Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Full moon, full house, police everywhere, the audience vibrating and Inspector Nakamori yelling back and forth.

It was another busy night thanks to Kaitou Kid's letter announcing his new robbery.

“Look at all these people! That old man never disappoints.” Kid commented to himself as he watched more people filling the great hall.

Today, the show will take place in The Great Hall of Midnight, an oval hall built on a platform in the sea, close to the coast. Another place sponsored by Jirokichi Suzuki, the Suzuki Financial Group's Senior Adviser.

The hall was enormous, the size of a football stadium, with an interior design reminiscent of a traditional theater. Its retractable roof allowed the beautiful moonlight to illuminate its interior. A perfect setting for Magician Under the Moonlight to perform your show.

And the jewel of the night did not disappoint: Lady of Midnight, a dark blue sapphire with a characteristic glow. It was obvious the old man wanted to show off his new purchase in the most ostentatious way imaginable, by sponsoring a place with the same name.

People with a lot of money are scary.

"Young master, we're already connected to the police frequency." Konosuke Jii said through the voice communicator.

Shortly after that, Kaitou heard the inspector's shouts in his ear. He could hear him arguing with Jirokichi about his questionable methods of keeping the jewel safe.

From the discussion, it seemed that Jirokichi was more irritated than usual. It was to be expected, after all, this was the third consecutive time his event had been pushed to the back pages of the newspapers by other news.

And was also the second time Kaitou Kid had stolen a gem before his eyes without difficulty in a single month.

I feel sorry for the old man, but thanks to him, I have constant contact with new jewels. I can already consider him my biggest sponsor!

He lowered the frequency and took his binoculars from his bag to survey the room.

From where he was, he could see the entire interior of the hall from above, a perfect view for working on his next steps.

The jewel wasn't on display yet, but he could already see the white marble pedestal waiting right at the top of the north stage, opposite of where he was.

He also saw some familiar faces. The little detective and the detective from the West, along with the girls and children, who were accompanied by Dr. Agasa.

Heh? The whole class came? He joked.

The level of security and the two detectives didn't make him irritated, in fact, they excited him. This meant that exciting challenges awaited him tonight.

But his excitement didn't last long. His smile faded, turning into a slightly serious expression as he saw other familiar faces close to him.

A tall man wearing a dark overcoat and fedora, with a long horseshoe mustache.

Snake.

Not only him, but others of his henchmen were following around him in the south wing, a dimly lit, empty area used only by employees on weekdays.

Kaitou adjusted his monocular's viewing distance to get a closer look at the group. In front of Snake was a person he swore he'd seen before. Judging by the way he was dressed, he was definitely part of the group.

As he kept track of the path they were taking, he noticed something strange.

The person in front had tense shoulders and a slightly awkward gait, and was standing unusually close to Snake.

Kaitou zoomed in even further on the space between Snake and the person in front.

It was as he thought.Snake's arm was half-extended, covered by a shirt. At the end of the shirt, he could briefly see the gleaming barrel of a pistol, which was pressed against the back of the man in front.

What's going on? Kaitou walked along the ceiling, following the group.

Why were they pointing a gun at one of their own members? That was the question running through Kaitou's mind.

Unfortunately, the group entered one of the staff-only corridors and disappeared into the darkness.

"Things would be so much easier if they just came here and tried to steal the jewel like always!" He grumbled and put away his binoculars, heading straight for the dark corridor.

The long, dark corridors seemed endless. Kaitou knew about them, but from the blueprints, he had no idea they were so long. The only thing that helped him navigate was the desperate mutterings of the man being escorted.

The group arrived in a brightly lit room. The faint sound of voices could be heard coming from within.

Kaitou hid in the corner of the corridor where the door was and tapped in his ear twice to turn on his voice communicator again.

Jii, who was listening on the other end of the transmission, didn't need to hear a word to understand what was happening.

Inside the brightly lit room, Snake dropped the man to the ground. The man knelt and placed both hands on the floor as his heavy breathing filled the room. Breathing so loud that Kaitou could hear it from this distance.

"So this is the rat?"

An unfamiliar voice came from inside the room. It was a female voice, as sweet as poisoned wine, carrying the sarcasm and confidence of someone who had achieved what they sought.

Rat? Kaitou leaned forward a little more to hear the conversation better.

"Heh. Mezcal."

His body froze in place.

A voice, an oppressive, malicious and yet calm voice of a man came from behind him and passed through the corridor. He passed by so close that he felt the light breeze caused by his passage.

When did this person get here!? He hadn't heard a single sound.

Luckily, it was dark, and he wasn't seen at first.

Another man followed behind him, they were both wearing black trenchcoats and fedoras.

"No. No. No! I-I didn't do anything! I didn't!"

The kneeling man became even more desperate as soon as he saw the faces of the two people who entered the room.

His voice was followed by the sound of something hitting the floor. Probably his head.

"Mezcal." The calm voice said. "You think because you're part of a branch that we're not watching you? We saw everything. You sold information about the organization and obstructed the search for the key multiple times."

"I-I didn't do anything! Everything I did was to find the key's location! I would never betray the organization!"

"Oh? You're sure? Then what are these conversations you had with the FBI?" The female voice retorted, full of malice. "It seems they came to watch us today."

The man didn't even try to refute it. The only sound coming from him was his heavy breathing.

“Mezcal you have one chance of getting out. It’s the key here today?” The calm man said with a chuckle.

“It is! It definitely is!”

“Good.”

BAM!

The sound of a gunshot echoed through the hallways.

And with that, the frightened, sad and slightest hopeful voice was gone. All that was left was the muffled sound of something hitting the floor.

“Young master, it's better to back off. This looks dangerous!” Jii warned through the voice communicator.

And Kaitou agreed. That wasn’t a job for the thief to deal with. It was best to return to the main hall and somehow attract the attention of the two detectives.

He silently turned and walked back the way he came.

"Now that the rat is gone, I'll finally put my hands in Pandora!" Snake announced with a loud laugh.

Kaitou turned around.

“Young master!?”

Pandora, the jewel he had been searching for so long, was here!?

“Humph. Don’t forget your place.” The calm voice warned. His warning came accompanied by the sound of the pistol barrel being loaded. "Your group has done nothing but give expenses for the last decade. This is your last chance to do something right."

It was time to go. He should leave. But Kaitou moved even closer to the door of the room and lowered the sound of Jii's voice shouting for him to return.

He needed to hear more clearly.

“Do your part and we do yours.” The calm voice said to Snake before pausing. “We'll begin the operation on your signal, Vermouth.”

Vermouth… I don’t think I heard that name before…

“Are you not forgetting another player that's going to be part of the show tonight?"

Another person, who hadn't commented until now, asked.

That was a voice Kaitou knew! He couldn't forget it.

It had to be the man who threatened him when he disguised himself on the train to help the little detective!

If he hadn't moved quickly, that day could have been his last robbery.

"Humph! Kuroba Toichi… I will definitely silence that man forever this time!” Snake commented as he let out an irritated grumble.

“You really think it’s that man?” The familiar voice asked. “Lets us use our brains a little ”

Kaitou has a bad feeling about that.

“Even if that man is a master of disguise, the height doesn't match. It's not so easy to do so many stunts while pretending to be smaller than you really are. Have you ever thought Kid might be his son? It seems the boy is following his father's footsteps.”

Snake let out a soft sigh, it seemed like he was trying to process the young man's theory. “This doesn't change the original problem. Kaitou Kid will get in our way.”

"In this case, we just need to threaten his family's integrity. I doubt he will try anything funny."

Tsc! Kaitou clicked his tongue and pulled some small and colorful balls from his pocket.

I won't let it!

He was ready to make everyone in that room sleep with a gas ball when he heard the voice of the woman.

"It's definitely not him." She replied. Kaitou heard a faint sound of pages unfolding. "I've already investigated the boy. There's nothing special about him and, besides that, he was present at some of Kaitou Kid's robberies."

Kaitou raised one eyebrow.

Looks like your mouth is bigger than your brain, but I won’t complain, this works in my favor.

"Then we're back to square one!" Snake complained loudly to the woman. "I'm going to find that bastard and kill him with my own hands!"

“Heh. There is no need to waste your time.” The calm and malicious voice took over the room with a half laugh while the others closed their mouths.

Without explanation, the man drew his gun. The other people in the room looked at him in surprise as he aimed at the door, and then pulled the trigger.

BAM!

Everyone in the room watched with wide eyes.

On the other side of the door, Kaitou Kid's eyes slowly traveled between the bullet hole in the door and his white clothes, which was slowly turning red around his shoulder.

He felt no pain. The shock was so great that his head hadn't yet processed the gunshot.

Kaitou staggered back as the door opened. He blinked, struggling to focus while searching for the bombs he dropped somewhere.

From the door a dark silhouette revealed himself, a tall intimidating man with silver hair that reached his hips. The gun hung heavy in his hand while smoke came out from the barrel.

Kaitou Kid looked at him while his body trembled with the frightening and oppressive presence.

The man opened a devious smile and aimed the gun in his head.

"He came crawling to his death."

Chapter Text

Tsc! 

His vision was starting to get blurry. The barrel pointed at his head was spinning and doubling. 

He didn’t think he would be found so easily, that man was very different from Snake. Something told him to be careful.

“Heh. Not interested in a little chat?” Kaitou said with a soft laugh. 

But the man didn’t care. He put his finger in the trigger and pressed the barrel of the pistol in his forehead. 

“Looks like that’s a no.” 

As the man was about to pull the trigger, he caught a glimpse of Kaitou Kid picking something up off the ground with his hand. It was a small and colorful ball.

He used the few seconds he'd gained from the question to find one of his bombs without taking his eyes off the barrel of the gun.

Please, tell me it's a useful one. He prayed mentally and crushed the ball with his hand.

The ball exploded and an intense burst of light erupted from it.

"You!" The man instinctively closed his eyes with his free hand and pulled the trigger with the other, but missed.

Kaitou Kid ran through the corridors aimlessly, trying to escape the man's sight.

His advantage didn't last long, the man was already shooting in his direction. 

One of the bullets grazed and ripped his jacket, another hit his already injured shoulder and nearly knocked him down.

"Young master, turn left into the corridor! You'll be back in the main hall in a few seconds!" Jii shouted through the communication device.

Kaitou followed his instructions and returned to the hall, where he saw something that, in the middle of the chaos, took a smile from his face.

***

“And there is the quiz of the day!” 

“Not again!” The children complained. 

“Where is Conan-kun to help us?” Ayumi asked while looking for the boy. 

Conan was with Hattori, walking far apart from the two groups in front, one of them were the children with the professor and the other were the girls, Ran, Sonoko, and Kazuha.

As usual, Sonoko was talking about Kaitou Kid while the other two were interested in the hall's design and the jewelry that was about to go on display.

This hall was as big as he expected. So large and so open that it was easier to question how Kid wouldn’t escape. It was a lost cause, especially with that open roof, waiting for the thief to fly over it with his hang glider.

That didn't mean he wouldn't do his best to try to arrest him, though.  

Besides him, there was someone else very excited about today's event. Hattori was looking around the room, determined to check all the thief's escape routes. He was still angry at him for what happened.

This resentment had been going on for too long. Maybe it was better to accept that he wouldn't be able to get revenge.

“What was that old man thinking when he built such a tall pedestal to place the jewel? It's not like Kid couldn't fly from the roof to get there.” Conan said, while looking at the inspector and Jirokichi testing the pedestal lifting system. 

“Far as I could tell, that old guy rigged up some kind of trap that zaps anybody who tries flying over the pedestal.” Hattori explained. 

In theory. Conan lampooned to himself. 

It was still early, two hours until Kaitou Kid's scheduled time for his theft. Until then, there wasn't much to do but wait.

Or so he hoped.

With a quick glance, he spotted a familiar figure among the crowd with blond hair and glasses.

Jodie!

Not only her, but other FBI members were walking into the area and spreading out.

Conan didn't think twice before quickening his pace and heading toward her.

"Oi, Kudo!" Hattori called out, quickening his pace as well.

“Jodie-sensei!”

“Cool kid? What are you doing here!?” The woman asked in surprise when she heard the familiar voice approaching. 

“I'm Kid Killer! I’m here to catch him!” He said in a childish voice. “What are you doing here?” 

She looked around the crowd before approaching him. 

“About that…” She crouched down near him and whispered. “We are here to meet a NOC.” 

“Non Official Cover…” Hattori spoke in a low voice. Conan nor Jodie noticed when he crouched down beside them. “Why here?” 

Seeing that Conan didn’t care about the other detective's presence, she continued. “He sent a brief message to us saying that a special key would appear here today, containing important information about the Organization's research.”

The BO research!? Conan's eyes widened. “Jodie-sensei please let me know about the research!” 

“Unfortunaly, I don’t think that information will be that easy to obtain, Conan-kun.” It was James who answered, approaching the two detectives with a serious expression. "From the message, he seemed nervous. There's a chance he's already been captured, or being used as bait to catch us. You and your friends better be careful tonight."

“He is right, cool kid and Hattori-kun, I'll let you know if I get the information. For now, take care.”

Jodie looked at her surroundings and stood up, heading in a different direction from James, as if she didn't know him.

And with that, they disappeared into the crowd, not giving the two detectives a chance to insist. They looked more uneasy than usual.

Black Organization.

Were those people really here at this very moment? The thought sent a chill through Conan's body.

"Well? What ya gonna do now, Kudo?" Hattori asked the boy.

Right. There was that problem, too. If he were alone, he might even act freely, but the girls and children were here, as well as Hattori. Conan trusted him, but he feared that his temper would put him at risk against the Organization. It was better to play it safe until he found some proof.

“For now, we'd better look around and make sure there's actually some trace of them. But Hattori, keep this between us, okay? It's best if she doesn't know about this."

"Who?"

Conan and Hattori jumped in fright and looked back at the same time, finding the girl with her arms crossed.

"I told you, don't try to hide things from me." Haibara looked at them with those judgmental eyes that made anyone afraid. 

“H-Haibara!” Conan took a step back when his eyes met hers. “We don’t know yet if they are really here. But it's best if you convince the professor to take you away, just in case…”

"No way." She refuted immediately. "I know you. If you're going to do your crazy stuff, at least do it with someone who has some sense."

She took her lucky pair of glasses from her pocket and put them on. "Hey, give me that too." She pointed to the hat the detective from the West was wearing, who handed it over to her without question. “So? Where do we start?” 

Shaaaa… Conan sighed. “Let's start with the authorized people only wing, it should be empty now and-” 

Vush!

His speech was cut off when he sensed something coming towards him. 

An object was flying toward him at high speed. He instinctively took a step back and went on the defensive until the object hit the ground. 

A card.

The card got stuck in the ground right in front of the three with an incredible precision. 

It wasn't hard to tell who was the owner of the card, Conan was already familiar with its design.

Damn, Kid! I thought it was a bullet! He cursed. 

“Oi- that’s blood, ain’t it?!”

He looked at the card more carefully. 

Hattori was right. The card was stained with blood where it had been held.

Conan picked the card up from the floor and turned it over, his eyes widening for a moment. There was a message written in blood!

It wasn't the first time he'd seen something like this, but it still caught him off guard.

The strange text written in blood was badly written. The first part was scrawled, Conan could barely recognize some characters, but at least the last part was understandable. It looked like he was in a hurry while writing.

"Mi..tsu...karu? What? He’s tryin’ to say he’s gonna be found out? Tch… I can’t make sense of it. The first bit’s a real pain to figure out!” Hattori strained his vision trying to understand the thief's handwriting.

Hattori went through the same line of thinking as he. Mitsukaru, or so he guessed. Why waste time writing a letter just to say he'd been found? The blood on the letter was enough to signal something was wrong.

That shouldn't be what he meant.

“Mesu… karu..” 

A trembling voice came from behind him. Haibara was reading the card with a pale expression. “Mezcal… this is one of their members.”

That strangely confusing part at the beginning that seemed to have been done on purpose... To be found… Mesukaru, or rather, Mezcal…So that's it! That's what he meant! Conan put the card in his pocket and activated the zoom on his glasses. Unfortunately, there was no one in the direction the card came from.

"This is bad, they probably found the NOC." He said urgently.

"So that was it." Hattori said, deep in thought. “That first part was all jumbled on purpose, he wanted us to piece both words together to get the message. But how does he know that?”

How did Kaitou Kid know Mezcal was the NOC? Or was it pure luck? 

More important than that, Kid was injured and probably dealing with the Organization somewhere! 

Knowing Kid, Conan already had an idea of where he was going.

“Lets go to the roof!” He said as he ran ahead and grabbed his cell phone. “Jodie! The BO is probably on the roof!”

- What!? How do you know?!

Bip! 

He hung up on her.

The three of them ran toward the south, the area only used by employees on weekdays, and the area the card had come from. 

Conan and Hattori were running ahead of Haibara, even when she urged them to slow down. It was because the same thought was running through their minds:

Make sure she doesn’t run into trouble before they do.

Given that the nighttime attraction was in the north wing, the south wing was empty and poorly lit, especially in the staff-only corridors, which were enormous. If the Organization were anywhere, it would definitely be there.

“Seriously… how lucky’s that thief, endin’ up in a mess like this?” Hattori complained. 

“Hey, you two! Stop leaving me behi-”

She ran into the two men who had stopped at the end of the hallway.

When she thought of protesting, she clapped her hand over her mouth.

It was because she heard a faint sound of voices coming from the other hallway, familiar voices.

"He's gone to those corridors. Get rid of him quickly." The calm voice ordered.

Gin.

And hurried footsteps split through the corridors.

The Organization was indeed in the south wing, but they weren't as deep into the maze of corridors as the two thought! They were probably brought out of hiding by Kaitou Kid.

This is bad. Conan turned to the two. 

"We should go back." Haibara warned.

Going back and blending in with the crowd was the safest move, and Conan would certainly support the idea. If it weren't for Kaitou Kid.

What would happen to him while they hide?

While he hesitates, Kid might end up dead!

If Kid could handle the situation alone, he wouldn't have bothered tossing the card in Conan's direction. He threw the card because he trusted him!

"You two go back, I'm going upstairs." He ordered the other two.

“Don’t ya dare think I’m lettin’ you run off alone!” Hattori immediately denied it.

Haibara was pale and nervous, but the determination in her eyes said she wouldn't run away either.

“You two…” Conan sighed and signaled with his hand for them to follow him to the stairs.

The stairs were dark, their only source of light was the moonlight shining through the small windows on the sides of the walls. 

This time, they were walking cautiously, increasing their speed as they climbed more sets of stairs and moved away from the group that must have been searching for Kaitou on the first floor.

“Kudo-kun, there is blood.” 

Conan turned back to see where Haibaira was pointing. 

There were a few drops of blood on the floor near the railing. They were still fresh.

Kaitou had definitely been here!

Conan quickened his pace, moving ahead of the two with even more urgency.

The hall only had three floors, why did it feel like more than that!?

Tap, tap, tap.

Tap, tap, tap.

Just as he finished climbing another set of stairs, a figure flew past him as they finished descending. 

The person's silhouette shone in the moonlight, revealing a slender figure with a white top hat, half-white, half-crimson clothes and a cape that fluttered down the stairs.

"Huh!?"

"Huh!? Little detective!?"

The two stared at each other for a few seconds.

“Kid!?”

Kaitou Kid turned his back to Conan and brushed past the other two to run down the stairs.

"You better not go up! There's a sniper up there!" He called out to the three.

Tap, tap, tap.

Kaitou Kid stopped his charge when he noticed the sounds of footsteps coming from the floors below.

“Dammit! They’re comin’ up from downstairs too!” Hattori cursed. 

“What do we do now?” Haibara looked at the group while her face slowly turned more pale. “We are going to be caught!”

Enemies are coming from above and below.

They were cornered.

Chapter Text

Organization members were climbing the stairs and a sniper was waiting at the top.

It might be possible to descend with the stretchable suspenders, but not fast enough to avoid the attacks. Conan stared at the void as he tried to think of a plan as quickly as possible.

“You’re always carryin’ those smoke bombs and other toys, so can’t ya use one?”

"There's only one tear gas left, I don't think that'll stop them from shooting at us, though." Kaitou replied, looking around and ignoring Hattori's glare.

"We don't have time for that!" Haibara warned. "They'll be on us any moment!"

While the two detectives were thinking, Kaitou noticed the moonlight reflecting on his clothes.

The moonlight that was coming from the small windows.

Heh… There is always a way. Kaitou smiled as he took a few steps back and sprinted into the space between the two detectives.

“Oi!” Hattori nearly fell when he saw the thief charging toward him.

The two jumped to the side and made room as Kaitou jumped onto the railing behind them and, in one swift movement, gained momentum and jumped onto the window in the wall, which he barely reached.

“Are you really thinking about that!?” Conan asked in surprise as he stared at the thief hanging high above.

The window support was small, not enough to stand. Kaitou used his good arm to hang onto the small gap while using his injured arm to break the window.

Crack!

A part of the window shattered into small shards.

Kaitou put his hand through the hole he'd made and pulled himself up, breaking the rest of the glass with his shoulder until he was able to stand up.

“Are you outta your mind!?” Hattori shouted, perplexed by the scene.

And, with the sound, the footsteps coming from below quickened!

Kaitou smiled and extended his hand towards Haibara. "Ladies first."

“Looks like we don’t have time to think.” Conan sighed. 

With Hattori’s help, Haibara reached for the thief’s hand and climbed up the window. 

On that side of the window, that faced the outside of the hall, was a small support platform, which sat beneath each window. It was thin and didn't look particularly reliable.

When Haibara stepped onto it, she felt it trembling, threatening to crumble and send her into the sea. She leaned her back against the wall as soon as she saw how high she was.

The wind in this place was also very strong, enough to blow someone away if they were careless. That must have been why Kid hadn't flown away until now, he would have been blown straight towards the sea.

Above her was the next window, on the next set of stairs that ran along that wall, more than three meters away. 

Haibara looked at Conan being pulled onto the platform and the space they had running out.

She reached up, but no matter how hard she tried, it was impossible to reach so high. 

"The noise came from here! Get him!"

And the voices of the Organization members were already there.

"Don't look so hopeless."

Haibara turned to Conan again and saw the detective with the stretchable suspenders in hand. With a bit of skill, he looped one end to the platform above and secured it, giving the other end to the girl. 

"It's not over yet.” He said with a smile.

Meanwhile, Kaitou was trying to pull Hattori up, but the weight difference between him and a child was too great.

"There's someone at the window!"

A man shouted from the same floor as them.

In the set of stairs before the window, a tall man wearing a dark overcoat and fedora, with a long horseshoe mustache, appeared, and behind him were others in the same style of clothing.

"Kuroba, I'm going to kill you this time!" He yelled as he grabbed his gun. 

"Quick!" Hattori shouted at the Thief.

But no matter how hard Kaitou tried, he couldn't lift him!

The sleeve on the side of his injured arm became even more bloodied the harder he tried.

The detective's eyes widened as he saw the blood slowly staining his arm. The thief was using more force than he had to pull him up.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Snake and the others fired from that distance right at the window, a hail of bullets flying toward them both.

One of the shots hit the top of the window, another went past Kaitou and yet another hit Hattori!

"Dammit!" Kaitou cursed.

He eased the pressure he was putting on his injured arm. Kaitou was about to give up on pulling him to the window and jump back down the stairs to buy some time, but the moment he thought about that, the little detective crouched beside him.

"Hattori, hold on!"

The two of them pulled Hattori at the same time as the bullets reached them.

Kaitou wasted no time, he grabbed his last colored ball and threw it on the window, raising a smoke screen with the tear gas on the stairs. 

“This should keep them busy for some time.” 

As soon as he went to take a peek inside the window, he saw that all the members of the organization were gone, leaving only Snake behind as he coughed. 

This! 

He broke out in a cold sweat.

Ever since he'd been chased by these strange faces, he'd realized how different they were from any other threat he'd faced.

Neither Snake nor the police had gotten him into as much trouble as they were now.

He was always successful in his escapes thanks to his ability to think and act simultaneously. Sometimes he thought so quickly that his thoughts manifested into actions instead of ideas, and this had saved him several times.

But these people? Somehow, no matter how quickly he acted, they always came up with a countermeasure. As soon as he used one of his tricks, they adapted quickly.

They were fast, cunning, unpredictable and vicious.

What are they going to do now? Get us through the windows downstairs? Wait for us on the first floor? Let the sniper do the job? I didn't think my various escape routes would turn against me…

“Hattori are you okay!?” 

"Yeah, jus’ a graze, nothin’ more." He lifted his shirt and showed the small scratch caused by the bullet to Conan. 

“No time to waste! We are still cornered, we need to find a way to leave this place without entering the sniper’s range!” Haibara warned the other three from the top of the other window.

“Let’s go up.” Conan said. 

“You didn't hear me!? The sniper will get us!” Haibara yelled even more. 

“They won’t.” Conan lifted his phone. "They should have already taken care of it."

“Heh? You already called your friends? I made the right choice throwing that card and-uhg!” 

Kaitou groaned. He slid his back down the wall until he was sitting on the platform with one hand holding tight on his shoulder.

The wound in his shoulder was worse than Conan had thought. It was a miracle he'd managed to escape this far in this state. He had to admit, this thief was tough. 

Even in pain, he still had a smile on his face.

“Kudo, we can’t have him pushin’ himself any more than that.”

Hattori was getting worried about the thief's condition too. 

They are still far from the roof, even Haibara couldn't reach from where she was. 

“Kid, do you have your grappling hook with you? Maybe I can- wait, Hattori! Go down!”

Hattori turned his head and saw a small red light cross the wall beside him. At the same time, he threw himself on the platform and dodged the laser, which was accompanied by a shot that hit the window!

“Why’s it gotta be me every time!?” He complained.

Conan walked to the edge of the platform and zoomed in on his glasses in the direction the laser had come from.

There was a figure on the ground with a sniper rifle pointed upward.

Black hat, thick glasses and a military uniform. 

Korn! 

Tch! He saw our faces!? No, I don't think he has a good view from where he is. His angle isn't good, he won't be able to hit us if we stay low, but that doesn't stop him…

Bang, bang! 

And, as Conan expected, he began firing at the platform. As fragile as it was, it wouldn't last long before they fell.

“Hey, little detective, what about that colorful soccer ball of yours?" Kaitou asked as he pulled his grappling hook from his pocket.

As if already knowing the thief's intentions, he nodded and activated his kick-enhancing shoes.

"In 3... 2…” Kaitou started counting.

Conan’s shoes glowed as the ball filled in front of him.

"1!"

Hattori and Kaitou lowered their heads and Conan kicked the ball.

Korn, who was aiming at the platform, saw an object fly off it and hit the wall. He aimed at the ball, only to see it explode into several bright fireworks, brighter than the flash bomb Kaitou used.

"Now!"

Conan grabbed the end of the stretchable suspenders and jumped with Kaitou off the platform.

Kaitou's grappling hook activated, his hook flew higher than Haibara's platform and reached the edge of the roof.

Please tell me he was fast enough. Conan muttered to himself.

***

At the top of the roof of The Great Hall of Midnight, Chianti stood on the edge, waiting for any sign of the thief.

"Huh? What the hell is that light down there?"

She tried to focus on the source of the light, but just as she was about to take aim, a bullet came toward her.

Bang!

A bullet as fast and silent as a ghost.

"Who the fuck is there!?" She cursed. 

She took cover in the rooftop access and looked around.

Bang! Bang!

From the direction the shots came from, the sniper responsible for that was on the other side of the building.

It didn't seem like they had any intentions of approaching, but they wouldn't let her use the roof anymore. 

"This bastard is waiting for reinforcements to arrive? Bold! Shooting from so far away and still hitting... Tch!" She put away the sniper and took the communicator. 

"Gin, I have company, they won't let me get to the edge."

- Return to your starting position. We'll continue with the original plan.

"And what about the rat?"

- Heh. At the end of night, neither he nor the FBI will live to see the light of a new day.

"Haha! I like that! Let him wait for me!" She put down the communicator and went downstairs.

On the other side of the roof, Akai put away his sniper rifle, watching the woman retreat. He took out his cell phone and replied to the message Conan had written.

"I figured you would be here."

The voice came from behind him.

The man had his back against the emergency stairs railing next to Akai. A good-looking man with blond hair and dark skin.

"Bourbon." Akai greeted him. "What a surprise."

"Don't think I'm here because I want to, I'm just incapable of acting right now."

"Is that so?” Akai smiled. “What kind of information do you have for me?" 

***

"They're finally off our backs." Hattori sighed in relief.

He unhooked the stretchable suspenders from the roof and handed them back to Conan.

The roof on that side was empty, just as Akai said. It was only a matter of time before the FBI searched all the south wing corridors and forced the Organization to regroup.

Until then, they should have time to think about their next move.

Conan exhaled a breath he hadn't even realized he'd been holding. Now that the Organization was no longer pointing guns at them, he felt fatigue take over his body.

It wasn't just him, Hattori sat near the stairs and took a deep breath while staring up at the sky. Haibara stood still, breathing heavily as she tried to calm herself.

On the other hand, Kid, who had been running the longest, didn't make a sound. He stood at the edge of the roof, staring back the way they came.

"There's a staff rest room on the third floor, we should go there." Conan suggested directly to Kid.

Kaitou just nodded.

He is very quiet, what's going through his mind?

***

The staff rest room was small and simple, containing only three sofas in a corner, a water cooler, a table and a closet with some clothes left behind by the employees.

It wasn't much, but just knowing they wouldn't be disturbed by the Organization was enough.

Conan locked the door and turned to Kaitou. "Kid, do you have your kit?"

"What a silly question. A magician never shows up unprepared."

Indeed, he had his first aid kit, which Conan had no idea where he kept.  Sometimes it felt like he had a dimensional portal inside his pockets.

"What a mess."

Kaitou tugged at the collar of his jacket, but it was so wet and dirty that he couldn't tell where the jacket ended and the undershirt began. A section of the cloth around his shoulder was also stuck to the wound, making the situation even more irritating to deal with.

"Ouch!"

He tugged at the collar a little more before letting go again, repeating this process a few times in an attempt to get the jacket off his shoulder without rubbing the wound too hard.

"You'll be stuck until tomorrow if you keep this up."

Haibara got up from the sofa and walked over to the thief.

"Hey, hey! Not you!"

He protested and put his other hand in front of the girl, but she simply ignored him and ripped his jacket off.

"Ow!" He grunted in pain.

The two boys looked away. They would have felt sorry if it weren't so comical. It was better for him to suffer at her hands than them.

There were two bullet wounds, one came from the front and wasn’t very deep, while the other came from behind and pierced his shoulder, but none of the bullets were left behind. 

"You're lucky you haven't passed out yet, thank the adrenaline, but you better be prepared, this is going to hurt, a lot."

She grabbed a bottle of alcohol from his kit.

"Hahahaha don't do that—uhg! Come on! This hurts!"

Haibara completely ignored him. She only poured it around the wound to not cause more pain than necessary. Luckily, she found some antibiotic ointment in his kit that was already close to the end and also a few painkillers. 

Is he used to getting shot?

"For now, the best I can do is do a few improvised bandages, but if you apply too much pressure, they'll come loose."

"No need, I'll do it myself."

Haibara raised an eyebrow and pressed hard the bandage on his wound.

"Owww! Why!?"

"Yeah, you surely can do that." She scoffed.

“Please, have some mercy on this poor thief and don’t do that.” 

Kaitou was moving back and forth to make things difficult for the girl. His hat hit her forehead several times, until Haibara lost her patience and threw his hat away.

"I'll make sure this hurts more if you move one more time."

He froze in place at once.

Is it bad that I find it fun? Conan held himself back to not laugh at the thief.

“Good thing she tagged along with us.” Hattori looked at Haibara and Kid. It was a fun scene, except that he couldn't look at Kid and not think about Shinichi.

“Yeah you are right.” 

“By the way.” The detective crouched down beside the boy. “Kudo, what are you searching for?"

"Hmmm? N-Nothing useful!" He turned off his phone's screen and put it in his pocket.

Hattori looked at him suspiciously, but he didn't question it.

***

“Done” 

Haibara closed the first aid kit and went to get some water for herself.

Meanwhile, Kaitou was lying down on the sofa, completely defeated.

“They found Mezcal's body…” 

The three looked at Conan. 

From Jodie's message, the FBI scoured the hallways in the south wing, finding nothing but the body.

Haibara sighed, not looking at all saddened by the news. "They covered our trail again... they probably already left."

“No… they didn't leave.” Kaitou said, getting up with some difficulty from the sofa. "They won't leave without getting the jewel."

"The jewel?" Conan asked. "What do they want with the jewel?"

"The jewel… has been their target for a long time." He gave a vague answer.

Conan and Hattori exchanged glances.

The jewel must be the “special key” Jodie mentioned!

But how could a jewel be the key to important information about the Organization?

Besides, a new question arose.

Had Kaitou Kid been after the key from the beginning? He'd always been looking for a specific jewel. This whole time, Kid had been involved with the Organization and Conan had no idea?

But then again, Kid didn't seem to know who they were when he met them on the train.

With that, a deduction came to mind, one that he didn't like.

"In that case, we'd better notify the FBI. It is better if the police retreat the citizens from the hall before they get caught up in the Organization's plans."

"No!” Haibara raised her voice. "We can't do this! If they realize we know their plans, it will definitely make things worse! They knew the FBI would be here, so they definitely have plans to deal with them! Inside this hall, everyone is their hostage!"

The four were silent for a while.

In this vast hall in the sea, full of hidden passages, those who planned ahead had the advantage.

They had proven in the past that they would do anything to achieve their goals.

Conan returned to his train of thought. "The Organization isn't one to expose itself, they'll do everything they can to deal with the problem behind the scenes. So if we can prevent these plans we may have a chance. If I were to guess a part of their plans, I imagine Vermouth will use the same strategy as Kid and disguise herself as other people until she steals the jewel."

"Vermouth?"

Conan looked at Kaitou.

"You know her?"

Vermouth is someone with the same abilities as me? If that's true, then what she said back then makes even less sense. "No, but I heard them say the plan will begin on her signal." He replied after a moment.

This information threw Conan into his own head again.

“I dunno much ’bout ’em, but from the stories you two told me, these bastards ain’t pullin’ no tricks while they’re stuck in here. They are the same as the citizens, trapped in a cage. But we gotta move, now, before they swipe that jewel! After that, it’s just a matter o’ time before they’re gone and whatever the hell they’re plannin’ kicks off.”

"Sorry to break up the party, but I'm not so sure. Maybe the faces you are familiar with act like this, but Snake and his henchmen don't mind showing their faces if they have a guaranteed escape route. They'll shoot anyone who gets in their way."

Kaitou interrupted Hattori's train of thought and threw a bucket of cold water on the two detectives.

Dealing with the Organization was already difficult, but now they had more pieces to add to the account.

How to deal with a group that can pull all sorts of dirty and expensive tricks out of their pockets?

They have to deal with the possibility of them stealing the jewel from under their noses and an ambush, but also with the possibility of going all out.

Regardless of the method, the hall is still at sea with only one connection to land. If they do anything too revealing now, they'll be surrounded, unless they have a magic escape route waiting. We have to deal with them before they escape and have the freedom to blow this place up. Conan looked at his phone, no news from the FBI.

“Got an idea. Bit dangerous, though. You in?” Hattori looked at Conan. 

And Conan nodded. "I know what it is. It's a bit dangerous, but it's the best route." 

“Least we ain’t gotta worry ’bout ’em thinkin’ the citizens ran off ’cause we caught onto their plans.”

“And we will have support from the police.”

"Can you two explain what you're thinking? Not everyone can communicate telepathically." Habiara said, irritated with the two.

"For now,  I'll let the FBI know that they need to take custody of the jewel, I'll explain the rest on the way." 

Conan turned around and picked up his cell phone, but just as he was about to make a call, Kaitou took the cell phone out of his hand. 

"I'm sorry, but I will be taking this jewel with me. Not that I don't trust your friends, but I can't let that guy put his hands on it."

"Are you serious?" He turned to the thief in disbelief.

"You guys can continue with your plans, I'll do my job."

"Do you really think you'll be able to steal the jewel in your condition?" 

"My little friend, I've seen worse days."

Conan pulled his cell phone back from his hand and walked in front of the door. "I won't let you." 

"Oh? Are you going to get in my way too?" 

"Is this jewel worth more than your life?"

Kaitou kept the comments to himself and didn't respond.

Conan could feel the thief growing irritated with his persistence.

But, instead of going on the defensive, he smiled. 

"You know what? I changed my mind. I will make it difficult for them to steal it and, while they take the jewel away, we evacuate everyone. It's just a mere jewel like all the others. One less won't make a difference anyway."

“You wouldn't do that. They're after that jewel for a reason. Don't you want to know why?" Kaitou spoke in a forced playful tone, trying to persuade the detective's innate curiosity to abandon the idea. 

But it didn't sound the way he wanted, perhaps he was more irritated by his provocations than he told himself.

This little guy doesn't know the value of this jewel! 

I shouldn't have told him about the jewel... Tsk! But it's not like I could omit that information and get someone killed!

“Why not?” Conan asked, imitating the voice of an innocent child. “You want to mess with our chances to leave just to steal a mere jewel. It's better that it stays in their hands if it means we will all get out safe." 

He placed a hand on his chin and smiled, speaking again with a tone full of sarcasm. "Was Snake the name? He seems like a very simple-minded guy who would leave this place very happy with his jewel, for me that would be a great ending.”

“You!-”

Why is Kudo doing that? Hattori looked at the little detective who was clearly purposefully teasing the thief without knowing why. What could possibly go wrong while teasing someone he barely knew? 

No, he was probably doing that because he knew something. 

That provocation was like poking a snake with a short stick. 

Conan never thought he would live to see the thief show any emotion other than his boundless arrogance. 

Kaitou gritted his teeth, his eyes narrowed as he stared at Conan full of irritation. 

"I will never let that assassin get his hands on Pandora!" He raised his voice.

Only when he heard the sound of his own voice echo in the room did he realize what he had done. 

Conan was smiling. 

He took the bait. 

The poker face he fought for so long to maintain collapsed. It was just for a single second, but it was enough for the detective.

"I see.." Conan adjusted his glasses and looked at the thief again. "Kaitou Kid, if we manage to get this jewel, I promise that I will let you be the first to see what information it hides, of course, you will have to share the relevant information to us as well. In that case, will you support us?" 

Kaitou didn't even know what to say.

"Oi, Kudo, are you serious!?" Hattori couldn't believe he would leave the thief in possession of something so important to him. But it made him feel that the little detective really knew more about Kid than he realized. 

- Young master, it's best to collaborate with them. If Pandora really is a key to more information, perhaps you will find more about your father! - Jii, who had been quiet until now, advised eagerly. 

Kaitou had even forgotten that he left the communicator activated. 

"...Fine, I'll help..." He replied with a long sigh.

"Considering the importance of this jewel... Here's the plan we thought of..."

***

"That's the kind of dangerous plan I was expecting to hear from that thief." Haibara commented to Conan as she slipped on a pair of shoes that were a little big for her.

In those shoes was the button that activated the kick-enhancing system.

"If you think you can't do it, leave the jewel. You're already risking your life more than I'd like. To tell you the truth, I'd rather leave and let the FBI deal with the problems themselves." She sighed deeply and pulled a small medicine box from her pocket, handing it to Conan. "You already know the conditions."

"Yes, I know." Conan took the box and put it away. “Don’t forget to take this with you too.” He ripped off the device that inflated the balls and gave it to Haibara.

She wanted to give it back, but she knew he wouldn't accept it. 

“Just take care of yourself."

And then, she left the room.

Following her, Hattori also went to the door.

“I’ll get the stuff an’ be back in a flash!”

He tapped the device in his ear twice and left. The device was identical to Kaitou's.

When the two left the room, Conan closed the door and took his cell phone from his pocket, looking directly at the thief, who was standing with his arms crossed in front of him.

"Spit it out. You were searching something, I know you have some kind of deduction to reveal." Kaitou said seriously.

"Kuroba... That's what that guy said."

I knew he was going to say that.

Kaitou had taken some time to rethink all the mistakes he'd made in front of the detective, only then did he realize that the moment he'd raised his voice wasn't his biggest mistake.

It was just a confirmation the detective needed based on the other mistakes he'd made.

His first mistake wasn't talking about the jewel, but acting impulsively to say he'd go after it.

His second mistake was falling for the detective's persuasion instead of ignoring him. Even before he raised his voice, he'd already shown his irritation.

Finally, he opened his mouth and said too much.

Where was the poker face his father had taught him so much to maintain?

He hadn't realized how much the jewel had affected him. Knowing this could be his last night hunting for the clues his father had left behind had shaken him more than he wanted to admit.

Along with that, Snake had to make sure he shouted that loud enough for everyone to hear!

Kaitou didn't want to hear what the detective was going to say anymore, he already knew.

"I knew I'd heard that surname somewhere before, so I went looking for it." Conan showed Kaitou his phone screen. 

There was a photo of the magician, Toichi Kuroba, at one of his shows.

Kaitou remembered the day this photo was taken well. He was watching the show with Aoko. His father never ceased to fascinate him with his tricks, his eyes lit up every time he saw them.

Of course, he was in the photo too.

No one would connect the little boy in the photo with the thief except the detective, who was tired of him taking advantage of the fact that they looked so much alike.

"I remember the newspapers being full of stories about his accidental death... if it was accidental. It was that guy, wasn't it?"

Kaitou fell silent.

He didn't want to bring that up, but at the same time, he wanted the detective to continue his train of thought.

Perhaps a detective would be able to find something he hadn't noticed.

"You're too young to be the original Kaitou Kid, but the date of his “accident” and Kaitou Kid's disappearance years ago match. Kaitou Kid was known worldwide for the financial impact he caused, until the day he crossed paths with someone he shouldn't have."

To Conan, it was the key the Organization had, theoretically, been searching for so long.

And to Kaitou, It was a cursed jewel that an unknown group wanted to get their hands on.

"If the Organization is here to get that jewel today, it's because they didn't know where it was before, and its information is valuable."

Conan put away his cell phone.

"Tell me, Kid, was he involved with them? Or was it bad luck that he found the jewel?"

"I don't know."

Until today, he'd thought Snake was just another criminal from a group who'd crossed paths with his father over a jewel. A connection with a bigger organization had never crossed his mind.

But now that Conan mentioned the jewel being a "key to more information," he realized the problem might be deeper.

Did his father know the story behind the jewel?

"You were going after the jewel without knowing what it is or what the Organization is?"

Speaking this way, Kaitou felt a little hurt that he didn't know as much as he wanted.

"I know Snake and his henchmen, as well as their reason for wanting the jewel, I just didn't expect any connection to those other people. And I never heard anything about it being a key either."

"Huh? What's their reason?" Conan asked, growing even more curious about the story.

Kid didn't know it was a key, but he knew their objective? Maybe he'll finally uncover the Organization's true motives!

"Pandora... from their words, it's a jewel that glows red in the moonlight and can bring immortality to those who drink its tears."

Immortality!? Hah!  Conan laughed loudly, leaving even the thief a little startled. Isn't that too much of a coincidence?

Ignoring the detective's laughter, which seemed quite excited by his own deductions, Kaitou crouched down next to him and extended both hands up with palms open.

"What are you going to do now, great detective? Arrest me?"

Conan just looked at him and smiled, not the sarcastic smile he expected, but a confident one.

"After you put that murderer behind bars."

Kaitou blinked twice. He'd been expecting the worst, but this eased his spirits a bit.

"But you really are heartless, detective. Putting someone injured at the center of the plan..."

"I never made this plan with you in mind."

"Huh? So what do you plan to do?"

Conan took the box Haibara gave him and smiled.

"Just this once, I'll steal your lightning."

***

In the north stage of The Great Hall of Midnight, 5 minutes until the time announced by Kid. 

Jirokichi stopped in front of the pedestal, holding the jewel of the night. Beside him stood the inspector.

"Welcome to all who came to see the Lady of Midnight! This time that thief won't be able to get the jewel!"

He placed the jewel inside the transparent box on top of the pedestal and closed the padlock. And then, he pressed a button that made the pedestal extend until it was almost as high as the third floor of the hall.

"The jewel at the top of the pedestal is inside a sealed box and the only key to it is hidden!” He said as the pedestal extended.

“This pedestal is embedded with a weight sensor that will activate a trap as soon as it detects any change." He began his explanation excitedly. "All the corridors on the third floor are also embedded with a motion sensor that will electrocute anyone who flies above it at that height! Although I doubt he can fly under those conditions hahahaha!"

He laughed loudly.

No one in the audience laughed along.

"Cough cough... Come on, Kaitou Kid! You won't escape this cage this time! There's no escape by air, and the police are waiting for you at the door! Come if you dare!"

Along with his confident announcement, the audience stirred, excited for the time the great thief would appear and perform yet another show before their eyes.

*** 

"Smile! You're not going to convince anyone with that face that looks like you just sucked a sour lemon."

Kaitou stood beside Shinichi, pestering the detective who was trying to stay focused.

The two of them were on the roof with a perfect view of the jewel just below them.

"The last thing I'm going to do while looking at your face is smile." He complained as he adjusted the top hat on his head.

"10!"

Someone in the audience started the countdown and the others cheered along.

"It's time..." Shinichi sighed.

"Hey..." Kaitou approached. "Last chance to give up."

Shinichi stared at the thief for a moment. “Are you worried?”

"Me? Of course not. You even came up with a decent trick, I will give you that point.”

"6!"

- Everythin’s set here! - Hattori called through the voice communicator.

"5!"

- I'm waiting - Haibara responded as well.

- Boy, it’s all set - Akai joined the communication and spoke briefly.

"4!"

- Why did I have to do the most boring part?

- What the hell you talkin’ about, Kudo?! You crazy!? You are doing the most dangerous part! 

"3!"

- I didn't say that! Tsk! Kid! Take this seriously!

- Sorry if my voice sounds like yours!

“2!”

- Kudo… ya sure you ain’t got a twin, separated at birth or somethin’?

- Can you three take this seriously!? - Haibara complained and let out a long, audible sigh.

"1!"

The lights in the hall went out, leaving everyone in complete darkness.

"Where are the emergency lights!?" Nakamori shouted into the radio.

And then, several lights came on.

"Thank you! No, wait! Kaitou Kid!"

In fact, the lights that had come on were the ones pointing at the top of the pedestal.

And, on top of the box that securely held the jewel, stood a young man dressed all in white, his cape fluttered in the wind.

Unfazed by whatever trap they had planned, he looked down at the audience.

And people in the audience shouted his name.

With a smile on his face, he said confidently: 

"Let the show begin!"

Chapter Text

Some time before the countdown begins.

Hattori stood outside the hall, near the bridge connecting it to the land. There was a small area with a bunch of lifeboats attached to the side of a concrete ramp leading to the sea.

There was a lifeboat there, a little larger than the others, and inside it sat a man with thinning hair, a mustache, and round glasses.

"You must be Kid's assistant." Hattori said as he approached the lifeboat.

"Good evening, detective. I hope I can be of assistance in your mission." He replied, bowing his head and greeting him politely.

This old fella ain’t at all what I expected, considerin’ the way Kid acts… “Oh, right. I’m here to grab what he asked for.”

"Here it is, young detective."

Jii handed him a backpack, as big as a mountaineering backpack and almost as heavy as a person. Hattori almost fell backwards when he went to pick it up.

"Also, I heard you're proficient with weapons." Jii took something from the lifeboat and passed it to Hattori. "I hope it can be useful for you."

It was a metal baton, about the size of a spear. It didn't have a sharp edge, but it did have some strange buttons.

Hattori pressed one of the buttons and saw the baton extend on both sides.

"This baton can withstand pistol shots and support the weight of 200 pounds."

Curious, Hattori pressed the other button on the baton. At one end, a needle-like object appeared, soaked in some kind of substance.

"Oh, this is an anesthetic, one cut should be enough to paralyze that area of ​​the person's body."

This’ll end up killin’ someone before it numbs ’em. He returned the baton to normal.

"Oh, take this with you too." Jii took something from his pocket and threw it toward Hattori. 

Only when he held it in his hands did he realize what it was.

"A gun!?"

"Don't worry, it only shoots anesthetics. They're not as potent as the ones the little detective uses, but it should be enough to knock someone out."

“I guess that’s it. You better watch yourself, old man.”

"I'll be waiting here if you need my assistantance."

***

In the north area of ​​the hall, backstage, where the jewel was waiting for the time to be displayed.

As his usual routine, Nakaromi was pinching the cheeks of all the police officers around him and checking everything one last time.

"No one leaves here without a companion and no one comes back without checking!" He shouted to everyone in the area.

"Inspector!" From behind him came a voice, a little distressed, it was one of his officers. "I found something you need to check."

"Okay. Take me there quickly, the time set by Kaitou is almost there."

The officer led him through a corridor and then to a dark room a little far away from where the others were.

The man approached the door and pointed inside. "It's here. I'm sure I saw Kid passing by and doing something in this room!"

"I'll check."

Nakamori entered the room and, while reaching to turn on the lights, found another figure standing in the room. A blonde woman with blue eyes and glasses, illuminated by the moonlight coming through the window.

"Hmm? Who are you?" He asked with a bit of suspicion.

When he said that, the door behind him closed with a thud. The officer who guided him to the room leaned his back against it and blocked the way.

"Good evening, Inspector, I'm Jodie Starling—"

"Kaitou Kid!"

He didn't even let the woman finish her introduction before approaching her.

"Hi, Inspector! I'm right here!"

The man turned around instantly, as if an alarm had gone off inside his head.

The irritating voice he was so familiar with came from behind. The officer standing in the doorway smiled sarcastically at him.

Nakamori snorted in anger at that smile, finding himself caught in yet another of the thief's plans."So you're his henchman!?" He shouted at the woman.

Jodie sighed deeply and pulled her FBI badge from her blouse pocket.

"Jodie Starling, FBI. I hope we can cooperate."

"The FBI!?"

He looked at the woman, then at Kid, then at the woman again with a shocked expression. Those two things didn't add up. He must be seeing things.

"What's going on here!?"

"Inspector, I assume a more urgent matter has arisen. This hall is under threat from a dangerous group and I hope your officers can cooperate with us to ensure the safety of the public and- E-Eek! S-Stop!-”

He approached her and pinched her face.

It was indeed the woman's real face and the FBI badge looked genuine.

Nakamori straightened his expression, removing that disconcerted and angry expression and becoming a little more serious, shifting into work mode.

"What do you FBI need?"

Jodie massaged her cheek and replied. "First, I hope what we say here doesn't reach anyone else. Their members may already be among us."

***

End of countdown, current time.

“Kaitou Kid!” 

“It’s Him! He is really here!” 

The audience screamed with excitement at the sight of the thief dressed in all white atop the pedestal.

But one person wasn't happy about all the attention he was getting.

"Kaitou Kid! I'm going to get you!" Nakaromi shouted from the ground. He looked so angry that his face was as red as a tomato.

The pedestal was surrounded by police officers, waiting for the thief to touch the ground to catch him.

“Why the traps aren’t working!? I made sure everyone responsible for the power room was trustworthy!” Jirokichi yelled, grabbing his radio. "Hey! What are you guys doing!? Can you hear me!?"

On the other end of the transmission was Hattori, staring at the radio lying on the ground next to a worker in deep sleep. Several others were lying around him.

“Sorry, old man, but your trustworthy ally is playin’ for the other team.” He said to himself.

Hattori pushed aside the chair of one of the sleeping men and approached the room's surveillance screens. Besides having control over the power, he had a good view of the hall from there, but he easily noticed that the footage of the cameras showing the south side of the hall didn't match the current time.

The Organization had already gotten rid of a part of the cameras.

I hope everything works out, Kudo… He turned his attention to the cameras working.

***

On top of the pedestal, Kaitou Kid, or rather Shinichi, looked down, seeing the police officers waiting to catch him. Nakamori was pressing the button that controlled the pedestal's elevation like a madman, but nothing happened. 

He smiled at the officers trying to climb the pedestal and started talking. 

"In such a rush, dear inspector? The show hasn't even started yet! Come on, show some competitive spirit!" 

As usual, “Kaitou” responded with his voice that was always a mix of chivalry and a teasing joke. 

- T-This…Is that really Kudo up there!? - Hattori stuttered.

- The inspector also did a great job at acting, I'm impressed. - Meanwhile, Kaitou was giggling, watching the scene from a distance.

"Give it up, Kid!” Jirokichi shouted. “Even if you've deactivated the traps, how are you going to open the lock? Hahaha!" He laughed, ignoring the police officers' despair. "This lock was made just for tonight, it won't be easily opened even with lockpicking!"

"Really?" Shinichi forced a reaction and turned his attention to the audience. "So, let's watch the jewel magically teleport from the box to my hand!"

And the audience went wild.

Even Jirokichi was surprised and intrigued by the audacious idea.

Shinichi covered the box beneath his feet with his cape and raised his free hand, three fingers raised.

"In three, two..."

He lowered his fingers one by one and pulled back the cape, revealing the transparent box completely empty!

"How!?" Nakaromi yelled, astonished. “He didn't even bend down to touch the box!”

The lock was still there, too.

"And here it is!" Shinichi waved his hand and revealed the jewel between his fingers!

- No way, he did it! Say goodbye to your job, Kid. - Hattori said, chuckling softly.

- This is just a cheap trick - Kaito grumbled. - It only works because no one's watching from so close. And that's exactly why I broke the old man's remote control, hahaha!

***

“Gin, he actually took the jewel out of there for us, what an idiot.”

Meanwhile, Chianti was aiming at Shinichi from a window in one of the rooms on the third floor of the ballroom.

"You're dead!"

She put her finger on the trigger and focused the sniper scope on the boy's face, only to see him looking directly at her!

Does this bastard know where I am!?

Shinichi smiled at her and, with his free hand, pointed to the side.

The boy laughing in her face and pointing in a direction looked like a kind of challenge. Without thinking much, she let her curiosity get the better of her and looked in the direction with a loud laugh. 

What she saw there with her sniper scope was a bright round dot, growing larger as it approached.

"What is that? A fucking ball—"

Bam!

The ball flying at her face was the last thing she saw before she fell unconscious on the ground. 

Haibara kicked her foot, sending smoke coming out of her shoe as she looked out the window.

- Chianti, what are you waiting for? - A calm, yet slightly irritated, voice sounded from the radio lying on the floor.

A hand reached for the radio and picked it up.

"Tsk! I had to leave my position, the damn FBI came to this area!"

The voice that answered the radio was identical to Chianti's.

- Don't miss the next one. - The radio went silent.

Kaito put the radio in his shirt pocket, then adjusted the black cap he was wearing. 

"Great job, Cool Guy." Jodie came up behind him along with the other FBI member who had come to get Chianti.

Seeing her, Kaito turned his face away and pulled the brim of his cap even lower before answering. "With her here... I can disguise as her and-"

"Don't even think about it." Jodie interrupted him and placed one of her hands on his head. "That's too dangerous for you, boy."

"I can do it easily." He grunted and removed her hand from his head.

"Hey..." She walked over until she was face to face with Kaito. "You know what kills our NOC agents the most? Being discovered? No, most die before that."

Kaito looked at her.

"We can try to convince ourselves we can do it, but the moment they ask you to get your hands dirty, to kill civilians, children, your own coworkers... Do you think you can bear the weight of responsibilities until the end? This is not a mere disguise like in your shows." Jodie pulled up the brim of his cap a little and smiled. "There are better ways to use your skills."

***

I'll have to find some way to thank Haibara after this... Shinichi sighed, trying his best not to let his expression show as he stalled for time atop the pedestal.

He looked at the police officers, the audience, and the third floor shrouded in darkness.

For a brief moment, his eyes met Ran's in the crowd, but then he looked away.

Even when he looked away, he felt a brief chill run down his spine, as if the girl were judging him from afar.

She probably wasn't. This wasn't how he expected to meet her after acting as Conan for so long.

Even if he was doing it for the greater good, he still felt guilty for playing the role of a thief, especially with so many police officers staring at him, wanting for his worst.

They should be here somewhere. 

Looking around a bit more, he managed to spot a man dressed all in black with a mustache and a group following him.

Snake and his henchmen.

They're coming this way.

Shinichi put away the jewel, took Kid’s grappling hook and aimed at the roof.

“Sorry, but I’m going to take this with me. See you next time!” He waved his hand and flew away from the crowd. 

And, like cats following a laser’s red dot, the group went after him on the ground.

"Get him!"

Bam! Bam! Bam!

Some of the members fired at him, but missed from that distance.

“What is that!?” 

“A gun!?”

The people in the crowd screamed in fear as soon as they heard the shots. They crouched on the ground while others ran.

"They're shooting!"

"What is happening!?” 

"Run!"

The hall was filled with chaos in seconds. 

"Evacuate everyone! Group one, follow Kaitou Kid and catch those shooters!" Nakamori shouted to the police officers.

As if expecting this, several of the officers were already positioned at various strategic points. They quickly cleared a path through the crowd.

"You! Evacuate this place too!" Nakamori pointed at Jirokichi and ran in the direction his officers were heading.

“Let’s get out, Ran-chan!” Kazuha grabbed her hand and ran alongside Sonoko into the crowd.

"What's going on!?" Sonoko screamed.

"Wait!" Ran let go of her hand and stopped in the middle of the crowd. "Where are the children?” She looked around, but couldn't find the kids in that chaos. 

“Ran-chan, Suzuki-san, Toyama-san!” A thin female voice called out their names.

The three of them looked in the direction the voice had come from.

Haibara slipped through the group of people running, going against the flow, until she reached the girls. She hunched over and rested her hands on her knees as she caught her breath. "We have to get out of here!" She said, a little short of breath.

"But what about the children? Where's Conan-kun?" Ran looked around again, becoming even more agitated. Haibara could see that the girl was one step away from running away and aimlessly looking for the boy.

"They're already at the exit. Let's go!" She spoke a half-truth.

Haibara had already told Agasa to take the children outside, but that didn't include Conan. How was she going to explain his absence? That was a problem for her in the future.

Even with Haibara's confirmation, Ran was still uneasy, as if she could somehow sense something was wrong.

However, she didn't insist. She held the little girl's hand and followed the group of people along with the other two girls.

Amidst the chaos, the area near the exit in the north wing was more controlled, thankfully, the police were there to support the crowd. Ran never imagined they would be so quick to adapt to the situation. 

And that was what made her even more uneasy.

Near the exit, people lined up to leave. Ran guided the girl in front of her and clumsily joined one of the lines.

People were coming and going in line. Some were trying to cut through, while others ran through the crowd, shouting names, hoping to find each other along the way.

Ran squeezed back and forth in the line to make room for the lost people. In the process, she accidentally tripped into a boy and bumped his shoulder with her elbow.

The boy, whose face was mostly obscured by a cap, immediately put his hand to his shoulder, as if in great pain.

"I'm sorry!" She looked at him and apologized awkwardly.

"It was nothing." The boy pulled the brim of his cap over his face and ran in the opposite direction of the other people.

Ran's eyes widened.

“Huh? Shini-… W-Wait!” She only caught a glimpse of the boy's face, but that was enough. 

That face, that voice, that look - it was all so familiar.

Shinichi!?

"Hey, wait!" She yelled, but the boy was already far away.

Ran turned to Haibara, grabbed her with both hands and handed her to Kazuha like a little kid.

"Kazuha-chan, take her out, I'll be right back!"

"What? Wait!" Kazuha protested. “Where are you going!?” 

“Let me go!” Haibara squirmed in the girl's arms, trying to escape, but Kazuha, as soon as she noticed, put strength in her arms.

"I-I can't!" Kazuha held the girl tightly, confused between getting the girl to safety or following Ran.

"Where did she go!?" Sonoko turned to the two girls.

“She ran in that direction and... huh?” 

Meanwhile, Ran disappeared from view.

Chapter Text

Shinichi ran across the roof until he reached the edge, his foot slid down the metal structure, just a step away from the sea that awaited him below.

According to Hattori's updates, Snake's group was waiting for him on the first floor. Of course, for them to be waiting on the first floor instead of going after him directly, this could only mean one thing.

"Get him! Don't let the jewel fall into the sea!"

A man shouted as he came out from behind the rooftop access where he had been hiding. From behind him appeared more people, all dressed the same way.

The men rushed up, avoiding shooting to not throw Shinichi into the sea by mistake with the jewel.

Seeing the man approaching, Shinichi grabbed Kid’s grappling hook and jumped off the roof.

The hook shot out, wrapping itself around a metal pipe. Shinichi swayed until he went towards one of the windows on the second floor. When he shortened the distance, he wrapped his cape around himself and crashed into the glass.

"Running away again. Go after him!"

As he stood and brushed the shards of glass from his cap, he heard the door at the end of the hall kick open. They used the outside emergency stairs to reach him quickly.

"Get him!"

Shinichi didn’t waste time and ran in the opposite direction, turning at one of the intersections in the dark corridor.

- I’m comin’! Just hold on a bit longer!

He heard Hattori's voice over the communicator.

Corridor after corridor, he kept running until he was faced with a metal door with a large rectangular window at the top, standing lonely at the end of the corridor. 

Shinichi pulled the handle hard, but to his luck, the door was locked.

"He turned here!" The group shouted as they ran into the entrance of the corridor.

"Damn it..." Shinichi took a few steps back and ran toward the door. He took a leap on the wall and grabbed the metal pipes fixed to the ceiling. With the momentum, he broke the door's window with his feet as he flew straight down the passage.

The group reached the door and mimicked his action of trying to open it, just to find it problematic to deal with. 

"Get it open!" One of them shouted as another man came from behind with a rifle and blew the lock with a heavy shot at close range. 

The two kicked the door open and entered the room with guns drawn. However, the room was filled with gas!

"Where is this bastard?"

The group split up to cover the entire room, searching for the thief in the cloud of smoke.

"There's an open window here!" One of them shouted.

"Shit! This bastard escaped again! Get back to the emergency stairs!"

They ran back the way they came and made their way to the stairs.

Meanwhile, Shinichi was hiding behind the door, shrouded in fog. He waited until the sound of footsteps faded and ran toward the building's interior stairs to go down too. 

He ran down the flight of stairs quickly, so fast that he didn't take a good look where he'd stepped on. Only when he saw his own shadow fly across the wall in the moonlight did he realize how fast he was going.

Shinichi gripped the railing beside him with both hands and stopped his run abruptly. He heard his own breathing, which was louder than he'd thought. It was no wonder that that group kept finding him even when running through the corridors in the dark.

Come to think about it, he was currently flying down the stairs as fast as Kaitou Kid had when they'd met earlier. It even seemed like using his identity for a while was influencing his actions.

Jumping off the roof without first attaching the hook? Grabbing the pipes and breaking the window above? His plan on paper wasn't that reckless. He silently blamed the thief for that.

After catching his breath, Shinichi continued down the stairs until he reached the first floor, where he saw the corridors in the distance.

But before he could relax, a man in a black jacket came toward him from the darkness and pointed a gun at his head.

"Kaitou Kid! I got you!"

Come on…

Shinichi slowly raised his hands. The man cautiously approached him with a sarcastic smirk on his face.

"And those guys couldn't catch you! That was my easiest mission yet! Hahahah!"

The man approached the stairs and, at the same moment, saw the door to his left open. From behind it emerged a dark-skinned boy wearing a hood over his head and holding a metal baton.

With a click, the baton extended toward the man and hit him in the stomach, knocking him back with such force that he slammed his back against the railing and fell down the other side of the stairs.

"Oops!" Hattori laughed awkwardly.

"Thanks." Shinichi patted him on the shoulder and walked past him. "Where's that guy’s group?"

"Waitin’ to set up an ambush nearby."

"Great!" He said excitedly. "So they must have met around here."

***

The group descended the emergency stairs and ran through the corridors after Kaitou Kid, only to find another group in the same attire running toward them.

"What are you clowns doing here!? You should stay upstairs and guide that thief here!" The woman leading the group shouted at them.

"But... he came this way!" One of the men protested.

"And where is he then, you idiot?"

"Looking for me?"

The two groups looked in the same direction at the same time, finding the thief in flashy white clothing with his back against the wall, holding the tip of his hat down to hide his expression.

The truth was, he didn't have any charisma left to force another reaction.

"What are you waiting for? After him!" The woman ordered.

The group ran, as did Shinichi.

Going from one corridor to the next in a short chase, Shinichi slid the soles of his shoes as he rounded a corner, going to a dark room with a single window at the back that illuminated him with the moonlight.

"Idiot! This is your end!" The two groups entered the room and pointed their weapons at him, that was an exaggerated number of people aiming at a single person.

"Enough playing cat and mouse..." Shinichi announced bluntly accompanied by a tired sigh.

The dark room abruptly brightened, revealing that the group was not actually alone inside.

Leaning against each wall, hiding on either side of the door, were members of the FBI surrounding the group, also pointing their weapons at them.

"FBI! Drop your weapons and kneel on the floor!"

The group didn't even try to fight, simply throwing down their weapons and kneeling on the floor like frightened dogs.

Once the FBI finished tying up all the bandits, Shinichi crossed the room, scanning the faces of each member lying on the floor.

His gaze moved from one to the next carefully. The closer he got to the end of the line, the more his brow furrowed and his steps became a little heavier. As he checked the last person, he clicked his tongue.

Ignoring the others, Shinichi walked over to the woman, who seemed to have the most authoritative voice among the members, and leaned close to her face.

"Shouldn't Snake be with you? Where did he go?" He asked curtly.

"Go to hell!" The woman spat on the floor near his shoe.

Shinichi didn't waste any more time and left the room to find Hattori waiting for him outside.

“We’ll let the FBI take it from here. You oughta rest up.” The detective advised his friend dressed in white.

"Not yet. Snake disappeared somewhere."

“What makes you so set on catchin’ this guy?”

Shinichi turned to face him briefly and looked forward again, quickening his pace slightly to stay ahead before answering. "This man... is… our greatest source of information about the key after Mezcal."

He continued walking, without elaborating further.

Kudo… ya never were any good at lyin’... Hattori thought.

“He’s outta sight now… don’t think these guys will fall for that same trick again.”

"That's not a problem." Shinichi reached into his inner jacket pocket and pulled out the shiny jewel he held. "It's an opportunity he won't pass up."

***

For a place that had been descending into chaos just minutes ago, the north stage was empty and messy, like a place that had been abandoned for a long time. There were only a few police officers walking around the pedestal that was still standing high. 

The hall was plunged into darkness, a darkness that was anything but silent, as it was the scene of several different groups jumping into action. 

The echoes of gunfire in the distance tell stories of struggles they would never see.

The only thing that would come to light from the stories these people lived were the results, regardless of whether they are positive or negative.

Shinichi and Hattori walked in silence in the north wing of the first floor, hearing the sounds coming from further in the darkness. Shinichi was walking far away from Hattori, he was keeping himself in the light of the moon coming from the opening in the hall ceiling while Hattori stayed closer to the walls.

While walking, Shinichi tried to stay up to date on everything happening on each frequency, switching between them periodically. His attention was primarily on conversations with Akai, who was passing on the information that Amuro had, and the FBI, who was executing their plan. 

- That guy is awfully quiet for some time… what’s he schemin’? - Hattori whispered to Shinichi into the communicator.

Shinichi had the same impression. After getting his hands on the Organization's communicator, Kaitou Kid exchanged more words with Jodie than with them, which was an unexpected scene. Shinichi hadn't expected he'd become friends with the FBI so easily.

Zzzzzzz… Zzzzzzzz…

Shinichi looked at his shirt pocket and saw his cell phone vibrating inside it.

"Hi. Is it you?" He answered the cell phone.

- It's me. - Akai responded as if he had already expected this reception. - Boy, that guy managed to get his hands on the blueprints for their escape route. - He began.

"Really?"

- It's an underground corridor that was built to connect the hall to the coast, offering a view of the sea below, but due to the maintenance costs, it was abandoned. This corridor no longer appears on the blueprints after the renovation.

"That's a good start. Can I ask you to keep an eye on the entrance?"

- Heh, I'm already working on it. Besides, it seems Korn gave up showing his face after I put him in check a few times. They must have already realized someone leaked their hiding places.

"I figured." He sighed. "That's why I asked the FBI members to cover as many locations as possible during this period."

- It looks like your plan worked.

Even as they spoke, updates were coming in from the FBI frequency about their captures.

Even though it was good news, Shinichi wasn't happy, as these updates were followed by other, less than satisfactory, news.

So far, all the captured members were familiar faces on the police's wanted list, from those responsible for major bank robberies to petty thefts.

He remembered what Kaitou Kid had said to him earlier.

"They said something about a branch and the financial losses they incurred due to their mistakes. I imagine most of the members are just there to make easy money in the pursuit of the jewel."

It was quite likely that most, if not all, of the captured members had no relevant information about the Organization.

At least, it was because of them that his initial plan worked. He had come up with other alternatives to give people an excuse to evacuate, but they made his job easier by shooting blindly in his direction.

"Is he still with you?" Shinichi asked.

- Amuro is not here anymore. It seems the Organization updated its plans and he was summoned, but he still doesn't know his role.

"So they're already taking action to deal with the leak... Let me know if you hear anything."

- Alright. 

He turned off his cell phone and put it in his pocket.

- Why’re you two talkin’ through the phone, anyway? - Hattori asked.

"The matter involved a specific person, it's best not to risk a leak on our frequency."

- Anyway… things’re only gonna get tougher from here. Our intel’s shot, so we’re at a disadvantage again. We ain’t totally in the dark, but if we keep usin’ that resource, they’ll catch on fast.

"That's what we were expecting." Shinichi took a deep breath, neither angry nor surprised, simply acknowledging what he already knew with pragmatic acceptance.

They walked for a while longer, being able to see the entrance to the hall in the distance. What initially seemed like a pointless walk soon showed the results Shinichi wanted. He felt goosebumps crawling from tip to toe, a sensation he was well accustomed to.

It was the feeling he got whenever he felt watched.

Not only he, but Hattori noticed it too.

Feeling the eyes approaching, Shinichi quickened his pace.

Hattori stepped into the light right after him with his metal baton in hand.

“Just how long are you plannin’ to keep runnin’, huh, Kaitou Kid!?" Suddenly, Hattori raised his voice and pointed the baton at his friend.

"How long?" Shinichi raised his voice as well, responding sarcastically. "Do you really think you, a mere detective, will be able to catch me?" He took the jewel from his pocket and showed it to the detective. “Come and try to get it.”

The two prepared for what seemed like a contest.

The whole scene seemed like a theatrical performance that had begun out of nowhere. Kaitou Kid, who was flaunting the jewel he'd stolen, and a high school detective, both illuminated by the light.

But that didn't matter to them.

"Heh. Get lost, brat, that jewel's ours."

They had gotten what they wanted.

Snake emerged from the darkness along with other bandits, each coming from a different direction with the intention of surrounding the two detectives.

"You're a fool not to have run when you had the chance. Hand over Pandora!" Snake pointed his gun at him.

“You finally showed up? I've been waiting anxiously! I was tired of bumping into your other friends." Shinichi replied, trying to imitate the thief.

Snake's hand floundered for a second. He didn't know why, but he felt like he'd just fallen into a detective's trap.

"You were walking into the light on purpose? What an idiot. You're surrounded and I checked, there's not a single FBI agent here! Raise your hands, both of you!"

"Okay, okay."

Shinichi and Hattori exchanged glances as they slowly raised their hands.

"What are you two idiots waiting for!?" Snake's hand holding the pistol trembled.

"Sorry~" Shinichi hummed and raised his hands, exposing the jewel in his right hand. "But this jewel comes with a little surprise." 

He opened his left hand to reveal a colorful ball!

"You rat! Don't even try—"

The ball fell from his hand and exploded on the ground, creating a thick layer of smoke around everyone.

Snake immediately grabbed his nose, but that didn't stop him from escaping a second sneezing fit that night.

"I'm going to get you, you piece of shit!"

He awkwardly aimed the gun in the direction he saw a human-shaped figure, but before he could fire, a metal baton flew out of the mist and hit him square in the chin!

"Not so fast!" Hattori picked up his baton and swung it around.

"You! That baton won't do anything!"

"No?"

Snake felt his body freeze. His hand wouldn't lift the gun!

He looked toward the detective and saw a liquid coming out from the tip of the baton, as well as a scratch on his arm, which he hadn't even realized had been touched.

Snake fell to the ground and glared at the detective below, his face growing increasingly ugly.

"What are you incompetents waiting for!? Shoot them!" He shouted, puzzled; no one came to his aid.

Meanwhile, amidst the smoke, the other bandits aimed blindly. Two of them met on the path and stood back-to-back as they covered the area.

"This thief thinks he's going to escape? I just need to shoot from all sides!" One of them said.

"Stupid! You want to hit the others!?" The guy behind him yelled and elbowed him in the head.

"You're too loud~" A sarcastic voice came from the mist and approached the two.

"Kaitou Kid!" The two spoke at the same time as they tried to point their guns at him, but their legs immediately gave out and they lost their balance.

"This is pretty useful, don't you think?" Shinichi approached and showed the gun that fired darts.

The two looked down at their legs and saw the anesthetic darts in them. Not only that, but there was a strange belt around their waists!

"If you'll excuse me..." Shinichi pressed the button on the stretchable suspenders that pulled them back with incredible force. The two fell backward and slammed into their own group members, who were also caught in the tranquilizers and the strange belt!

As soon as the smoke cleared, Snake saw Kaitou Kid next to his henchmen, who were all tied in the ground with something that looked like a belt around them that tightened every time they tried to free themselves.

"That was more useful than I imagined." Shinichi handed the dart gun back to Hattori.

“Y-You! You are not Kaitou Kid!” Snake spoke in a shaky voice as he slowly crawled backward, until his back touched Hattori's legs.

“And just where d’you think you’re goin’, huh?” Hattori took a rope from his backpack and tied the man's arms.

"Hmm~? You think I'm not Kaitou Kid just because you got caught in my trap?" Shinichi crouched in front of the man and smiled. "You got caught because you're predictable."

Every muscle in Snake's face tensed and he flushed with anger. "You really are Kaitou Kid! You damned narcissist!"

"Really, it could only be Kaitou Kid to talk like that." Hattori teased.

Shinichi's eyes twitched.

He stood up with a fake cough and walked away from Snake. "Let's get out of this open space."

"Ugh!"

A loud grunt echoed from behind the group, followed by a loud thud on the floor.

Shinichi and Hattori looked in that direction and saw a bandit lying on the ground and a boy in a black cap behind him.

“You forgot that one.” The boy said. 

"Kid, what are you doing here?" Shinichi asked.

"I can't see you anymore?" He joked.

Kaitou walked toward them, reaching for the collar of the shirt he was wearing and pulling it off, undoing his disguise and revealing his rather striking white outfit.

Snake swallowed hard. "T-There are two of you!?"

"What was that about in the beginning? 'That guy’, 'specific person’, 'that resource’... Are you guys so afraid of leaking information that you spoke in riddles?" Kaitou commented, not taking his own question seriously.

"You listening proves I was right to be careful." Shinichi retorted with a mutter.

Kaitou ignored Shinichi's response and approached him, resting an arm on his shoulder. He didn't even need to look at the detective’s face to sense his irritation.

"You captured him faster than I thought." He said, glancing at Snake.

"I am working hard to make sure you will leave this place handcuffed too." Shinichi pushed the thief's arm away.

“So… Snake…” Kaitou began, approaching the man on the ground. 

He crouched down, grabbed his shirt, and squeezed tightly. "Tell me where to find the information hiding behind Pandora."

"Hahahaha! Information? You idiot magician, I'm not telling you anything!"

Kaitou tightened his grip.

"You're done for. You won't see the sunlight for the rest of your life, I'll make sure of that."

"You really think you'll come out on top? Hahahaha!" Snake laughed out loud and glared at the three of them. "None of you will get out of here alive!"

“Ya say that like ya know for sure…” Hattori raised his eyebrows curiously.

While planning, Shinichi and Hattori thought long and hard about their next move after the Organization discovered the FBI had gotten their hands on inside information.

The safest plan was to buy time. After exploiting the information they'd gained and discovering their escape route, they had to gain ground and wait for more reinforcements to arrive, eventually using the Organization's communicator in Kaitou Kid's possession to predict their plans.

But even Shinichi knew this plan was subject to failure. The Organization came knowing the FBI would be here, they had to be hiding something else up their sleeve.

"What are you planning?" Shinichi asked.

"Why don't you guys try to find out if you think you're so smart?" Snake scoffed.

Kaitou let go of his shirt and let him fall to the ground, backing away from him and the other bandits. Shinichi walked over to Kaitou and saw him with the Organization radio pressed to his ear. He leaned in closer to listen as well.

- Gin, it looks like police reinforcements have arrived. They're heading for the bridge. - One of the Organization members said.

- Heh. They got here fast.

There wasn't a hint of worry in Gin's voice. How could he be so calm?

- By the time they get to the entrance, there will be nothing left. - Gin stated.

Both Kaitou and Shinichi immediately straightened and looked back.

They were near the entrance.

"Hattori! Get out of there now!" Shinichi shouted. He tried to walk toward Hattori, but Kaitou grabbed his arm and pulled him away from the entrance. 

“Idiot! Protect yourself first!” 

When, suddenly, their feet left the ground with the force of the explosion that ripped through the entire entrance.

BOOM!

The two were thrown away along with several pieces of debris.

"H-Hattori!" Shinichi shouted again as he quickly got up from the ground.

"I'm fine." Hattori replied.

He had been thrown alongside the other two.

"And Snake and the others!?" Kaitou looked in the direction where the bandits were tied up and saw that there was no one else there, just Shinichi's stretchable suspenders. "You've got to be kidding..."

"No!" Hattori also got up and ran through the rubble closer to the entrance.

"Hattori, where are you going!?"

"Kazuha!" He shouted.

Shinichi felt his body freeze. 

The people they tried to get out of the hall… they have been all evacuated to the bridge.

Ran!