Nightshift 46: Entry Room

[rocksthecourt]

[from here]He wandered through as carefully as one could when in a rush to move. This was ridiculous. He was lingering too much on sentimental thoughts. If he wanted to get anything accomplished tonight, he needed to maintain his focus. A hospital this large with this many people... There must have been a surplus of information to find. And if this

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[flashyaudacity]

It was obvious that Kudou was addressing Kid now. That alone would have been good enough for him to shift gears if Kudou hadn't called him 'Kuroba'--if he was going to pull this off, he couldn't acknowledge that name in any way as Kid.

...But if he delayed the game too long, Hattori might think to check on them, and he didn't need that doubt planted in the detective's mind. He'd made it so obvious for Kudou to begin with, so perhaps he could just accept the use of the name as a little bit of mockery that was to be ignored.

Kid decided to take the risk; he'd practically been the one who had pulled Kudou aside to talk rather than the other way around, anyway. He pulled out of Kudou's grip, moving back a few steps just to put a safer distance between them, and drew himself up to stand straighter. A smirk slid into place on his lips, and his hands sought out his pockets.

"Jumping to conclusions aren't you, tantei-kun?" he said, modifying his voice to be Kid's-still so much like the one he and Kudou had in common, but with the smoother, more self-assured tone of an experienced showman. "And you say I'm being sloppy? Tsk…"

His smirk widened. "You really ought to be thanking me."

[meitantei]

It was really amazing, watching Kaito become Kid. He stood straighter, looked more confident; an 'average' teenager turned into a competent Phantom Thief. Even the voice was slightly different.

But only slightly.

Shinichi smirked. "Hardly. I've suspected it a while, and you could have practically thrown yourself a parade for all your subtlety just now." He watched Kid closely and marveled how strange it was to be able to look him in the eye like this. They were equals right now, in every sense of the word.

"Thanking you? How so?"

[flashyaudacity]

Kid laughed. "If you'd already suspected, you should have kept a stronger stomach, detective. Did you not realize until after?" He paused, as though a thought had just occurred to him. "Or do you mean you have a suspicion about who I really am…?"

He shrugged nonchalantly to brush off the notion as hardly concerning, but he was inwardly cursing himself. Kudou had already suspected a connection between "Kid" and "Kaito"? He'd always tried to be careful around the detective-in some ways, Kudou was far more dangerous to him than even Hakuba-but despite that… What had it been? The magic? Magic had been a part of his life long before Kid, and he couldn't sacrifice that for an added ounce of safety. He just couldn't.

"No matter. I've protected your little secret; if it weren't for me, Kuroba would have found out tonight," he stated.

[meitantei]

Shinichi arched an eyebrow. What was Kid playing at? Did he honestly expect Shinichi to believe that he was just disguised as Kuroba? Could he even disguise himself in this place? It wasn't like he could concoct theatrical-grade makeup out of white glue and macaroni.

"...Right. And you want me to believe that there just happens to be a third teenager who looks and sounds exactly like me out somewhere in the ether? It's a cute trick, Kid, but I'm not buying the act."

He straightened, staring Kuroba/Kid/Whoever directly in the eye. "And even if you're right--this'll be a shock to you, I'm sure, but I don't care right now. I don't care who you are. I'm not interested in catching you. It's not like I can just take you into custody here. It'll be a different story when we get back, but right now all I'm interested in doing is keeping what happened tonight contained and finally solving that goddamn case that Hattori and I have been working on. You don't fit into that equation. Maybe as Kuroba Kaito you do, but not as Kaitou Kid."

[flashyaudacity]

"Think what you wish, but a pinch to the nose or pulling the cheeks isn't always a good test to remove a disguise," Kid said, looking entirely unperturbed by Kudou's disbelief. "I always thought you might have favored this voice, but if I was wrong... I can use another."

He changed his voice at the last word to one that would sound just as familiar to Kudou's ears: that of Mouri Ran. He continued in her voice, "I'll applaud you for your priorities, Shinichi. But even if you were interested in discovering me here, tantei-kun, I've been stealing since you were in diapers; I won't let you stop me, even after we break out of this prison."

He risked a single step closer. "As for tonight... I intend to help you, if you can stand the assistance of a criminal."

[meitantei]

That voice. Shinichi tried to snort derisively, but he couldn't help looking disturbed. Kid knew exactly what to do to play at his emotions and shake him; it wasn't the first time he'd used Ran like this. The detective clenched his fists at his sides, trying to get himself back in control. Emotions were dangerous for an investigator. They clouded logic and judgement and could be the difference between catching a killer and letting one walk free.

He took a deep breath. "If you truly want to help us, I will gladly accept that help," he said slowly, ignoring everything else. "The moment you step out of line, however, our little truce will be history. Understand?"

Sighing, Shinichi added, "And what about Hattori? Are you going to parrot his friends back at him too, or am I just special like that?"

[flashyaudacity]

"I'll be on my best behavior, tantei-kun," Kid answered, still using Ran's voice. "I trust you won't reveal me to Hattori tonight--there would have been no reason speaking in private if you'd intended that--so there'll be no need for me to use any voice but Kuroba's."

He grinned. "I hope you won't be too disappointed."

Maybe tonight would even work out in his favor. He knew now about Kudou's suspicions and guesses, and the idea that they might be able to stay on the same side until they were back home in Japan was almost comforting. He still needed to protect himself, to prevent them from becoming sure beyond any possible doubt of who he really was, but if Kudou was willing to put their rivalry aside even for a moment... There might be something worth doing with that.

He'd have to keep it in mind.

[meitantei]

"Good."

Shinichi ran his hands through his hair. He couldn't concentrate, not when Kid kept insisting on using that voice.

"We've worked together before, haven't we?" He managed finally, sounding tired. "The airplane, and then at the theme park. Because that was you, wasn't it? Pretending to be Hakuba?"

[flashyaudacity]

"On the short term, yes, when our goals have happened to coincide," Kid agreed with a curt nod.

He laughed again, the sound almost like a giggle in the feminine voice. "It's too late to ask me that now, great detective. I may reveal myself when confronted, but I won't answer old suspicions. Maybe I was Hakuba that day and maybe I wasn't, but you won't hear which from me. Exposure ruins any illusion, after all... But you should understand that already, since I talked to you about Thurston's principles once before."

[meitantei]

Shinichi was going to deck Kid if he kept using that voice. He really was. It was entirely too distracting...which was what the thief wanted, of course.

"Sure, a magician never performs the same trick twice," he replied, sounding bored. "Purple Nail Pair." Why Kid was bringing that up he had no idea, but he was going to go with it for now. "What, are you going to pull a rabbit out of your pocket or something? The way out of this hellhole, perhaps? If not, we should go join Hattori. He's got to have his hands full with all those files. Also..."

The detective looked up and stared Kid right in the eyes. "If you want to get back to Tokyo nearly as badly as I think you do, our goals 'coincide.' Don't forget that."

[flashyaudacity]

"Our goals may coincide, but I don't expect to work together like this again, tantei-kun. Tonight's truce is just for tonight," Kid said, flashing him one last cocky grin.

The smile faded into a friendlier one, one that was not part of Kid's usual repertoire. He took his hands from his pockets, and though he idly twirled a syringe in his fingers with more flair than Kaito usually did as a reminder of who he really was tonight, Kaito again stood where Kid had been mere seconds ago.

His voice was back in place, too. "C'mon, Hattori's probably having a hard time of it if anything in there's locked," he said casually. Kaito gestured towards the door. "After you."

[meitantei]

"Fine, whatever," Shinichi snapped. He was losing patience with Kid. At least he'd stopped using Ran's voice, though. It really was interesting to see Kid revert back into Kaito, seeing his posture and mannerisms change in ways that were so subtle and yet so important. No wonder that the mysterious Phantom Thief was such a master of disguise. He had the body language down pat...assuming that Kid was, in fact, in disguise and not just going back to his main alter-ego. Shinichi wasn't at all convinced that Kid wasn't Kaito.

"Yeah, let's go."

[rejoining Heiji here.]