Shadows in the dawn

Chapter one – family outing

AN: I'm actually using Becky Tailweaver's Relative Truth as the back story to this fic. You can read this story apart from that one, though. My version, of course, is ever so slightly AU, but other than that (and you'll find out what as the story progresses) it follows DC and MK canon and follows on from another story I've been planning, called A SLight Misunderstanding, which is a crossover with DNAngel. You don't have to read that first either, as I wrote this one first. EDIT: To anyone new to the story, I've been going over it to make it a bit less confusing. Hope this helps. Tell me if it doesn't.

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". . . and this here is the Domino city museum, home to many ancient archaeological finds of recent history, including our famous display on Egypt and the unknown Pharaohs . . ."

On and on and on droned the boring tour guide. Kuroba Kaito hid a yawn. They already knew most of this stuff – well, he and Conan did, anyway. Ran seemed to be the only one listening with rapt attention, eyes glued to the exhibits and dragging him and his cousin over to look at them from time to time. Even Mouri Kogoro was just looking around in annoyance and boredom, even though the tour was for him.

And Shinichi Kudo, of course. Though the real Shinichi was having as much fun as he was, glued to Ran by the hand and dragged off everywhere likely until his legs ached. His cousin was still as terminally short as the last time Kaito had seen him, but the people here didn't know that, but had sent out invitations to the two detectives even though the younger of the two they were meaning to reach hadn't been heard from in nearly a year.

It was simple really. The case was that Domino city had become the victim of what appeared to be a talented thief recently. Sometimes of ordinary things like money and jewellery, but more often of certain displays featured in this very museum. Kaito had been dragged along by the squirt because every single time something had been taken it had been returned, usually within a week or two. The case had piqued Conan's interest because the whole city was being targeted, and unlike the Kaitou Kid, this thief didn't have many qualms about hurting people. Not many had actually been injured and none had died, but something had unsettled Tantei-kun. Enough to call in Kaito and ask him to work undercover as his former self.

At least he's not about to try and denounce me as Kid this time, he thought with an inner smirk. Not to mention the one I'm pretending to be is right there to kick me in the shins if I get anything wrong. That last time had been. . . fun, definitely, but he was glad that this time, he was going through the whole thing with his cousin on his side and not working against him.

". . . here as we walk through the third corridor, we can see the Meiji era displays, including Nishiki paintings of the city as it was and personal items belonging to our ancestors here. Old-style coins as well as swords have been found, apparently hidden from the government for centuries, only to be found now, in the modern day for us to discover anew. . ."

'Shinichi' sighed. So far, they had heard nothing of any thief, nothing of anything that might have been stolen even in the past week, nothing of any interest to a detective, a magician or even a phantom jewel thief. None of the exhibits in the museum that he had seen so far had even had set gems. Not that he thought that Pandora was going to be found in something gaudy like that. It was what they thought that mattered; if he got there before they did, then he could destroy the damn thing, or at least 'lose' it if he couldn't even do that. He'd make sure no one ever got hurt because of the stupid thing again.

He looked up as he saw 'Conan-kun' shoot him a desperate glance. Ran was about to go off again, and this time, if he was right – and he was darn good at reading people – then it was to –

Bingo. The fashion department. Poor, poor Conan-kun. He supposed it was just evens with the guy if he just left him to his girlfriend's tender mercies. If it wasn't for him, they wouldn't be stuck here. And the girl needed some way to get back at him, especially since karate didn't exactly seem an appropriate thing to use on a kid with a seven year old body who could give the cutesy eyes just as well as Kaito could.

". . . and that is – ah! An excellent choice of direction, young lady. Yes – if we follow through this corridor, you may see the pride of Domino. Donated by a young lady on the Egyptian government with an awful amount of power, as she is said to come from a rather wealthy family, I hear. I think it is said that many of our Egyptian exhibits come directly from her own private collection. And a – "

"Ne, ojisan? Are you the owner of this museum?"

Their guide stopped, pausing in his spiel. Conan often had that effect on people.

"Ah, no. I am just a mere employee. One who very much loves the history this museum gives us. . . the owner is one Bakura-san, who is often away. He was back just last week, but had pressing business to attend to elsewhere, I'm afraid. The man in charge of the day-to-day running of the place is in his office. I am afraid to say that these thefts do trouble him so. I honestly can't say why anyone would want to –"

The man broke off, looking more than a little flustered at the very thought. Kaito and Conan shared an exasperated look. Most probably not the man they were looking for, then. They followed him as he went further in, Ran staring wide-eyed at some of the costumes, some of them foreign and all getting older and older as they went on. When at last they reached the end, the poor miniature detective was fighting off the red that had invaded his face after a couple of well-aimed 'Do you think I'd look good in that one?' comments. Kaito was in no condition to snipe however, because as soon as the others' backs were turned, Conan had turned his attention to a skimpy night blue number and innocently asked (quietly, of course) what he thought Aoko would look like in it, with that irritating smug smirk hidden in the childishness.

The museum employee was just lecturing about the latest outfit in the line when he broke off without warning, his face puzzled and worried.

"Ne, ojisan? What's wrong?"

"That – that room. It's where the Egyptian exhibit is kept. Th-that light wasn't supposed to be on."

The man had been turning on the lights as they went and switching them back off as they left each area, since the tour was taking place on a day when the museum was usually closed. Not one single light other than the offices and other necessaries had been on else wise.

Kaito and Conan traded a dark look. What if it was the thief? What if they were still in there? Today was supposed to be the museum's day off, the closed day, only open to them as special guests. What if the thief had decided to take today as a work day?

They stayed behind their guide as he unlocked the door, but the two of them rushed into the room before the man could even step a foot in, movements almost identical.

No sign of a break-in.

No sign of theft.

No sign of anyone in the room other than the long-deceased exhibits. . .

But there was one recently dead body.

AN: I hope no one's too confused. Ran does know about Conan being Shinichi, if you hadn't got that..