Disclaimer: Detective Conan & Magic Kaito belong to Aoyama Gosho.

Characters: Kaitou KID & Edogawa Conan

Genre: angst

Words: 1212

Summary: Conan was wondering why things turned out like this, and KID doesn't know the answer either. (yay for vague summary *gets shot*)

A/N: I felt like writing something angst-y lately… I blame the winter blues XP

Trance Trap

"What's the meaning of life, if it can be taken away just like that…?"

Kaitou KID blinked as he took a closer look at the small figure kneeling in front of him. He had never seen such a serious and melancholic expression on his face. It's not hard to guess why the detective suddenly made that comment, though – a murder occurred at the KID heist where they were at a short while ago. It turns out that the murderer, who was the owner of KID's target necklace, had a large debt due to gambling. In order to get his wife's death insurance payout, he killed his wife at the moment her necklace was stolen, and tried to put the blame onto KID. Of course, with Conan (and Sleeping Kogorou…) present, it didn't take long for the white-clad thief to reclaim his innocence. In his desperateness, the murderer tried to make a run by taking Conan hostage, and KID was injured in the process of rescuing the child detective. KID escaped after knocking out the heartless jerk, but Conan caught up to him soon afterwards with concern written all over his face, and insisted on checking KID's injury.

"I saw the photos of those two down there. They looked like a happily married couple. I just don't understand… how he could have killed her to pay off debt," Conan continued as he carefully cleaned the blood off KID's left forearm to take a closer look at his wound. "Did his debt really outweighs her life, and the time that they have spent together…? Didn't they love each other? What gives him the right to take her life away like that?!"

KID watched the dejected detective in silence as the child continues to bandage his arm. What gives one the right to take someone else's life away, huh? This question really hit a little too close to home. He knew he had asked himself that question a million times over the past few months when he found out that his father was murdered, not killed in an accident. Memory of the sea of fire that took his father's flame of life away still haunts him from time to time. What gave those bastards the right to kill his father and shatter his family?! What was life to those bastards? It's part of the reason why he became KID, so that he could try to track down those cold-blooded murderers and avenge his father's death. When that time comes though…

…does he have the right to take their lives away?

To be honest, he wasn't sure what he would do when that time comes. Would he be satisfied with the jerks being put behind bars, or would he end up hunting for more? If he does choose to kill these murderers to avenge his father, does it make him one of them as well? If his father was still around, would he want to see him become a murderer for his sake? He didn't want to think about it, but at the same time, it's not something that he can simply ignore. He will come across this problem eventually; it's merely a matter of when.

"KID?"

Conan's inquiring tone snapped KID out of his trance. Trapped in his thoughts, he had unconsciously looked away from the detective earlier – was it because he was feeling guilty of his dark thoughts, or was it because the detective's words had tapped into the Pandora's box that was hidden in his heart? He wasn't sure… but he knew that he didn't like the detective's expressions earlier. Would the detective understand him if he ever chose to take those murderers' lives away, or would the detective look at him with the same bitter and melancholic eyes?

"Sorry if what I said made you uncomfortable, I just…" Conan let go of KID's now bandaged arm as he stood up. "I guess I just wanted to vent. Even though I have seen so many murders already, you'd think I should be used to it already, but–"

"No, I don't think it's something that any sane person would get used to, let alone someone so small like you." KID interjected as the child detective started to fidget over his words.

KID chuckled as Conan immediately flushed and stomped his foot angrily. "I'm not small!"

"Oh? Last I checked you're less than half my size."

"Oh for–" Conan cut himself off as he caught a hold of himself and cleared his throat. "Anyhow, I came here mainly to thank you for saving me earlier…" The bespectacled detective continued to look at him, with his gaze focused on KID's injured left arm. "Next time, you don't have to bother. I'm more than capable of protecting myself."

"Aw, do I look like someone who'd leave a child in distress in the arms of dangerous criminals?"

Conan rolled his eyes at KID's comment. "No, I suppose not. But really, red doesn't suit you… Don't forget to include yourself in your so-called 'no one gets hurt policy' too, you know?"

KID paused as he checked his arm over and took note of the blood stain currently on the left sleeve of his suit. It wasn't the first time he was injured at a heist, and he usually doesn't get bothered by them. But the detective's words about how red doesn't suit him, and how he needed to mindful of his own safety…

It's probably not worth it to tint his hands in those bastards' blood for revenge, right? He will not live his life as a murderer. It was never part of him to begin with, and it should not become a part of him in future.

"Right. I'll be more careful next time. Thank you for bandaging my arm so wonderfully, my dear detective." KID grinned as he quickly kneeled down, grabbed Conan's right hand, and planted a light peck on the back of the detective's hand before it was quickly pulled away.

"Eww, did you have to be so showy all the time?" Conan narrowed his eyes and wiped his hand in a mocked annoyance.

"Of course, I'm a magician and a performer. My sole existence is to please my fans, critics included." KID laughed as Conan continued to snarl at him. "Well, I must take off now, Meitantei. Don't let that murder bother you too much. A sulking expression doesn't suit you either. I'll see you next time!" In a puff of smoke, the white-clad thief is nowhere to be seen.

"Geez, that guy just never changes, eh?" Conan smiled in amusement as he took note of the target necklace dangling off his neck. Taking it off and putting it in an evidence bag, he slowly headed back to the ballroom, where officers from Division 1 were still collecting evidences related to the murder.

He briefly wondered what was going on in KID's mind when he was ranting about the murderer, but he quickly dismissed said thought. After all, for someone as egocentric and confident as Kaitou KID, there shouldn't be anything that'd require Conan to be concerned about. Hopefully the next heist would be smoother than this one, so that he could have another battle of wits against the infamous phantom thief.

End.

Afterword: Thanks for reading! Big thanks to everyone who fav-ed/reviewed my other fics, and everyone who put me on their author fav/alert list! ^w^

Title from GARNET CROW's Trance Trap.

Tried writing something that's not as fluffy this time. Tell me how I did…?

I'm now off hiatus and I'll try to write more this month. Too bad I don't have winter break since I have to work. Boo.