The Detective and the Thief

The news was plastered everywhere that the Violet Dream had been stolen. People speculated if Kaitou Kid had something to do with it, for no trace had been found of a break in. Others jumped in to defend the magician thief, saying it wasn't in his style to steal without leaving a notice, let alone the same jewel twice.

"Looks like everyone's talking about you," Shinichi said, nodding to the newspaper next to Kuroba. Kid's face was displayed on the front page.

"Well, I am pretty amazing."

Shinichi wanted to point out that he'd featured in just as many newspapers, but that would be petty and he couldn't be bothered getting into a "who's more famous" argument with Kuroba. Besides, he knew the response was just a deflection.

The whole morning, Kuroba had been glancing at his phone on and off whenever he thought no one was watching. He was all charm with Yukiko, acted the perfect Conan with Subaru, and probably would have fooled Shinichi too had it not been for that one slip up.

Kuroba was worried. More worried than he cared to let on.

"Do you think Akako will get back to us today?" Shinichi asked.

"She'd better."

Shinichi frowned. Before he could say anything, Yukiko called out to them to say Conan's friends had turned up.

"I am not hanging out with those kids today," Kuroba said flatly. "You get rid of them."

Shinichi sighed and stood up. "Alright."

oOo

It was dark when Akako called. She was preparing the spell now. They just needed to come to her house in an hour and she would perform the switch.

Shinichi remained seated, not able to do more than blink at the phone Kuroba had cast aside. After all this time they were finally going to switch back. It felt surreal. No more inhabiting another's body, no more Kuroba pretending to be Conan. They could go back to their normal lives.

Something cold and heavy plummeted in his stomach, like an ice-coated rock. Right. He would go back to his normal life. Trapped as a child, unable to be with Ran as he wanted, desperate to find a way to bring the Black Organisation down.

But this was how it was meant to be. How it had to be.

"Finally," Kuroba murmured, sprawling back against the bed. "I can't wait to be in my own body again. Go home. See my friends …"

Shinichi blinked. "Yeah. You must be—"

The phone rang. Kuroba's mobile phone.

They both stared at it.

"Is it Akako again?" Shinichi asked.

"No …" Kuroba's brow furrowed. He snatched up the phone, whipped out the bowtie, and pressed the button to accept the call. "Yo—"

A long silence followed. All the colour drained from Kuroba's face and his grip tightened so hard on the bowtie that his knuckles turned white. Something was wrong. Terribly wrong. Shinichi had never seen his poker face break so much except in Uji during that one phone call with his mum.

"What?" Shinichi said. "What's going on?"

Kuroba lowered the phone. "They have her."

"Who?"

"Aoko." His hands trembled slightly and he cursed, tossing the phone away from him and gripping at his hair. "Idiot! I knew I should have had Gramps steal other jewels to disguise the theft."

Shinichi pressed his lips together, his mind already working through scenarios. He didn't waste time with words of comfort. "So, it's a trade?"

"Obviously."

"Then they must have given you the location where they're keeping her, right?"

Kuroba nodded. "But there's a time limit. Apparently, they're tired of playing games with me."

The cold rock settled heavier in Shinichi's belly. "How long?"

"One hour."

A hissed curse escaped Shinichi's lips.

"Yeah. We don't have time to perform the switch and save her."

"Then we save her first. I'll help you. We can—"

"You don't understand, Kudo. They want Kaitou Kid. Only Kaitou Kid."

Silence hit like a slap as the full implications of those words settled.

Shinichi straightened his back, looking him dead in the eye. "Then that's who they'll get."

A tiny smile tugged at the corner of Kuroba's lips. "You really think you can pull it off?"

"I have been pretending to be a first grader."

"Poorly."

"Debatable."

Kuroba's smile widened, but then his expression turned grim. "Alright. I can't believe we're doing this, but alright. Let's make a phantom thief out of you."

oOo

It was odd to be dressed in the white suit again. Kuroba had taken him back to his house and given him all the tools he needed, along with a fake Violet Dream that he'd made for the last heist. The fact Kuroba didn't complain about having to reveal his address or his secret lair was a testament to how much he cared about saving this Aoko girl.

"You remember the plan?" Kuroba asked, handing him the card gun.

"Of course."

"Good. Because if you screw up, I'm gonna make that last soccer ball to the face feel like a friendly tap."

Shinichi pocketed the gun. "Don't worry. This'll work."

A life was on the line, and he owed Kuroba after all the times the thief had come to his aid. No way was he going to screw up.

oOo

The warehouse was an abandoned meat works with a rusted frame, like an old metal insect trying to shed its skin. Dim light could be seen through one of the windows.

Shinichi's pulse throbbed in his neck as he approached the door. Kuroba had warned him that this was likely a trap and that snipers could be in position. He did not like snipers. At any other time, he would have called on Subaru to back him up, but that wasn't his call to make. Not for this.

He cast a glance around at the surrounding walls and buildings. No figures could be seen.

"Here goes nothing," he muttered.

Ignoring the little skip-flutter of his heart, he pushed the door open and was greeted with an eerily lit corridor. His steps were quiet as he made his way towards the main storage area, creating fresh prints in the dust smears that coated the floor. Hooks gleamed from above like rows of teeth. Much as Shinichi wasn't one for being spooked easily, he thought they could have picked a better location.

He reached the last door. Voices could be heard from within—gruff and masculine. Sounded like three at least.

This was it.

Shinichi exhaled and plastered on Kaitou Kid's infamous poker face. Then he opened the door.

The girl looked just like Ran. That was his first thought. His second was that he'd seen her before at—Ekoda Station. Of course back then she hadn't been gagged and tied up, and a man wearing sunglasses hadn't had a gun pointed at her head. Her eyes widened at the sight of him and she made a muffled sound.

"Gentleman, gentleman," Shinichi said with Kaitou Kid's usual brand of flair. "So sorry to keep you waiting."

The man on the left—Snake, according to the description Shinichi had been given—stepped forward. A razor-sharp smile curved his lips. "Where's the Violet Dream?"

"So quick to get to business? I haven't even greeted the young lady you've—"

"Where is it?" Snake snapped.

Shinichi removed the jewel from his pocket and held it up for them to see. Thank goodness for Kuroba's meticulous detail. No one would be able to tell it was a fake unless they were a true expert, especially not from this distance.

"I knew it," Snake hissed, his smile widening like a slit up his face. "Pass it over."

"Uh-uh." Shinichi waggled his finger. "Hand me the young lady first."

"You don't get to bargain here. Give us the jewel or we shoot."

Shinichi's gaze darted to Aoko, who flinched and tried to edge away from the gun pressed to her temple. His pulse throbbed harder. The thundering beat was distracting, but not enough to make him lose his calm. "If you hurt her, you won't get the jewel," he said coolly. "Trust me on that."

Snake laughed. "Oh, yes, we know all about your tricks, Kaitou Kid, but you're forgetting one thing."

"What?"

"You're already here with the jewel, and we don't need either of you."

There was a subtle click and then two ear-splitting bangs. Shinichi's heart lurched. His body moved on its own, dodging the bullet that came for his face. Aoko blinked at him in tear-blurred fright. The gun that had been pressed to her head was now pinned to the ground by a card.

Snake spun around. "What the—"

"Catch!" Shinichi yelled, and tossed the jewel at Snake.

More cards shot down, hitting the three men and knocking them off their feet. Shinichi didn't hesitate: he reached into his pocket and threw one of the round balls at the ground, which exploded in a gushing cloud, enveloping them all in a hazy cloak of smoke.

"Get him!" Snake snarled.

Shinichi weaved through the smoke and scooped Aoko up into his arms. More gunshots went off—all in the wrong direction.

"Let's get you out of here," Shinichi murmured.

Then he ran.

oOo

He met back with Kuroba and flew the three of them to a rooftop a safe distance away. The police would have surrounded the warehouse by now, since Kuroba had tipped them off. No doubt the organisation men would have got away though.

Aoko folded her arms and glanced between them, worrying her bottom lip between her teeth. Shinichi expected Kuroba to say something to her, but he just kept his distance like some silent little statue. Great.

"Are you okay?" Shinichi asked her. "Not hurt?"

She glanced up at him and then off to the side. "No …"

"That's good."

What else was he supposed to say? He had no idea how to act around her.

Aoko toyed with a strand of her hair. "Kaitou Kid."

"Yes?"

Her eyes flashed up at him, impulsive and full of sparks. "I still don't like what you do—stealing just makes you a no-good thief, you know, and one day my dad will bring you down!" Her voice got smaller and she lowered her gaze to her hands. "But … thank you for saving me."

Shinichi tried not to let his surprise show on his face. So she didn't know anything about Kuroba being Kaitou Kid, not to mention seemed to actively dislike the guy. That was unexpected.

"It's understandable you feel that way, Nakamori-san," Kuroba said, his voice oddly soft. "I'm just sorry those men dragged you into this no-good thief's business."

Nakamori. A father who would one day bring Kid down. Of course. She must be Inspector Nakamori's daughter. This was getting more and more complicated.

"Wait," she said, and her eyes widened as she focussed her attention on Kuroba. "Aren't you the one who helps my dad and Suzuki-san during heists sometimes?"

"Yeah."

"But you're working with Kaitou Kid?"

Kuroba shook his head. "It's complicated. This was a one-off thing."

"To save you," Shinichi added, smiling with all the charm he could muster at her. That seemed like a Kid thing, right? He'd always been a bit of a flirt.

Dusts of pink spread over her cheeks. "Oh."

Huh. To think this guy's charm actually worked sometimes.

"Anyway," Kuroba said loudly, shooting a frown at Shinichi before he glanced back at Aoko. "We should get you to your dad. Will you be okay to give a statement to him on your own? I would stay with you, but I have something else I need to do first."

"Y-yeah. Sure."

Kuroba smiled. "Great."

She blinked and then her expression softened. "You know, it's weird. You kinda remind me of my friend."

"Oh?"

She scowled at Shinichi. "He's a much better magician than you."

Shinichi tried very hard not to grin. Now the pieces were coming together.

"I'm sure he is," Kuroba said hastily, "but we should really get moving. Right, Kid?"

Shinichi nodded, then held out his arms to Aoko. "If you'll allow me."

Fresh pink bloomed on her cheeks, though her scowl didn't falter. "Fine, but I'm watching you, thief."

Shinichi's mouth twitched. Yep, that was definitely one messy relationship Kuroba had going on with this girl.

oOo

Kuroba sighed in relief as he finished checking the messages on his phone. "Gramps is still fine, and Aoko is safe with her dad."

"Good," Shinichi said. "Then there's just one thing left to do."

They both looked at the witch's house, which loomed in front of them like some creepy thing out of a story book.

Shinichi paused, his brow wrinkling. "You know, you never did tell me what deal you made with her."

"It won't mean nothing unless she switches us back anyway." Kuroba clapped him on the back and marched ahead. "Let's go, Kudo. I'll tell you all about it once you're the tiny one again."

Shinichi laughed, shaking his head slightly, and caught up to him. After all the craziness he'd just experienced, he was more than ready to be the tiny one again.

oOo

Akako did not play any tricks this time or even spare them with a greeting. She stood in a circle of red-lined patterns, dressed in a robe the colour of blood. The Violet Dream glinted on a stone pedestal in front of her. It was the kind of setup Shinichi would have laughed at once—cliché, a typical charlatan trying to play witch. Now his heartbeat quickened and he swallowed against the dryness in his throat. Real magic could be felt through every inch of this room. It shivered in the air and raised the hairs on the back of his arms.

"Come closer," she ordered. "But do not step on the lines."

Shinichi and Kuroba exchanged a glance. In sync, they approached the pedestal, careful to avoid the patterns and ancient words that had been inscribed onto the stone floor. She closed her eyes and began to chant—words that made no sense to him, but the circle came alive with fire, vivid and hot.

His eyes widened. Heat licked at his skin, though not close enough to burn.

Akako unveiled a knife from her robe. The sharp point gleamed. "Hold out your hands," she said coolly.

"Oi, oi." Shinichi leaned back, his heart like a thumping drum against his ribs. "Just what are you planning to do?"

"This is ancient magic," she explained. "I need your blood to make the rest of the spell work."

Kuroba held his hand out, though his eyes were narrowed. Shinichi reluctantly did the same.

Two quick cuts pierced through flesh, letting blood drip down their palms and onto the gem. Magic hissed like a snorting dragon. Then Akako began to chant again and light flared from the gem in blinding violet.

Shinichi winced, half cringing as the air vibrated with energy. The chanting got louder, the magic throbbed deep in his blood, in his bones.

Into his very soul.

Then it was like something smashed into him, knocking his world off kilter, and everything went black.

oOo

He woke with his head throbbing. It was an effort to sit up, his limbs shaky and weak. But they were small. Just like his hands were small. He ran his finger over the familiar blue blazer and fingered the glasses perched on his nose.

"I see you're finally awake," Kuroba observed, though a smile tugged at his lips.

Shinichi returned the smile. This was one déjà vu he didn't mind having.

oOo

They parted from Akako after thanking her for her help. (And after she laughed villainously and reminded Kuroba he had to keep his end of the deal now.)

"So," Shinichi said as they headed for the station, "you gonna tell me what the deal you made with her is?"

"Oh, I have to be her partner for the cultural festival dance."

Shinichi blinked. "Wait, that's it?"

"What do you mean that's it?"

"I don't know. I just thought it would be something … more."

Kuroba shook his head. "You don't understand. This is going to be torture. I'll have to go on an actual date with her, pretend to enjoy being with her, and …"

He kept rambling about why having to be Akako's date for a night was going to be a nightmare. Shinichi tried not to laugh, though he couldn't help it in the end.

"It's not funny!" Kuroba complained.

"I dunno …" A sly grin curved Shinichi's mouth. "You sure you're not upset just because you can't take Aoko instead?"

Pink splotches formed on Kuroba's cheeks. "Of course not! Why would I want to take her?"

"Kinda seemed like you're into her."

A huff. "The switch must have turned your deduction skills faulty. I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Yeah, no one is buying that, especially not me."

Kuroba glanced at his watch. "Oh, look at the time. I'd better get home. Nice switching bodies with you, Kudo, but—"

"Hold it." Shinichi snagged the back of his shirt. "Don't go running off just yet."

"Why? Gonna miss me?"

Shinichi rolled his eyes. Here was familiar territory. "Actually, I wanted to thank you."

"Thank me? For what?"

"For playing along with all this." Shinichi spread his hands, gesturing to his tiny body. "I know it was a lot."

Really. They'd been through so much since they'd switched bodies: a whole murder mystery, all the drama with Ran, Hattori's suspicions, playing friendly with the Detective Boys. Shinichi knew he could've never pulled it off had he switched with anyone else.

Kuroba shrugged and scratched his cheek, looking off to the side. "Well, you ended up helping me in the end too, so I say we're even."

That was true. Shinichi couldn't say he was in any rush to pretend to be Kaitou Kid again either. It was much better to play the detective role.

He held out his hand. "See you at the next heist then?"

"Oh, I dunno. Could be a bit sooner. Maybe I'll come visit you as your dear Shinichi-niichan next time."

"Don't you dare."

Kuroba grinned. "Or you'll do what?"

"Wait, you're not actually serious, are y—"

"Bye, detective!"

"Kuroba!"

Kuroba laughed and dashed away down the street, dodging the soccer ball that chased after him. That sneaky thief was so going to get it!

Yay, we've reached the end! Thanks to all those who stuck with me through this. I really am sorry I left you hanging for so long!