hakuba snapped, "I have not spent all this time chasing you so it could end like this." His golden eyes were almost glowing. "I will not be satisfied with a death bed confession!"
With a huge surg, Kaito's entire body convulsed as he gasped for air. Then he started to cough.
Chapter Three
The group quickly turned their patient onto his side. The life saving technique had done its work, but that wouldn't stop the magician from choking.
A frown made its way onto Conan's face as he regarded the fallen figure. At times in the past, the shrunken detective had to admit he had hoped someone would manage to take Kid down a few pegs, but not like this. The thief was pale. He looked so, so vulnerable. It wasn't right. Gently, he reached out to wipe away the blood that had dribbled down the magician's chin.
Kaito moaned softly at the touch. Then his eyes fluttered, eyelids lifted to reveal breathtaking blue-violet orbs. The thief seemed very disoriented; everything was a blur. He blinked, bringing the nearest face into focus. The face in question was one most people would identify as belonging to Conan Edogawa. Kid wasn't most people.
The brunette had the nagging feeling that something wasn't right. But he just couldn't place it. It was hard to think. "Kudo," he managed to force the words out. "What are you . . . " That was as far as Kaito got before he once again sucumbed to the darkness.
A blonde head whipped around to stare at Conan in shock. If anyone else had said such a thing Hakuba would have waived it off, but this was Kuroba. Mentally he pulled up the last picture he had seen of Shinichi Kudo, age sixteen. The pair looked uncannily alike. Somehow, he doubted it was a coincidence.
Saguru sighed. His life had been so much simpler before he had decided to chase the phantom thief. Each fact he discovered just lead to more questions. The mystery of Conan was far from completely solved. Although, the detective reflected bemused. I should probably call him Kudo now.
Hattori laughed weakly. "Man, Kid must really be out of it. Imagine, mistaking K-Conan for his cousin."
Looking at the blonde, Shinichi groaned. The gig was up. "Don't bother Hattori, you're a horrible liar."
"I am not Kudo!" the Osaken objected.
The detective of the east regarded his friend impassively. "My point exactly."
"Err, oops." Hattori rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.
Hakuba hadn't taken his eyes off the smaller figure. "Well," he murmured. "This has certainly been a night for surprises. Though I have to wonder how you got this way Kudo-kun." Suddenly the blonde narrowed his eyes. "Furthermore, how did Kuroba find out about it?"
For a moment Kudo just stared, who. Then it hit him. Right, he recalled. Kid is Kuroba and Kuroba is Kid. "It's a long story," he answered. "As to how Kuroba found out," he paused. "To be honest I have no idea. We can ask him when he wakes up."
When Kuroba wakes up, when, not if. Kudo's choice of words was just the catalyst Hakuba needed to relax. Golden eyes looked around taking in the scene. The three detectives were covered in the thief's blood, the first aid equipment carelessly spread around them. Kaito lay on the cold, hard floor.
"There is a futon in the closet Hattori." He stated abruptly. "Could you fetch it while we clean up a bit?"
The other two looked around, coming to the same conclusion the other had. Quickly, the tantei went to work. A short time later, one unconscious, but neatly bandaged phantom thief was comfortably situated on the makeshift bed.
Relief coursed through the group as they watched the resting figure. All was silent for a moment, than Kudo spoke. "I never even suspected," he said quietly. "He always seemed so untouchable, so carefree." Now that Kuroba was out of immediate danger, Shinichi had time to reflect on what he had learned.
"Neither did I," admitted Hakuba. "And I know him better than you do."
Hattori frowned, "speaking of which. Where do you know Kid, I mean Kuroba from anyways? You seem more than casual acquaintances."
Saguru maintained his impassive expression a moment before sighing. "Actually we went to high school together."
The Osaken stared. "You're joking!" he gasped in disbelief.
The blond shook his head. "I'm not, same homeroom and everything."
Kudo looked up at the older detective with furrowed brows. "Surely you were suspicious, being in such close proximity to him."
"Of course I was, but Kuroba is very good at what he does as you well know. I could never prove it." His hands clenched. "Sometimes I think it was just a game to him, seeing how close he could cut it."
A hunter's gleam appeared in Hakuba's golden eyes. "I would collect my evidence certain I had him. Then a piece would appear that proved there was no way Kuroba could be the Kaitou Kid."
"He just pulled the rug out from under you?" Two pairs of eyes, one blue and one green were locked onto the leading expert on the international criminal 1412.
Grudgingly he nodded. "On several occasions Kuroba had a rock solid alibi." Faint frustration shown in Saguru's eyes, "he once spent the entire heist handcuffed to my wrist."
"What happened?" it was Hattori who finally asked.
"Everything went off without a hitch," Hakuba sounded disgusted.
The conversation lasted long into the night. The three detectives sharing their encounters with the only man who had ever managed to outwit them. Yet as the hours pasted, the concerned group never fully took their eyes off their fallen adversary.
Chapter Four
The next morning Hakuba occupied himself by setting the table for breakfast. The others had offered to help only to be firmly rebuffed. They were his guests. It was not in his nature to make them serve themselves. As the group sat down to eat, the blonde glanced at his pocket watch to confirm what he already knew. It was time for the morning news. Saguru was a creature of habit if nothing else.
This day though, the news was anything but routine. The three tantei watched as reporters revealed the discovery of an underground criminal syndicate. Atrocities were brought to light which left citizen's sickened. Cell after cell was exposed, and then captured. It looked like every police officer in the country had been brought in to help with the case.
Kudo inhaled sharply. His gaze fixed on two familiar figures. "Gin, Vodka," the names were murmured with a sense of disbelief.
"Over there to the left," Hattori said, voice equally soft. "Isn't that Vermouth?" The gorgeous woman did not look happy.
Suddenly Shinichi smiled. "Free, I'm really free." No more would he have to constantly look over his shoulder. He was a little upset he hadn't helped in the bust, but it paled in comparison to the fact that they had been caught.
Only Hakuba frowned as he got up from the table and moved to examine a police radio that was sitting on a nearby table.
"What is wrong?" one of the others asked.
"With something like this, I should have heard what was going on." A closer examination of the radio revealed one of the cables had been disconnected. Hakuba's lips tightened. "I bet I know who did it too."
"And you would probably be right," an unexpected voice entered the conversation.
The group spun to see a slender figure standing nearby. Kuroba looked shaky, but he was awake.
"I took it," the magician thief admitted. "Perhaps it should have been your choice, but I did not want you to be hurt."
Upon awakening, Kaito had been overcome with a sense of puzzlement. The afterlife is a kitchen, he wondered. He hadn't seen that coming. A brief movement blew that theory out of the water. Nope, he hurt too much to be dead. Kuroba ignored the pain as he rose to his feet. He had expected much worse after all. He could discover just what had prompted his survival later.
The thief couldn't help but grin when he heard Hakuba's comment. He was a showman after all and if that hadn't been an invitation to make his presence known, he didn't know what was.
Upon seeing his former classmate Hakuba's first expression was relief. However, his features quickly morphed into a scowl. "Just what do you think you are doing?" he spat, looming over the smaller man. "Sit down, now!"
Kaito took one look at the detective's furious countenance and decided discretion was the better part of valor. "Yes Mother," he replied meekly as he carefully lowered himself in a nearby chair.
The blonde frowned as he took in Kuroba's pallor. The other man was far to pale. "Drink this," he ordered, handing the other a glass of water.
The magician thief murmured his thanks. As he drank he felt somewhat like a scientific specimen, being dissected under a microscope. He didn't let his discomfort show on his face however.
"You should eat something too," Shinichi put in. Kid had probably lost a lot of energy with the night's events. Energy he needed to replace.
Hakuba nodded in agreement. "Kudo's right."
Blue-violet eyes flickered between the two detectives. Kaito prided himself on keeping a close eye on his adversaries, but this was new. When had Hakuba discovered who Conan really was?
The detective of the west caught the look. "You don't remember," Hattori drawled. "Do you?"
"Remember what?"
"This isn't the first time you've woken up," the Osaken informed him. "You came to last night, just long enough to call Kudo by name."
Kaito drew himself up, his poker face settling over his features with an almost audible click. "My apologies," he stated softly.
Hakuba frowned as he reached over the table. He raised Kuroba's head gently to look him in the eyes. "Stop that, there is no longer a need for masks."
Instantly the magician transformed. "Ooh!" Kaito squealed. "Is that a donut?" Happily he snagged the tasty treat and began munching away. He was the perfect picture of a carefree young man. Assuming one didn't notice the blood soaked bandages.
The detectives stared. Finally Hakuba spoke. "I have to wonder," he commented softly. "If anyone truly knows the real Kaito Kuroba." Not even Aoko could tell what her best friend was really thinking.
Kaito's smile faded, revealing a rare serious expression. "I wore masks long before I met you Hakuba," he admitted. "To be honest, I am not certain I know how not to." The rest of the meal was finished in silence.
Chapter Five
As Hattori cleared away the dishes, Kaito eyed what remained of his clothes.
The thief grimaced as his hand moved over the material of his pants. They were covered in a variety of substances, probably beyond repair.
"A change of wardrobe is definitely in order," he announced. Kuroba frowned as he removed one small shard from his pocket. He knew he had kept a few more. The rest he had thrown into a fast moving river.
"We used the others to heal you," Hakuba informed him. "We must have missed that one."
Kudo regarded the gem curiously. He still wasn't sure what he thought about the existence of magic. "May I see it?" he asked.
Kaito shrugged, he didn't see any harm in it. "Here," he tossed the piece to the detective. However, they had all forgotten one thing. When it came down to it, Shinichi had been poisoned.
Kudo stiffened as the gem liquefied on contact. Its magic rushed through his body, eliminating the apotoxin. The detective dropped to his knees, he couldn't breath. A cloud of steam began to form around his body.
As the other two tantei looked on in shock, the thief acted. "He's changing back. Help me get his shirt off, or he really will suffocate." Kaito couldn't believe he had been so stupid. Why hadn't he seen this coming?
Shaking off their paralysis the two leapt into action.
A few minutes later a nearly naked, but adult, Shinichi Kudo sat on the floor breathing heavily. He still couldn't quite believe he was cured. He would have to run some tests with Ai, just to make sure. That he was not looking forward to. He could just see the scientist's reaction to his explanation.
Kaito absently ran his left hand through his hair as he laughed softly. "It appears we now need two sets of clothes," he said. With a snap of his fingers, a key appeared in the magician's hand. He offered it to the blonde. "I would appreciate it if you would take a short trip to my house. Kudo and I wear the same size."
Saguru nodded, than paused. Kaito still lived at home. "What about your mother?"
The phantom thief gave him a half-smile. "She's out of the country," he informed him. "A small group of impressionalist paintings were donated to a museum in New York, and she was asked to appraise them. You realize one of those them has been missing almost 80 years."
Hakuba regarded him suspiciously. "And I'm to believe you had nothing to do with this."
Kaito held onto his wounded expression a moment before dropping it. "Oh come on Hakuba," he pouted. "You act like I removed them from my private collection. I mean, they were just lying around this drug lord's mansion."
The half Brit groaned as he pinched the bridge of his nose. "I don't suppose it occurred to you," he stated more calmly than he felt. "That if he had caught you, he would have killed you."
The phantom thief now looked insulted. "I'll have you know I thoroughly case all my targets before a heist and I have never, ever set off an alarm." That time with the pet cougar didn't count. He sniffed, "besides, the guy should have had better security."
Kudo regarded his equal bemused, "and better security would have stopped you?"
"Well no, but it's the principal of the thing."
Hakuba just shook his head as he exited the door. It was nice to know that some things never changed.
Still, despite the lighthearted banter, the same thing was on all four young men's minds. What now?
By that evening Kuroba's wounds were almost completely healed, but that did not negate the drain on his strength. So, that night as the thief slept, the three detectives discussed the situation they found themselves in.
Chapter Six
The next day Kaito awoke to the sound of the detectives moving about the living room.
Hakuba glanced up, meeting the phantom thief's gaze. "Kuroba, please join us."
The subtle inflections in his voice told Kaito it was not exactly an invitation. With unconscious grace, the thief sank into a nearby chair. He had been expecting this and his face might as well have been carved of marble. He was well aware the his life as he knew it was over.
The other two tantei glanced at their blonde peer, acknowledging his right to speak. Hakuba took a deep breath. "We have been thinking," he began. "That given current events we have no choice but to take personal responsibility for keeping you on the straight and narrow."
For once, Kaito's unshakable composure left him and he blinked. "I'm sorry," he said slowly. "But I could have sworn you just said you weren't going to arrest me."
"Look at the facts," Hattori jumped in. "Say we do send you to jail, what will happen?"
"I'm many things," the thief said after a moment of silence, "but a martyr is not one of them. I have navigated some of the world's finest security systems. Escaping from prison would hardly be a challenge." Even if Kaito had intended to pay for his crimes it wouldn't have been a viable option. Kaito had made way to many enemies. Staying in prison would have been just asking to catch a bullet.
Kudo nodded, conceding the magician's point. "The way we see it there are two possibilities. First, you use your skills of disguise to create a whole new identity and live out the rest of your life."
"Personally," Hattori said, "I think it is more likely you would just continue as a thief. It would be far easier." After all, a thief was constantly on the move and it was easier to hold a disguise in the short term.
The detective of the east nodded in agreement. "Regardless, since our duty is to reduce the amount of crime as oppose to promoting it, we feel we have no choice but to become your personal parole officers."
Hakuba gave him a look of warning. "But if we ever catch you stealing anything ever again, we will turn you in."
The thief, now former thief, nodded in understanding. "I never intended to be the Kaitou Kid forever," he admitted. "It's time to see what I can accomplish as myself, instead of my Father's ghost." He paused and presented the three detectives with a true smile. "Thank-you."
Epilogue
six months later
Shinichi Kudo looked out of the window of his office with a happy smile. It hadn't taken him that long to get his life together. The matter of Conan had been taken care of with a little help from Kaito and Ai.
His "cousin" had moved back to America with his pseudoparents. His own disappearance had been much simpler. He told the truth. Well, part of the truth. Shinichi had witnessed something he shouldn't have and gone into hiding after narrowly escaping death at the Black Organization's hands.
The detective felt a little guilty that all the shards of the Pandora gem were gone, but Ai didn't mind. The former member of the Black Organization had privately told him that she had never intended to take the cure. As far as she was concerned, Shiho was dead. Professer Agasa had offered to adopt her, and she had accepted. After hearing the explanation, Kudo had been happy for her.
As for himself, he had made plans to open this detective agency after testing out of the classes to get his degree, and later his license. He had been studying things more complicated than basic algebra these last few years. The tantei also intended to ask Ran out, if she would still have him.
Kudo turned around and let out an exasperated sigh when he saw he was no longer alone. "What have I told you about doing that Kuroba?" he asked.
"Not to," the magician laughed unrepentantly. "I would think you would be glad to have me where you can keep an eye on me. Besides," he whined. "I'm bored."
The detective regarded the ex-thief speculatively. "Don't you have degree that can be used for designing and testing security systems?" he asked.
Kuroba gave him a slightly puzzled look. "Yeah, no one found it to surprising given my connection with Nakamori-keibu and my fascination with making things vanish and then reappear." The magician demonstrated with the juggling balls he held in his hand. "I thought Hakuba was going to have an epileptic fit when he heard my plans," Kaito confided. "The whole class was staring at him."
Kudo nodded slowly. "I've been thinking, how would you like to be my partner? I know you don't like death," he added, "but I could work those cases."
"Work," Kaito asked surprised. "With you?"
"Why not?" was the reply. "Think of what we could accomplish together."
The ex-thief just stared at him a moment before his eyes lit up. He grinned wickedly, "We would be unstoppable." He offered the detective his hand, "besides, life is never dull with you around."
Shinichi placed his hand in Kaito's, and with a firm shake, a legendary team was formed.