Disclaimer: I don't own DC or MK. This is a companion side-story to "The Hattori-Kudo Files" chapter 6 (Sharkbait, Part 1). I wanted to work the MK cast into the main story for the Sharkbait case, but it didn't work out and then I realized I could give them some screen time here.
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This was literally a waking nightmare. He'd been looking forward to some quality Saguru-badgering time and pranking Aoko in public. It was amazing what he could get away with when she had no weapon handy. When Aoko told him that they were going to a museum, he'd prepared supplies to make skeletons dance and the eyes of portraits move; he'd stored period costumes in his voluminous pockets to dress his companions up, which would surprise and scandalize both his friends and the other guests. And he'd left the glue, dye, and other potentially damaging materials at home, sticking to glitter, beads, rice, and similarly dry supplies.
He was regretting that last decision. Kaito very much wanted to damage something right now. Or perhaps two particular someones. Saguru had more of a magician in him than Kaito had previously assumed – that or he just really wanted to get back at Kaito for the last heist. The detective had been an absolute spectacle when he arrived at school the next morning: the blue hair looked magnificently out of place, as always, and he smelled like peanut butter all day. The reason that Saguru's performer skills had been upgraded in Kaito's mind was that the detective had managed to keep Kaito's attention long enough to get them through the ticket booth and inside the building before he realized that they were at an AQUARIUM. The horror. A good magician shouldn't get distracted so easily. He should know all the tricks and always be aware of his surroundings. Today, Kaito was paying for that lapse in alertness.
"No no no no, I'm leaving right now," Kaito said firmly, trying not to look at the finny things as Aoko dragged him along. "Nothing you can say will change my mind. You two have fun with the f-f-fish and I'll just take the train back to Ekoda." Where it's safe, he mentally added.
"I'll tell you where the Fox's Eye is going to be displayed," Saguru bargained. After a significant pause, he added, "I know what a big fan of Kaitou Kid you are, and Suzuki Jirokichi might decide to challenge Kid in the near future." The half-British detective had looked at Aoko first as if to tell Kaito that the "big fan" title had been entirely for her benefit.
"Oh, well, if I might get to see Kid-sama," Kaito demurred, thinking about it. If I back out, Hakuba will think that my fear of fish overcomes my drive to steal. He could just imagine the next heist location being covered with fish-themed paraphernalia. "I suppose an hour here wouldn't kill me." It could, he told himself, shuddering at all of the aquatic creatures around him. This was positively traumatic. The situation could not get worse, he thought fervently.
But Luck was a capricious lady, and the sound of two familiar voices reached his ears: a teen with a Kansai dialect followed by an unsettlingly adult intonation coming from a child's mouth. "You're kidding," Tantei-kun was saying. "I can't see that ending in anything but catastrophe." What normal seven-year-old uses the word "catastrophe," huh? Tantei-kun was far from normal.
A shrill scream broke through the white noise of the other visitors. "Oh my God, he's dead!" Kaito reacted before Saguru could take an interest and drag him over to where the two other detectives were undoubtedly heading. In an instant, his classmate was absolutely covered in green glitter. Good. Now he won't go. It would be too embarrassing for him to face Tantei-han full of sparkles. They can take care of the death and we can get out of this hellhole. He'd managed to get through an encounter with Tantei-kun sans Kid costume without revealing his name; he wasn't about to ruin that accomplishment by arriving in tow of one of Kid's other detectives.
Saguru shot an annoyed look at him, saying, "I know why you did that, Kuroba-kun, but I am also aware that Hattori-san and Conan-kun are fully capable of solving cases. For this little act, though, you're going to have to stay here two hours to hear where the gem is being displayed."
"Oh, Hakuba, you are so going to pay for this," Kaito promised, but the detective just grinned.
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From Meri: Poor Kaito. On another note, I think Hakuba should have referred to Heiji as Hattori-kun, but since during the Mizuki heist Heiji called him Hakuba-san, I figured I'd even it out. I might change it in future stories. Reviews are always appreciated, and you should go read "The Hattori-Kudo Files" if you haven't yet!