Fic: Impeccability (1/1) (R) (KK/HS)
Title: Impeccability
Author: Saitaina
Theme(s): #6: Innocence
Characters: Saguru Hakuba, Gin, Kaitou Kid, Conan Edogowa, Aoko Nakamori, Nakamori, Mr. and Mrs. Hakuba.
Rating: R
Warnings: Character Death, language, supernatural leanings, mental stuff.
Disclaimer: Not mine, they belong to their original artist.
Summary: Are the ghosts just in your head, or are they really there, waiting for an answer? (Companion piece to "Prevarcation".)
Notes: Spans two weeks of story time. This is again part of "Finis", one of thirty (30) fics exploring death through Saguru's eyes. (it is also un-beta'd)
Impeccability
“Men are not punished for their sins, but by them.”
-Elbert Hubbard quotes
"You killed me," the voice was amused, as if he found the entire situation hilarious. Then again, he was dead, maybe everything was hilarious on the other side.
Kaito shifted in his bed, pulling a pillow over his head, attempting to block out the sounds of the voice, groaning softly. "Shut up, shut up, shut up," he muttered softly, more to himself then the voice in the darkness.
It was the third night since Saguru had died, the third night since he had started receiving a midnight visitor, though if he was honest, the voice never really left him, he just heard it better in the darkness.
"You KILLED me. Your friend. Was it worth it, Kaito? Did my death give you everything you wanted from it?"
"Please, shut up," Kaito groaned, flopping over onto his stomach. "Please...just let me sleep. I need sleep."
"Why?"
Kaito raised his head, blankets sliding off of his head as he glared at the corner, staring at the flickering, translucent figure sitting in a chair. "Why? Why?! Because I need to sleep so that I won't fall off the roof of a building tomorrow!"
Saguru tilted his head, studying the boy in the bed before standing, moving closer to the bed. He reached down, brushing his hand over Kaito's cheek, leaving the thief shivering, staring wide-eyed up at the ghost. "Then I will allow you to sleep, but I will still be here when you awake."
Kaito sighed and flipped the blankets back up over his face, trying to block out the sight of Saguru, the feeling of his touch against his flesh. He closed his eyes and burrowed even deeper under the blankets, wrapping his arms around his body as he started to tremble, tears staining his cheeks.
--
"Our boss is pleased," Gin said, watching the crowd below them, leaning over the edge of the building to get a full view of the police and news crews running around.
Kid made a sound, too busy concentrating on the electrical panel before him to pay Gin much attention. Saguru leaned over the panel as well, before silently pointing to a wire Kid had missed. Kid cursed and un-tangled the mess he had made, adding the missing wire to the jumble, carefully twisting the the wires together.
"He's thinking of giving you a name even." Gin said, finally growing tired of the crowd below, turning to the thief as Kid closed the panel and locked it.
"I have a name," Kid said, pocketing the keys and turning towards Gin. "I don't need another, move please." Kid walked past Gin, glancing down at the crowd below before aiming a small remote control at the spot lights, smiling as they rotated outward, scaring the officers manning them. He stood and turned back to Gin, sliding his hands into his pockets. "Why are you here?"
"Protecting our newest accusation." Gin said with a smile that sent chills down Kid's spine.
Kid stared at the blond for a moment before looking aside, once more questioning what he was doing. "Just stay out of my way." he said. He glanced to the side, watching Saguru who made 'go' motions. Kid took the ghost's advice, falling off the edge of the building, catching himself mid way down and repelling down to the floor he wanted.
--
"Thirteen dead. Thirteen. Kaito, he killed thirteen, and none of them were the target." Conan said, looking at the huddled ball across the room. He sighed, pushing his glasses up his nose and sliding out of the chair. He crossed the room over to the thief, climbing onto the couch next to him. "I'm sorry," he whispered. "I never should have asked this of you,"
Kid shifted, a blue eye peering at Conan over his shoulder before Conan suddenly found himself jerked up, and turned into a giant teddy bear. Kid buried his face in Conan's neck and shoulder, mumbling something the not quite grade schooler didn't catch.
"We need to call a halt to this operation," Conan said, shifting and gently rubbing Kaito's back, the fine trembling under his hand worrying him. "I can't be a part of something that might destroy you in the process. We'll find another way."
"There is no other way." Kid said, finally pulling back from Conan, leaning against the couch, his head falling back. "You've tried for three years. We agreed it was time to step it up, and I agreed to do this. I just...didn't expect tonights events."
Conan shifted himself off Kaito's lap, sitting next to him again, though he ignored the arm draped around his shoulders, still keeping him close. If Kaito needed someone to hold onto, he would act as that for as long as the thief needed. "Will you kill me if they ask?" he questioned, tilting his head back to look at Kaito, voicing the question that had been bothering him since Kaito called to inform him of his first assignment. "Will you kill Aoko, Nakamori or your own mother?"
Kid trembled, turning his face away from Conan, suddenly feeling violently sick at the images Conan's words put into his head. "What do you want me to say, Shinichi?" he asked, tightening his hand on Conan's shoulder to keep it from trembling. "What answer do you want to hear?"
"The truth, Kaito. I want to hear it from your own lips. They've already turned you into a murder, but how far are you going to fall in this game?"
"I will do, whatever it takes, to archive our goals, Shinichi." Kid said, refuse to look at those big blue eyes that were staring up at him, a look of muted horror reflected in them. Instead he stared in the distance, faded gold eyes staring back at him.
--
"Kaito!"
He turned, absently tugging at the necktie around his neck. He gave the girl that called his name a weak smile, offering her his arm. "Sorry, I was..distracted." he offered and Aoko smiled just as weakly, accepting his arm.
"It's alright, I'm used to having to call your name several times." she teased before looking around at the crowd of police officers, government officials and complete strangers. "Wow, I've never seen so many uniforms in one location." she said, studying the differences between the various police forces.
"He was well liked," Kaito said softly, his eyes trained on the blond woman in black, leaning heavily on her husband's arm, the heavy set man holding his wife, staring at the open hole in the ground that was waiting for the casket.
"So...what are we supposed to do?" Aoko asked softly, unfamiliar with Catholic graveside services.
"I think we just...stand here, while the priest does his thing." Kaito said softly, just as unfamiliar. "Just follow along and hope no one looks at us sideways." he added, giving her a smile.
Aoko hit him lightly on the arm, before turning her attention back to the priest who had started speaking.
--
"Hakuba-san?" Aoko said softly, greeting the husband and wife pair before they climbed into the limo that would return them to their house that was being slowly packed up. "I'm sorry for your loss," she said, wincing as the blond woman started to cry harder.
Saguru's father looked at the pair and Kaito wanted to wince, staring into the dead blue eyes looking back at them. "Thank you, Nakamori-kun." he said, and his voice was as flat and dead as his eyes, leaving Kaito shivering. This was a far cry from the laughing, jolly man he knew.
Aoko took Kaito's hand, a tear sliding down her cheek as she watched the couple walk away from them, climbing into the limo. She turned, wrapping her arms around Kaito's neck, burring her head in his shoulder as she silently grieved for her lost friend. Kaito wrapped his arms around her, resting his chin on the top of her head as he stared over her to look at the blond staring down at his grave, mouthing silent prayers.
--
"We need this." Gin said, tossing another manila envelope at the white clad thief. The envelope smacked Kid's face, falling to the floor. Kid remained seated on the edge of the roof, not bothering to pick up the folder. Gin pulled his pack of cigarettes from his jacket, lighting one, his eyes trained on the figure as the flame flared before dying. Curls of smoke floated up, making the thief look slightly unreal through the smoke. If Gin didn't know better, he would think Kid was a statue, carved by a talented artist. Life-like, but still quite dead.
"Your deadline on the information. No fuck-ups, Kid. We need that object." Gin added, though it was needless, the thief knew the consequences of failure. There was still no response and Gin scoffed, turning for the stairs, pulling his jacket tighter around his as the wind picked up. It wasn't his job to babysit the new recruits, not tonight at least. That was left for the team on the other roof, not that it would be needed for a simple meeting.
He paused at the door of the stairs, turning to take one last look at the moonlit man. When Kid had first become a prospect for recruitment, he had laughed with Vodka, anticipating an easy kill. After all, Kid was not known for working with the darker side of the angels, no matter his profession. When Kid had accepted the agreement, Gin had been intrigued and volunteered to mentor the thief. Gin had been sure Kid would fail and it would still be an easy kill, but the idea that Kid would accept that he would consider staining those pure white wings...that had been interesting.
When Kid succeeded, when Gin had seen the corpse brought out of the purloined mansion, that had been far more then interesting. It had been...a seductive enticement. Kid's hands were now blooded, and the thief was suddenly shown in a different light.
But now...now it seemed as if the thief was broken. Gin couldn't place the exact moment, it had seemed to be such a gradual slide that he had barely noticed it. But Kid was always..off now. Staring sightlessly at things no one else could see, listening to words no one said, lifeless...definitely broken.
Gin had seen it before of course, in others that couldn't handle their jobs, and it was just disgusting as every other time. And quite disheartening. He had such high hopes for the thief, but apparently, he really was just a mark to eliminate.
Gin turned and headed down the stairs, ignoring the itching behind his back as blue eyes followed him.
--
"Get out of my way, Nakamori-kun." Kid said, staring at Aoko, part of him wondering why the girl was there in the first place, another part screaming at Aoko to just move, and yet another part focused purely on the fact the girl was in front of him, blocking his escape route, with the Task Force stampeding their way ever closer.
His thumb moved off the handle of his gun, clicking down the revolver's hammer, staring down the sight that was focused somewhere just above Aoko's forehead. "Please," he added, a desperate tinge to his voice.
Aoko stared at him, her face set, determined, ignoring the hammering of her heart as she stared down the side barrel before her. "Your time is up, Kid. It's time to finish the dance Hakuba-kun started."
Kid wondered who the hell wrote that speech, before his mind and body grew silent, finger squeezing down on the trigger, just as the Task Force rounded the corner. Nakamori screamed his daughter's name and Aoko looked up at her father before throwing herself sideways, just barley missing having an ace of spades buried in her forehead. Kid ran after the card, leaping over his fallen friend, throwing himself out the broken window and into the night.
Conan slid to the window, almost tumbling out himself, watching as Kid soared off. He gripped the window sill, ignoring the glass cutting into his flesh as he leaned out, almost desperate to grab Kid and shake him until he got the answers of what the hell was going on in the thief's head.
After a moment he turned, watching as Nakamori cradled his daughter close, the man ignoring the girl's protests and words as he rocked slowly back and forth, still imagining what could have happened if Aoko hadn't been half as lucky.
--
"What the hell is wrong with you?!"
Kid found it amazing, that such a roaring voice could come out of such a tiny body. He ignored the question, wrapping the bandages tighter around Conan's hand, before frowning and un-wrapping the latest round, grabbing the tweezers, freeing the small shard of glass he had missed the first go round.
"Answer me, Kaito!" Conan demanded, jerking his hand back, ignoring the fresh blood as he moved unsteadily across the couch on his knees, kneeling as close as he could to Kaito without climbing into the thief's lap, staring up at the shuttered face. He reached up, pulling the monocle off of his friend and partner's face, throwing it across the room, wanting an un-obstructed view. "Answer me," he repeated, his voice softer, desperate. "Please. Yo...you're..." And Conan broke, small body trembling as he clutched at Kid's jacket, leaving a tiny bloody hand print. "You're always gone, even when you're sitting right here. You're staring and whispering and none of it makes sense because there's nothing there! You're silent, so silent I have to stare at you to know you're next to me, I have to feel you to know you're real, I have to watch every breath you take to make sure you're not actually dead. You're not...you're not even Kaito any more. You're just some walking, smiling, broken shell that wears his face! Not even a decent copy."
Conan started to cry, breaking apart, the stress of watching his friend's slow destruction finally climaxing. He buried his face in Kid's chest, trembling with the force of his tears, hands sliding down to wrap around his own body, trying to still it.
The thief didn't react to the words or the tears, accepting the wetness staining his shirt, eyes unfocused, trained on the wall, listening to the whispering voice in his ear, drowning in the sounds wrapped in a rich, English accent.
--
"You killed me,"
"I did," Kid whispered, standing on the edge of a roof, watching as the city moved about it's life below.
"Was it worth it? Did my death give you everything you wanted from it?"
"I'm...not sure yet."
"Why? Why did you kill me?"
"Because I love you."
Author: Saitaina
Theme(s): #6: Innocence
Characters: Saguru Hakuba, Gin, Kaitou Kid, Conan Edogowa, Aoko Nakamori, Nakamori, Mr. and Mrs. Hakuba.
Rating: R
Warnings: Character Death, language, supernatural leanings, mental stuff.
Disclaimer: Not mine, they belong to their original artist.
Summary: Are the ghosts just in your head, or are they really there, waiting for an answer? (Companion piece to "Prevarcation".)
Notes: Spans two weeks of story time. This is again part of "Finis", one of thirty (30) fics exploring death through Saguru's eyes. (it is also un-beta'd)
Impeccability
“Men are not punished for their sins, but by them.”
-Elbert Hubbard quotes
"You killed me," the voice was amused, as if he found the entire situation hilarious. Then again, he was dead, maybe everything was hilarious on the other side.
Kaito shifted in his bed, pulling a pillow over his head, attempting to block out the sounds of the voice, groaning softly. "Shut up, shut up, shut up," he muttered softly, more to himself then the voice in the darkness.
It was the third night since Saguru had died, the third night since he had started receiving a midnight visitor, though if he was honest, the voice never really left him, he just heard it better in the darkness.
"You KILLED me. Your friend. Was it worth it, Kaito? Did my death give you everything you wanted from it?"
"Please, shut up," Kaito groaned, flopping over onto his stomach. "Please...just let me sleep. I need sleep."
"Why?"
Kaito raised his head, blankets sliding off of his head as he glared at the corner, staring at the flickering, translucent figure sitting in a chair. "Why? Why?! Because I need to sleep so that I won't fall off the roof of a building tomorrow!"
Saguru tilted his head, studying the boy in the bed before standing, moving closer to the bed. He reached down, brushing his hand over Kaito's cheek, leaving the thief shivering, staring wide-eyed up at the ghost. "Then I will allow you to sleep, but I will still be here when you awake."
Kaito sighed and flipped the blankets back up over his face, trying to block out the sight of Saguru, the feeling of his touch against his flesh. He closed his eyes and burrowed even deeper under the blankets, wrapping his arms around his body as he started to tremble, tears staining his cheeks.
--
"Our boss is pleased," Gin said, watching the crowd below them, leaning over the edge of the building to get a full view of the police and news crews running around.
Kid made a sound, too busy concentrating on the electrical panel before him to pay Gin much attention. Saguru leaned over the panel as well, before silently pointing to a wire Kid had missed. Kid cursed and un-tangled the mess he had made, adding the missing wire to the jumble, carefully twisting the the wires together.
"He's thinking of giving you a name even." Gin said, finally growing tired of the crowd below, turning to the thief as Kid closed the panel and locked it.
"I have a name," Kid said, pocketing the keys and turning towards Gin. "I don't need another, move please." Kid walked past Gin, glancing down at the crowd below before aiming a small remote control at the spot lights, smiling as they rotated outward, scaring the officers manning them. He stood and turned back to Gin, sliding his hands into his pockets. "Why are you here?"
"Protecting our newest accusation." Gin said with a smile that sent chills down Kid's spine.
Kid stared at the blond for a moment before looking aside, once more questioning what he was doing. "Just stay out of my way." he said. He glanced to the side, watching Saguru who made 'go' motions. Kid took the ghost's advice, falling off the edge of the building, catching himself mid way down and repelling down to the floor he wanted.
--
"Thirteen dead. Thirteen. Kaito, he killed thirteen, and none of them were the target." Conan said, looking at the huddled ball across the room. He sighed, pushing his glasses up his nose and sliding out of the chair. He crossed the room over to the thief, climbing onto the couch next to him. "I'm sorry," he whispered. "I never should have asked this of you,"
Kid shifted, a blue eye peering at Conan over his shoulder before Conan suddenly found himself jerked up, and turned into a giant teddy bear. Kid buried his face in Conan's neck and shoulder, mumbling something the not quite grade schooler didn't catch.
"We need to call a halt to this operation," Conan said, shifting and gently rubbing Kaito's back, the fine trembling under his hand worrying him. "I can't be a part of something that might destroy you in the process. We'll find another way."
"There is no other way." Kid said, finally pulling back from Conan, leaning against the couch, his head falling back. "You've tried for three years. We agreed it was time to step it up, and I agreed to do this. I just...didn't expect tonights events."
Conan shifted himself off Kaito's lap, sitting next to him again, though he ignored the arm draped around his shoulders, still keeping him close. If Kaito needed someone to hold onto, he would act as that for as long as the thief needed. "Will you kill me if they ask?" he questioned, tilting his head back to look at Kaito, voicing the question that had been bothering him since Kaito called to inform him of his first assignment. "Will you kill Aoko, Nakamori or your own mother?"
Kid trembled, turning his face away from Conan, suddenly feeling violently sick at the images Conan's words put into his head. "What do you want me to say, Shinichi?" he asked, tightening his hand on Conan's shoulder to keep it from trembling. "What answer do you want to hear?"
"The truth, Kaito. I want to hear it from your own lips. They've already turned you into a murder, but how far are you going to fall in this game?"
"I will do, whatever it takes, to archive our goals, Shinichi." Kid said, refuse to look at those big blue eyes that were staring up at him, a look of muted horror reflected in them. Instead he stared in the distance, faded gold eyes staring back at him.
--
"Kaito!"
He turned, absently tugging at the necktie around his neck. He gave the girl that called his name a weak smile, offering her his arm. "Sorry, I was..distracted." he offered and Aoko smiled just as weakly, accepting his arm.
"It's alright, I'm used to having to call your name several times." she teased before looking around at the crowd of police officers, government officials and complete strangers. "Wow, I've never seen so many uniforms in one location." she said, studying the differences between the various police forces.
"He was well liked," Kaito said softly, his eyes trained on the blond woman in black, leaning heavily on her husband's arm, the heavy set man holding his wife, staring at the open hole in the ground that was waiting for the casket.
"So...what are we supposed to do?" Aoko asked softly, unfamiliar with Catholic graveside services.
"I think we just...stand here, while the priest does his thing." Kaito said softly, just as unfamiliar. "Just follow along and hope no one looks at us sideways." he added, giving her a smile.
Aoko hit him lightly on the arm, before turning her attention back to the priest who had started speaking.
--
"Hakuba-san?" Aoko said softly, greeting the husband and wife pair before they climbed into the limo that would return them to their house that was being slowly packed up. "I'm sorry for your loss," she said, wincing as the blond woman started to cry harder.
Saguru's father looked at the pair and Kaito wanted to wince, staring into the dead blue eyes looking back at them. "Thank you, Nakamori-kun." he said, and his voice was as flat and dead as his eyes, leaving Kaito shivering. This was a far cry from the laughing, jolly man he knew.
Aoko took Kaito's hand, a tear sliding down her cheek as she watched the couple walk away from them, climbing into the limo. She turned, wrapping her arms around Kaito's neck, burring her head in his shoulder as she silently grieved for her lost friend. Kaito wrapped his arms around her, resting his chin on the top of her head as he stared over her to look at the blond staring down at his grave, mouthing silent prayers.
--
"We need this." Gin said, tossing another manila envelope at the white clad thief. The envelope smacked Kid's face, falling to the floor. Kid remained seated on the edge of the roof, not bothering to pick up the folder. Gin pulled his pack of cigarettes from his jacket, lighting one, his eyes trained on the figure as the flame flared before dying. Curls of smoke floated up, making the thief look slightly unreal through the smoke. If Gin didn't know better, he would think Kid was a statue, carved by a talented artist. Life-like, but still quite dead.
"Your deadline on the information. No fuck-ups, Kid. We need that object." Gin added, though it was needless, the thief knew the consequences of failure. There was still no response and Gin scoffed, turning for the stairs, pulling his jacket tighter around his as the wind picked up. It wasn't his job to babysit the new recruits, not tonight at least. That was left for the team on the other roof, not that it would be needed for a simple meeting.
He paused at the door of the stairs, turning to take one last look at the moonlit man. When Kid had first become a prospect for recruitment, he had laughed with Vodka, anticipating an easy kill. After all, Kid was not known for working with the darker side of the angels, no matter his profession. When Kid had accepted the agreement, Gin had been intrigued and volunteered to mentor the thief. Gin had been sure Kid would fail and it would still be an easy kill, but the idea that Kid would accept that he would consider staining those pure white wings...that had been interesting.
When Kid succeeded, when Gin had seen the corpse brought out of the purloined mansion, that had been far more then interesting. It had been...a seductive enticement. Kid's hands were now blooded, and the thief was suddenly shown in a different light.
But now...now it seemed as if the thief was broken. Gin couldn't place the exact moment, it had seemed to be such a gradual slide that he had barely noticed it. But Kid was always..off now. Staring sightlessly at things no one else could see, listening to words no one said, lifeless...definitely broken.
Gin had seen it before of course, in others that couldn't handle their jobs, and it was just disgusting as every other time. And quite disheartening. He had such high hopes for the thief, but apparently, he really was just a mark to eliminate.
Gin turned and headed down the stairs, ignoring the itching behind his back as blue eyes followed him.
--
"Get out of my way, Nakamori-kun." Kid said, staring at Aoko, part of him wondering why the girl was there in the first place, another part screaming at Aoko to just move, and yet another part focused purely on the fact the girl was in front of him, blocking his escape route, with the Task Force stampeding their way ever closer.
His thumb moved off the handle of his gun, clicking down the revolver's hammer, staring down the sight that was focused somewhere just above Aoko's forehead. "Please," he added, a desperate tinge to his voice.
Aoko stared at him, her face set, determined, ignoring the hammering of her heart as she stared down the side barrel before her. "Your time is up, Kid. It's time to finish the dance Hakuba-kun started."
Kid wondered who the hell wrote that speech, before his mind and body grew silent, finger squeezing down on the trigger, just as the Task Force rounded the corner. Nakamori screamed his daughter's name and Aoko looked up at her father before throwing herself sideways, just barley missing having an ace of spades buried in her forehead. Kid ran after the card, leaping over his fallen friend, throwing himself out the broken window and into the night.
Conan slid to the window, almost tumbling out himself, watching as Kid soared off. He gripped the window sill, ignoring the glass cutting into his flesh as he leaned out, almost desperate to grab Kid and shake him until he got the answers of what the hell was going on in the thief's head.
After a moment he turned, watching as Nakamori cradled his daughter close, the man ignoring the girl's protests and words as he rocked slowly back and forth, still imagining what could have happened if Aoko hadn't been half as lucky.
--
"What the hell is wrong with you?!"
Kid found it amazing, that such a roaring voice could come out of such a tiny body. He ignored the question, wrapping the bandages tighter around Conan's hand, before frowning and un-wrapping the latest round, grabbing the tweezers, freeing the small shard of glass he had missed the first go round.
"Answer me, Kaito!" Conan demanded, jerking his hand back, ignoring the fresh blood as he moved unsteadily across the couch on his knees, kneeling as close as he could to Kaito without climbing into the thief's lap, staring up at the shuttered face. He reached up, pulling the monocle off of his friend and partner's face, throwing it across the room, wanting an un-obstructed view. "Answer me," he repeated, his voice softer, desperate. "Please. Yo...you're..." And Conan broke, small body trembling as he clutched at Kid's jacket, leaving a tiny bloody hand print. "You're always gone, even when you're sitting right here. You're staring and whispering and none of it makes sense because there's nothing there! You're silent, so silent I have to stare at you to know you're next to me, I have to feel you to know you're real, I have to watch every breath you take to make sure you're not actually dead. You're not...you're not even Kaito any more. You're just some walking, smiling, broken shell that wears his face! Not even a decent copy."
Conan started to cry, breaking apart, the stress of watching his friend's slow destruction finally climaxing. He buried his face in Kid's chest, trembling with the force of his tears, hands sliding down to wrap around his own body, trying to still it.
The thief didn't react to the words or the tears, accepting the wetness staining his shirt, eyes unfocused, trained on the wall, listening to the whispering voice in his ear, drowning in the sounds wrapped in a rich, English accent.
--
"You killed me,"
"I did," Kid whispered, standing on the edge of a roof, watching as the city moved about it's life below.
"Was it worth it? Did my death give you everything you wanted from it?"
"I'm...not sure yet."
"Why? Why did you kill me?"
"Because I love you."