AN: Long chapter ahead.

After Kaito performed his magic trick on Aoko, he dashed outside the classroom, leaving a fuming Aoko behind.

"Geez, that Bakaito! He's dead wrong if giving Aoko pretty roses and decorating it on Aoko's hair would stop Aoko from hitting him with a mop!" Aoko ranted.

"Calm down, Aoko-chan. You know how rowdy he is. Maybe something suddenly came up that's why he left in a hurry." Keiko tried to quell her friend's frustration by rubbing smooth circles on her back. "But whatever his excuse is, don't worry because I'm still here."

Since Kaito ditched from his cleaning duties leaving her friend alone, Keiko volunteered to help poor Aoko in today's job. She admits that the two's shenanigans always bring amusement to the whole class. Of course herself included. She's convinced that fighting was their way of releasing some of their sexual tension.

'But why did our teacher even pair the two up? The faculty knows how unproductive these two get when they're together and yet, here we are... But if I were to guess, I'm pretty sure it's Kuroba-kun's fault.' Keiko sweatdropped. 'Yup, he would totally do that.'

Aoko sighed, letting go of her anger. "Aoko knows. It's just… he promised Aoko that he would walk Aoko home today because he'll help Aoko with the groceries and all…"

Keiko smiled. "Don't worry, Aoko-chan! I'll help you in his place!"

Aoko's eyes gleamed with the prospect of her friend helping her. She can't carry everything on her own, right? "Really, Keiko-chan?"

The bespectacled girl nodded. "Yep! Who needs him anyway?" She wiggled her eyebrows. "And if you don't mind, I'll get Kuroba-kun's share of dinner as compensation, alright?"

Aoko giggled. "Thank you, Keiko-chan. Aoko's very grateful to you. Bakaito will regret what he did today! I should probably prepare some fish for him later..." She pumped her fists enthusiastically and grinned. "Father is in Osaka right now for that dumb KID heist so we'll have the house to ourselves!"

Keiko cheered. "That's my girl! Now, let's finish this so we can immediately prepare for dinner."

Aoko saluted in reply. Then she grabbed her trusty mop and started wiping the floor clean. On the other hand, Keiko grabbed the board eraser and started dusting it outside the window after she cleaned the board itself. They were able to finish in less than an hour and the two girls merrily skipped their way towards the grocery.

After dinner, Keiko volunteered to wash the dishes since Aoko cooked all of their food. Aoko thanked her friend and proceeded to wipe the table clean instead. She suddenly jumped in place when her mobile phone rang in her pocket. Trying to calm her racing heart due to being startled at the sudden phone call, she informed Keiko that she was going to take a call and went to the backyard.

She checked the caller ID before answering.

It was Kaito.

"Hello, Aoko?"

"Eh? Kaito?"

"Uh, yeah. Didn't you read the caller ID?"

"Aoko didn't. Aoko was busy." She lied.

"Distracted as usual."

"Baka! So, after ditching Aoko, you're calling Aoko now? What nerve." The girl clicked her tongue in annoyance.

"Hey, I left you a rose as an apology! Geez, Ahouko. Better pay attention next time." Aoko heard some rustling at the other end of the line, probably due to Kaito's movements. Probably shifted the phone to his other hand.

"Shut up, Bakaito. Bribing Aoko with a rose… and you didn't say anything."

"I did."

"Did not. You just poof-ed your way out."

Her best friend chortled. "Poof-ed? Really, Aoko? And yes, I did."

Red slowly bloomed on her cheeks. "Did not!"

"I diiiiiid!"

" Did not— geez, whatever Kaito. Why did you call Aoko?"

Kaito cleared his throat. "Uhhh… I just wanted to tell you that my mom… err, suddenly wanted me to tag along with her trip. Saying that the exposure will help me as a magician in the future so… uhm, please tell our teacher?"

"Ah."

"Sorry that I'm missing dinner."

"…"

"… And sorry for leaving you alone? I'll do the grocery duty next time, okay?"

Aoko smiled. She knew in her heart that she couldn't bear being angry with him for too long. Besides, the rose trick always melts her heart. It's her favorite trick of all time since it meant a lot to her. "Idiot. It can't be helped since your Mom was the one who put you up in this. Don't worry, Aoko got Keiko-chan with her."

"Ah, did she accompany you home?"

"Hmmhm. She also helped me clean in your place so you better make it up to her. After you make it up to Aoko, of course." Aoko giggled. "And oh, we ate your portion of our dinner. It was good."

"Sure, sure, no problem. Please tell Keiko-chan my apologies. And heh, who would eat your cooking anyway?"

Aoko pouted. "May Aoko remind you that you always eat at our house? You ungrateful jerk."

"Psh small details, small details. Anyway, sorry again about suddenly… you know. I know you don't like to be left alone so uh… at least you got Keiko-chan with you?"

"Hmhmm. Aoko told you to not worry about it, Bakaito."

"Geez, here I'm apologizing and then you're just dismissing me. Mean Aoko."

Aoko rolled her eyes at Kaito's childishness. "Whatever Kaito. Aoko means it. And… thanks for worrying about Aoko."

"…Nah, no biggie. Do you want me to bring you gifts when I get home?"

She suddenly perked up on that. "Ooooh! Really, Kaito? You would do that?"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. Just answer before I change my mind."

"Of course Aoko would love to! Bring a lot, okay!? You owe me a lot. Then Aoko will give some to Keiko-chan. Wait, you didn't even tell Aoko where you're going."

"Yes, yes. Duly noted, my fair maiden." Aoko detected the mild sarcasm in his voice but ignored it since it was harmless anyway. "Also I didn't tell you where I was going because I also have no idea on our destination. Mom said that it was a surprise. Geez that old woman really is impulsive. I'm a high school student, you know? I need to be in class and all that stuff."

Aoko rolled her eyes with that. 'Not that you're already missing classes on your own anyway.'

"Be good, Kaito! Don't trouble your mother too much okay? And don't pull some pranks on innocent people! Aoko will hit you with a mop if you did. Aoko will ask your mom, don't think that Aoko won't! You better listen to Aoko, okay?"

"Yes, yes mother. Geez, who's even at my side? No one. Poor Kaito's always driven into a corner by mean women. This is so unfair. I need a refund."

"Be serious!"

"I am."

"If you are then why is Aoko doubting you?"

"Hey, maybe I'll change my mind about the gifts. I have a feeling that you don't want it anymore so…"

"Aoko dares you, Bakaito. Aoko already agreed to it so no take backs! Or else, Aoko will welcome you warmly with a mop when you return."

"As if you don't welcome me enough, Ahouko."

"Maybe I'll throw in some fish, too."

"H-Have mercy, Aoko-san..."

Aoko rolled her eyes for the nth time. "Why does Aoko even have a best friend like you?"

"Because I'm irresistible."

"Tone down the ego, mister. Might break the skies with that height."

"Heh. Consider yourself lucky that I am your best friend. People are dying to have a piece of me, you know? And yet here you are, having easy access to this fine piece of art."

Aoko wanted to hit Kaito on the face, hoping that it would reduce the boy's arrogance. "Egoist."

"Heh. What is a magician without his ego?"

Aoko sighed. "Whatever Kaito. Just go already and pack your stuff. You want some help?"

"Nah, I'm already at the station waiting for my mom. That was the reason I 'poof-ed' as you termed it. You know how Mom is. Again— Impulsive."

"Geez, if you just explained in the beginning then Aoko didn't have to throw the mop at you."

Aoko could basically hear his arrogant smirk through the line. "Ehhh, what's the fun in that?"

"Geez, just remember what I said okay? Take care of your mom and no pranks!"

"Fine, fin—"

"…and take care of yourself, Kaito. Aoko will be waiting for you." Her voice was soft, like she was sharing her deepest secret to Kaito. She tried hard to stop her blush from taking over her face and so far, she's convinced that she's succeeding. Lucky that this was a phone call or else she'll be busted in no time.

"…"

"…"

"Okay, Aoko. I'll be back soon."

"Hmmhm."

"Take care."

Click.

Kaito's voice laced with genuine care and concern never failed to make Aoko feel so touched. It was one of those rare moments that they have a hushed exchange of words— even if today's at the end of the conversation. She clutched her phone on her chest and smiled at the moon, wishing that Kaito could see its beauty clearly wherever he is right now, too.

"Aoko-chan? I'm done with the dishes!"

Startled with the sudden call behind her, Aoko almost dropped her phone but thankfully recovered it before it got smashed on the ground. She then started to return inside the house, but not before taking one last glimpse of the moon.

'Be safe, Kaito.'

"Aoko-chan?"

"Ah Keiko-chan! Sorry, Aoko's coming in!"

But not everything goes as planned.

An emergency has occurred at Keiko's house so she regretfully informed Aoko that she isn't able to stay the night since their rooms will be occupied by their sudden guests. Keiko can't stay at Aoko's house either because her mother asked for her help in accommodating the guests.

"I'm really sorry, Aoko-chan. Now I can't blame all of this to Kuroba-kun anymore…" Keiko frowned.

Aoko chuckled, waving her hand in dismissal. "Hey, it's alright Keiko-chan. Walking Aoko home and having dinner together is enough for Aoko. Aoko's just going to sleep after this anyway so it's alright."

Keiko gave her friend a hug. "Be careful, okay? You can call me when you feel lonely. Or you can bug Kuroba-kun in his trip!"

Aoko laughed then nodded. "Okay, Keiko-chan."

"Thanks for having me over, Aoko-chan. Dinner's great!"

"Let's do it again next time, okay?"

"Hmmhm!"

"Bye bye!"

"Bye bye!"

Aoko closed the door and heaved a sigh. "Geez, why now of all days? Aoko's lonely…" She dryly laughed. "Why is Aoko still not used to this? Aoko's always left alone to fend for herself, right?"

After a few minutes of silence, Aoko shook her head and pumped her fists, once somber eyes now filled with fiery determination. "But no problem! Aoko's a strong girl. Aoko can handle herself perfectly! Aoko's been taking care of two babies so it isn't really that lonely. Aoko will show them that Aoko can do—"

Knock, knock.

"Eh?" She peered through the peep hole and saw nothing. She decided to just ignore it until she heard a knock again. "Oh! Maybe Keiko-chan forgot something! I forgot that our peep hole was being faulty these days."

Aoko unlocked the door and smiled at her visitor. "Did you forget something, Keiko—"

Of all the things that her mind could imagine when welcoming a guest, a stranger shoving a chloroform-doused cloth on her nose and mouth sure isn't one.

She didn't recognize her attacker. She can't even glance at the culprit's face since he was strangling her from behind. Aoko tried her best to struggle against her attacker but was proved futile when she realized that the chloroform was already taking effect.

'Is this the end…? Otou-san…'

Finally, she lost all the fight and her eyes rolled back but not before muttering a single word of plea.

"K-Kaito…"

And then it was all black.

.

.

.

"Ladies and Gentlemen!"

A smooth voice boomed all over the Sky deck. A cloud of smoke enveloped the scene, making the policemen be on high alert. Just when the smoke cleared, Kaitou KID stood tall above the glass casing of the Golden Jubilee diamond.

"KID!" Nakamori-keibu bellowed.

"Good evening, Nakamori-keibu. How are you this fine evening?"

"Cut the bullshit, you thief. I swear I will catch you tonight!"

"Tsk. Tsk. Tsk. What a brave declaration that was, Nakamori-keibu. I wish you the best of luck from the bottom of my heart!" He grinned while bowing at his favorite police officer. "And oh, it's always very amusing to disguise as a detective, you know? It was convenient that Kudo Shinichi-san was not able to come, eh? I wonder how he's doing now since he's been off the radar for a while." KID touched his chin in thought. "I'm sure he will definitely make this heist more interesting if he was here, like the time at the clock tower. Remember that, Nakamori-keibu?"

"I have no time for your dilly-dallying, KID. You move and my men will grab you out of that podium."

KID ignored Nakamori's warning. "But no matter, Tantei-kun is here to liven up the things out here, right?"

Finally catching up to Hattori, Conan remained silent at KID's words. Although Heiji is another story.

"Hey! I'm still here, ya thief!"

KID faked a gasp. "Ah yes, Tantei-han from the West. How rude of me to forget. Nice to meet you."

"Kudo, is he really this infuriatin'?" Hattori hissed.

Conan laughed dryly. "Unfortunately, Hattori. Don't worry, you'll get used to it in the long run." He then shot a warning glance at his guilty friend. 'And mind the names for pete's sake.'

'Whoops, sorry 'bout that.'

"Dang. This is why I dun deal with thieves." Heiji scratched his head in annoyance.

KID sweatdropped at Conan and Heiji's conversation. He coughed to steal their attention— how cool is that, stealing their attention to watch him steal the jewel? Perfect.— and raised his hand.

"I apologize to cut our conversation short my dear detectives but I think you all need to…" KID dropped something from his hands and suddenly, he was equipped with a gas mask. "…visit dreamland for a little bit while I meet the star of the night."

"Hah! You think that we're going to be fooled by that?" Nakamori smirked then turned to his men. "Men! Use your masks, the gas will make you doze off!"

"Yes, keibu!"

The head of the KID task force plastered a smug grin on his face. "So what now, KID? Can't bring my men down?"

Thud.

One police officer was on the floor, sleeping. Followed by another, and another, and another…

KID raised his eyebrow. "Come again, keibu?"

"What..?" Nakamori's words died in his mouth as he felt dizziness coming to his system. "Why…?" He checked his mask, only to find out that there was a hole in the item.

KID laughed. "You're welcome, Nakamori-keibu! Sweet dreams!"

As if on cue, Nakamori's men dropped one by one and the only people left awake were Nakamori, Conan, Heiji and of course, KID himself.

Nakamori gritted his teeth in exasperation, thinking about how KID must have infiltrated the supplier of the police gas masks. A memory of a grinning boy with a cap flashed in his mind. 'Of course! He disguised as the delivery boy of the masks!'

The police officer's body won't do anything that his brain commanded and he felt like he was slowly blacking out. He tried to fight the drowsiness but to no avail. "Damn it, KID…" And with a thud, Nakamori-keibu finally passed out on the floor, joining his taskforce in their slumber.

"I knew this was going to happen. Good thing we prepared our personal masks, right Hattori?" Conan turned towards Heiji's direction with sparkling eyes but immediately lost their shine when he saw his friend struggling to keep his consciousness.

"Sorry, Kudo… I kinda gave mine to Kazuha." Heiji dropped on the floor. "Sorry, I'll wake up soon… prolly…" Then he passed out.

Conan facepalmed but didn't blame Heiji. "This is why you should just tell her your feelings, you idiot. Did you forget that we had a spare one in the bag? And that the gas won't reach where they are?" He sighed and started walking towards KID who was preparing to tinker the jewel's glass casing.

"Oh well, this could work too."

After the sleeping gas has settled down, KID stepped down from the podium and started to remove the glass casing in order to free the jewel from its restraints. He had to give it to Nakamori-keibu, though. The glass casing had a lot of mechanisms for KID to mess with before he could even reach the main lock AND together with the lock, he has to crack the code that goes along with it before he can finally open the encasement. He paused his work when he felt a familiar presence behind him.

He glanced at his back then chuckled when he confirmed his guess about the identity of the approaching presence.

'Of course, he'll come prepared. Never underestimate Tantei-kun ever.' KID stared beyond Conan's back. "Although Tantei-han seems down for the count.'

Conan was already aiming his watch at the thief with eyes of a predator cornering his prey. He spoke, an octave lower than his usual kiddy voice. "So you were the one who sent the notice?"

KID shrugged. "Hmmm? Whatever are you saying, Tantei-kun? I am here, right?" He casually continued his work on the glass casing, ignoring the fact that Conan was just one click away from incapacitating him.

Conan, who realized that there was no point in holding the thief 'hostage', put his watch down and sighed. "Be serious, KID. You didn't think that I noticed the simplicity of your notice? Even a grade schooler can decipher it."

"May I remind you that you are different from ordinary grade schoolers, Tantei-kun?"

Conan stared flatly at his 'rival'. "Should I be flattered?"

"Oh yes, of course! Not many people have the privilege to have a one-on-one talk with me, you know? Oh yeah, Ran-san is one of those privileged people."

The faux child was ticked with the thief's mention of Ran's name but shoved down his irritation— at least for later—and just went straight to the point. "Since you keep dodging my question, I am going to assume that you didn't send the notice at all. This is quite similar to what happened to the Seiran painting, only that you have the intent to actually steal the item this time. And why would you even invite someone who has been missing-in-action for months now? What's the point?"

KID raised his eyebrow but not breaking his focus on his task. "Huh, so Meitantei-san is on a vacation, eh?"

"Of course, you're gonna comment on that first. Really?" Conan said dryly.

KID chuckled. "Well, I have my sources. And I used the information well."

'Used it well, huh?' Conan smirked. "So this heist is really not your doing?"

KID sighed. And with a final click, the glass casing of the jewel was finally unlocked and the thief grabbed the beauty in his glove-clad hands. "Did you not hear what I just said?"

"Yeah, yeah alright. But I don't know, KID. I just asked a simple question. If Ran-neechan was able to expose you, then you don't even want me to do that again, right?" Conan wasn't even trying to goad the answers out of KID anymore, the detective already confirmed that he wasn't the one who sent the notice. The inability to straightly claim the notice unlike the previous times was a major sign that the usually arrogant thief was innocent.

KID hummed as he casually raised the jewel up to expose it under the moonlight. "Huh, am I supposed to be frightened by that, Tantei-kun?"

"Not really. So somebody else sent the notice and now you're benefiting from it because you finally got the precious jewel in your hands. Are you not concerned at the consequences that will come after this heist?"

Conan was expecting a snarky remark but instead, he was met with silence. He gazed at KID, who stood frozen in front of him, still holding the Golden Jubilee under the moonlight.

"KID…?"

"This… I…"

Conan noticed that the hand KID was using to grip the jewel was slightly trembling. He also noticed that the jewel looked a bit different than usual after being exposed under the moonlight. 'Did it just turn… red? No wait, there's another jewel inside…? A doublet? A brown diamond coupled with the rarest color of diamond!?'

KID was shocked. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. The moment the moonlight hit the jewel, a smaller bloody red jewel appeared at the center of the Golden Jubilee. This is it. This is what he was searching for.

"…Pandora."

The mythical jewel that will grant immortality to one who desired it.

The jewel that Kaitou KID's been looking for.

And the jewel that led to Kuroba Toichi's death.

Of all the emotions currently swarming in his chest, he chose to laugh. He laughed, ignoring the incredulous looks that Conan was giving him. He laughed all of his sorrow, his exhaustion and his joy. He laughed because finally, Kaitou KID's overdue act is going on an end.

He clutched the jewel at his chest and covered his eyes with the other hand. "Finally…" KID took a deep breath. "Finally, I—"

Then Kaitou KID's statement was stopped by a bullet on his stomach.

Conan was puzzled when he heard KID's words. 'Why is KID acting like that?' And then his eyes widened when he heard the gunshot.

KID staggered backwards as he clutched both the jewel and his abdomen at the same time.

And it was at that moment that Conan realized that the bullet hit KID's stomach.

"KID!" Conan's eyes were darting at every direction, estimating the origin of the gunshot. It was from the 12 o' clock direction. A straight shot. He caught a glimpse of the hitman and he released his soccer ball and fired at the culprit. After he heard a thud, he started to rush at KID's side but stopped when he found the thief's white coat, unstained.

"Heh, Kevlar vests can really save your ass, eh?" KID straightened his posture while dusting off his coat.

Conan let out an exasperated laugh. "Not that I care but, I don't really want anyone dying at my feet today."

"How touching, Tantei-kun." The thief pocketed the jewel and fixed his top hat. He grabbed his card gun and twisted the barrel. "But it's best to assume that our guests aren't that happy with the outcome."

As if on cue, a group of seven men dressed in black suddenly swarmed in front of the thief and the shrunken detective. But that wasn't the icing on the cake.

"Once a survivor, always a survivor. Right, Kuroba Toichi?"

KID hissed. "Snake."

'Kuroba Toichi!? The famous magician? Didn't he die eight years ago?' Conan thought.

Snake appeared from the darkness but he wasn't alone.

"If I were you KID, I will put that toy down."

Conan and KID noticed that Snake was dragging an unconscious girl at the waist with a pistol aimed at her head.

A girl with unruly, long brown hair.

KID froze. His jaw dropped and his hand shook when he identified exactly who Snake was holding.

"A…oko?"

Conan was startled to hear KID speak with a voice so broken that he had to double check if it was really KID who muttered the word. To be honest, he was shocked too. The girl resembled Ran way too much but he knew that Kazuha and Ran were still behind the pillar, hidden from sight. The boy glanced at the thief and at that moment, he was sure that KID was more than horrified with what he had seen. But the horror was quickly replaced by blankness and the trembling of his hands lessened.

"What are you waiting for, KID?" Snake pressed the muzzle of the gun harshly on Aoko's temple to emphasize his point.

Kaitou KID dropped his card gun and kicked it towards Snake's direction. "Happy now? Why did you even bring Nakamori-keibu's daughter here? Your business is with me, right?"

Snake smirked. "My business is with the jewel that's inside your pocket."

'Of course, it's about Pandora. Always been about Pandora. First, my father. Now… Aoko. This damned stone is ought to be destroyed!' KID tried to muster a smirk, hoping that it looked genuine enough to fool the man. 'Pokerface, Kaito. Pokerface, damn it!'

"Too bad, Snake. It isn't what you guys are looking for."

"Really? It doesn't seem like it to me when you were laughing a few moments ago."

"Why? Is it forbidden to laugh at my own failure?" KID shook his head. "This isn't Pandora, Snake. Now, release Nakamori-keibu's daughter. He might not be able to catch me, but I swear if his daughter doesn't come back to him alive, I'm not sure what will happen to your little… party." He eyed each of Snake's men to prove his point.

"You're still feigning innocence, I see. Didn't you know that I've already discovered who you are, fake KID?"

Conan, who was silently observing the scene a few steps away, had his eyebrows raised to his head. 'What?'

KID flinched. A drop of sweat rolled from his forehead to his chin as he gulped to ease his suddenly parched throat. "I don't think I understand you, Snake. Fake? Me? Are you kidding? Which part of this—" He gestured to himself. "—exactly is fake hmm?"

Snake lifted the hand holding Aoko by the waist and gripped her face hard that his nails were digging at her skin. KID felt relief when the man removed the gun on Aoko's temple but it was brief when that very same hand harshly pulled at the girl's hair to keep her upright. KID smothered a growl at the despicable man's mishandling of Aoko.

And yet even after all the pain, Aoko was still unconscious.

"It's easy you know? I had someone help me find everything about Kuroba Toichi. And from there, it was easy to figure out everything." Snake cackled. "And I found out that this girl, who was living beside your home, is the key in making you fully cooperate, see?"

'Wow, finally he grew some brains! He has the worst timing of all though!'

At this, KID laughed. And for Conan, his laugh sounded very bitter. "Really, Snake? Nakamori-keibu's daughter? He hates KID's guts! Did you realize that she might have cooperated with you if you just asked? She's been waiting for a chance to take down KID, you know?"

Snake's smile was smug and KID didn't like it one bit. "Oh about this girl? Very strong. Struggled until the end. But of course, she didn't last. Do you want to know what was the last thing she said before she lost consciousness?

KID gritted his teeth.

"Not so confident now, are we? Well, since I am feeling generous tonight, I will tell you. An agent of mine visited this girl last night, and covered her nose and mouth with a cloth doused in ammonia. She fought against his captor's hold but the chemical was already sapping her energy away. The last thing she said?"

"Help me… Kaito…"

And then her world turned into nothingness.

Conan was expecting the phantom thief to explode after Snake's story. But KID just closed his eyes and heavily sighed. When he opened his eyes, his face turned blank. Unreadable.

It was the perfect pokerface, if only his hands were not trembling in rage.

"You…" He emitted a low growl. "Bastar—"

And that was the moment when Conan thought that it was enough.

"Ne, ne, Oji-san!" Conan walked slowly towards Snake and KID tensed at what the kid was doing.

'What the fuck is he doing!?'

It seemed like Snake completely missed Conan's presence from the very start. If not for the kid's interruption, he might not be able to even notice that there was a child in a possible battlefield.

"Is Onee-chan okay?" Conan blinked his eyes innocently. "Are you going to send her to a doctor to get treated?" He even tilted his head to make himself more convincing.

"W-What is this brat doing here!?" Snake stuttered, obviously startled at Conan's remarks.

'He really is an idiot. Seriously? He didn't notice me after that long talk?' The shrunken detective inwardly laughed.

"Will you answer my questions, Oji-san? Onee-chan looks hurt you see? Ran-neechan told me that wounds should be treated immediately to prevent infection!" Conan frowned but instantly lit up as if a bright idea suddenly popped out in his head. "Ah! You want me to help you carry the poor Onee-chan? You need to support her legs!" The boy reached for Aoko's foot but was met with a gun instead.

"Brat, I don't know what you're trying to pull but I'm going to kill you if you mess with me."

Conan started to tear up. 'Thank God for giving me an actress as a mother!'

"Uwah! Oji-san is so mean! I just wanted to help Oneechan but Oji-san is being a meanie to me!" He threw a tantrum and stomped his foot. He removed his glasses and buried his tear-streaked face in his arms.

It was obvious that Snake's men didn't know what to do. It was a kid. What harm can he do anyways?

Still pointing a gun at Conan, Snake clicked his tongue. "What the hell are you all doing!? He's just a kid! Get him away from here!"

Snake's men moved from their spots to seize the kid but stopped after a few steps when Conan suddenly stopped crying. His eyes were still covered by his arm and there were still tears on his cheeks but instead of a frown, they found a grin etched on the boy's face.

The silence that came afterwards was eerie. But it was broken when a single word was uttered by the supposed-to-be hysterical child.

"Go."

A moment after Conan said the word, a gunshot was heard and Snake's gun was knocked off from his hand. KID took the opportunity to dash at the howling man to grab his card gun and to catch Aoko who was freed from her captor. He shot some cards at Snake's pants, sealing it on the floor, preventing the man's escape.

KID bit back a sarcastic grin. 'Goddamn it, Tantei-kun is one creepy kid! He has a damn sniper on his arsenal!? And he actually made a path for me while he was wailing his ass off earlier!?'

Since Snake ordered his men to grab Conan, he was left unguarded and KID took advantage of it. After he secured Aoko, he shot cards at Conan's direction to prevent some of Snake's men from approaching the boy in order to return the favor but it seems that it wasn't needed anymore because together with Conan's endless arsenal of soccer balls, the Great High School Detective of the West was also back in action.

Conan grinned. "Took you long enough, Hattori!"

"Heh, Sorry 'bout that. The night's just great an' all that it lulled me to sleep. But it seems that stayin' awake was much better since—" Hattori whacked a lackey with a police baton that he picked up somewhere. "— I get to practice my skills with this!" And another one was out cold.

"You're so ridiculous, Hattori." One soccer ball hit a lackey on his face. "Ooh, they're getting lesser. Really, they should be ashamed that a kid could knock them out cold."

"May I remind ya that yer shoes are not normal?"

"Ah yeah, sorry." One soccer ball hit the last of Snake's men in his family jewels. "Whoops. But not sorry."

Hattori barked a laugh. "Geez Kudo, no mercy at all."

"Hey, I had to do that shameful acting so it's fair to be compensated about it."

Heiji chuckled as he scanned the area for more enemies. "Oh wow, no bad guys left."

"And I just received a confirmation that the remaining snipers were already taken care of." Conan tapped on his ear, revealing a small black earpiece.

"Geez Kudo, next time tell me these things beforehand okay? Ya always keep these things to yerself."

"Sorry about that, Hattori. I wasn't able to tell you because you guys went to school."

'Though Ran knew about the back-up plan.'

"Oh yeah. Phonecalls is a no since we 'ave no idea on who's listenin'. But anyway, at least we're done cleanin' up here."

"Well, there's still that guy who was still whining about his hand."

Conan and Heiji approached the writhing Snake – how fitting, Heiji thought with a laugh— and held their guard. KID was kneeling nearby, still pointing his card gun at the man while holding Aoko gently in his arms.

"Do you think that you've won, KID? Hah, I'll obtain that jewel no matter what!" Snake barked. "I still have men somewhere in the vicinity!"

"Sorry to burst your bubble but every single accomplice that you've brought here was already apprehended by the police." Conan smirked. "You lose, Oji-san."

"YOU BRAT—"

KID ignored the blabbering man and focused on the approaching detectives. Conan stopped in front of the thief and nodded his head in acknowledgement.

"KID."

"Tantei-kun."

Conan looked at the battered Aoko. "…You already know where Ran-neechan is."

And KID didn't need to be told twice. He nodded his thanks at the detectives' direction then stood up, carrying the limp Aoko in the process. "Excuse me."

"Hah, now you're running away? What a coward, fake KID!" Snake goaded.

KID stopped. He shot the infuriating man with the coldest look that he could muster then continued his walk towards Ran and Kazuha.

Ran and Kazuha were watching the events unfold in silence. Both girls released a relieved sigh when they saw KID grab the poor, battered girl from the one named Snake.

Kazuha was also thankful that Heiji was able to wake up at the most crucial moment and helped Conan in fending the bad guys off.

Ran on the other hand, shook her head while giggling. 'So that was his plan? Geez, he's lucky that it still worked even though it was probably not his enemies this time.'

The girls noticed that the fight was finally over and only one enemy was left— the one who was still stuck in place because of KID's cards that skewered his slacks on the floor.

Conan and KID exchanged some words and after that, Ran and Kazuha were a bit startled when they noticed that the phantom thief was walking towards their direction. He stopped in front of them.

"Ran-san."

"KID-san."

Kazuha was confused with what was happening but shoved down her doubts when she saw the extent of the limp girl's injuries.

"KID-han! Is she a'right?"

The thief smiled at Kazuha. "Yeah, she's still breathing. Thanks for the concern, Ojou-san." KID kneeled in front of the girls, careful in moving Aoko down. "Ran-san, you can consider this as a favor but…"

Ran waved her hand in dismissal. "It's okay, KID-san. We'll take care of her, I promise."

"…Thank you."

KID gently placed Aoko's head on Ran's lap and laid her body on the floor. Then, he removed one of his gloves to caress the unconscious girl's cheek. Ran and Kazuha did not miss the tender look in the thief's eyes along with the promise that he whispered to the unconscious girl.

"After this, I'll tell you everything, Aoko. So please hang on." He removed his cape and draped it over Aoko. "You might hate me afterwards but if it keeps you alive then it's okay."

The two girls smiled at each other.

"Dun worry KID-han, we're perfectly capable of protecting 'er so go an' finish yer business already!" Kazuha said.

Ran smiled. "Kazuha's right, KID-san. Aoko-san will be taken care of. Go."

KID softly laughed and bowed in front of the girls. "It would not be right if I did not respect the wishes of these two fine young ladies so yes, I will go now and leave the sleeping princess with her two protectors. I am confident that she will be guarded well."

"Ya better believe it, KID-han!"

"KID-san?"

"Ran-san?"

Ran smiled at the thief. "I can tell that Aoko's a very important person to you and… I feel that she will not hate you as long as you tell her the truth."

KID's eyes widened as he saw the understanding in Ran's face. He flashed a bitter smile instead. "She shouldn't."

And with a final bow, Kaitou KID returned to where Snake was to finish Kaitou KID's goal once and for all.

It was quiet.

As KID approached, he saw that Conan and Heiji just finished tying up Snake's hands and feet. He noticed that the man had a soccer ball imprint on his face and figured out that the kid had knocked his nemesis out.

"Geez Tantei-kun, do you ever run out of those things?"

Conan rolled his eyes. "I just did."

"Huh, okay. And oh, thanks for wrapping up my gift very nicely." KID smirked.

"Don't get the wrong idea. After you're done with him, I probably have a few questions for him so please try not to push him into a coma." The boy stated flatly.

KID hummed and crouched in front of the unconscious Snake. He poked his face once while having a blank look on his face. "To be honest, I just wanted this—" Another poke. "—man in jail. He had a lot of wrongdoings, you know? Killing my old man, included. And oh, plus making Aoko his personal punching bag." He grabbed Pandora from his pocket and exposed it under the moonlight once more. "Just for this."

The jewel turned blood red once more, spots decorating the floor like a spotlight.

Conan and Heiji were silent but both were shocked at what KID was revealing. They also realized that Aoko must have been the unconscious girl earlier.

KID stood up and kicked Snake hard on the face. The man was suddenly awake, thrashing when he realized that his movements were completely constricted by the ropes tied to his limbs. He sent a colorful string of curses towards his captors especially KID.

"Fuck you, Kuroba! Do you think you'll get away with this? I have people who can kill your whole family! So if you want to stay alive, untie me and hand me Pandora!"

KID dryly laughed. "Don't make threats that you already executed, Snake. Good luck in trying to find my mother, though. She isn't a normal person, you know?"

"Don't underestimate us." Snake hissed.

"But you're making it hard for me, Snake."

Heiji fought an incoming snort and he was barely successful. However, Conan's face remained passive.

"You know I could expose your true identity to these young detectives. You will be in jail in no time!"

KID stared flatly at the smug-faced Snake. "Really? That's your last resort? Did you know that they could totally expose me anytime with all the information you've blabbered tonight?" He juggled Pandora using his right hand then tossed the jewel on his other hand. He gripped it tightly and brandished a hammer out of nowhere.

"Hah, so are you going to hammer me to death now, KID?" Snake's voice was laced with sarcasm.

KID smiled. "On the contrary Snake, you're not the one who's going to be hammered tonight."

He placed the jewel on the floor and slammed the hammer down, breaking Pandora into small, glittering pieces.

Snake let out at agonizing howl before he collapsed on the floor due to Conan's tranquilizer dart. KID raised his eyebrow at the child.

The boy shrugged. "Just making sure that he doesn't die of a stroke or something."

Conan put his wrist down, and together with Heiji, they watched KID stand up and bow to his audience for the very last time.

And finally, Phantom Thief KID's act is complete.

Belated Happy Birthday, Kaito Kuroba!

Uh okay hahaha here. Longer chapter... like 6.8k words or sth haha I didn't find a good point to cut the chap sooo yeah.

This fic was supposed to be 10 chaps only but well... i just had to add in some plot. dang it richa

since pandora's destroyed now, kid can officially enjoy his retirement lol. Rest in peace, papa Toichi.

next chap will be wrapping up the heist + other shenanigans

Thanks for reading! :D

(Sorry for making my AN's shitty every time hahaha)