All Aces

Aoko Nakamouri end up stuck in a broken elevator. It couldn't be worse. Actually, it could and it was. Aoko Nakamouri ends up stuck in a broken elevator with Kaitou Kid.

I couldn't believe that Otou-san found me out. My disguise was perfect! Okay, maybe not, but it was pretty good. He got so mad though. His face turned that special shade of red and yelled for me to, "Go home! This is police work. It's dangerous!"

I trudged disappointedly into the elevator and sat down in the corner. I'll stay in this elevator until the heist is over. I know it's dangerous, 'Tou-san! But I want to spend more time with you! This is the only thing you seem to have passion about.

I waited. And waited. I could hear the shouting voices of the task force, and at one point I heard a distinct, "Ladies and Gentleman!"

I listened carefully. There was lots of yelling, then silence, then more yelling. The usual stuff. (No, of course I haven't snuck into a Kid heist before! Okay, maybe once… or twice…)

The next thing I knew, Kaitou Kid came running into the elevator pushed the button for the bottom floor. Then he looked over to me.

"Ah, Nakamouri-chan," and he flashed that smile at me. You know the one, right? The one that dazzles all the girls into thinking that he's the good guy. I didn't fall for it. I gave him a dry look. His grin widened.

The elevator jerked to a stop.

Damn? What the heck is going on? Did they turn off the elevator? Did it break?

I still didn't say anything, but I'm sure it was written all over my face because Kid smoothly said, "I think it's broken."

Damn. I'm stuck in a broken elevator with Kaitou Kid. What a great way to spend my evening.

"They always take the stairs down after," Kid mumbled and I looked over to him, "it's easier that way. No fights over who gets to ride the elevator and who doesn't. There's too many of them to all go at once." I sighed.

"So," I spoke up for the first time, "they probably won't even notice that we're here?"

He looked up to the trapdoor exit on the roof of the elevator "Yeah. Might as well pass some time. I'll scale the elevator shaft after the cops are all gone." He leaned against the wall and shoved his hands in his pockets. He tipped his hat lower. "So, Nakamouri-chan, anything you want to chat about?"

I shook my head angrily and stood up angrily. This was Kid, after all. The guy I hated most. "I don't want to talk with you about anything!" I yelled to him.

He tried the smile again. It didn't work. Again. "Okay, so we can sit in silence and enjoy each other's presence."

I rolled my eyes, "There's nothing enjoyable about your presence."

"But I enjoy yours very much so."

Sheesh. What was with that arrogant thief? I'm sure he would have commented like that no matter who he was stuck in here with. Unless it was Hakuba-kun or my Tou-san or somebody like that…

We sat in silence for a long time. A million potential questions ran through my head. This was my moment. I was alone with Kaitou Kid, and I could ask any question I wanted to, but I didn't. My lips felt like they were sewed shut and butterflies fluttered in my stomach.

"I'm bored," Kid complained, "Nakamouri-chan is too boring."

I could have sworn I popped a vein in that moment, and I glared at him, wishing I had a projectile within my reach. Seriously, must he insult me? "If you're so bored, entertain yourself!" I yelled.

He pulled out a deck of cards and began to shuffle it. I rolled my eyes. It figures that Kid spent his spare time doing parlour tricks. He must've noticed that I wasn't impressed and the cards disappeared.

"How about we play a game?" He proposed with a smirk, "Twenty questions."

He must've read my mind or something. "Sure."

His trademark smile dropped for a second, "but you can't ask me questions like 'what's your real name?' Okay." I nodded and his smile returned. "So, Nakamouri-chan," he started, "why are you here tonight?"

That was an easy one. "I wanted to help my Otou-san catch you." As for a question, hmm… "Did you get the jewel you came for?"

He pulled it out of his pocket. Simple and trick-less. I guess that was my answer. "Why would you want to try and catch me?"

"You make a fool out of my Otou-san!" I huffed. Maybe that wasn't the only reason, but I didn't want to explain my childish thoughts to such a guy who wouldn't understand the way I feel. He'd probably tell me I'm stupid. "Why do you have to make a fool of Otou-san all the time?"

"I do it to all the members of the task force," Kid stated dryly, "not just your Otou-san." Stupid Kid, that doesn't answer my question! Just as I was about to voice my thoughts he spoke once again. "It shouldn't be taken personally. It's just more fun this way."

Fun? That's what he's thinking when he makes a fool of people? That it's fun? Oh… wait… I just missed his question. "Can you say that again?"

"Why does it bother you so much that I bother your Tou-san?"

I stumbled over the question, "Well, you bring his blood pressure up, and he hates being tricked. He's obsessed over you!"

Kid gave me a sympathetic smile, "So he has no time for you."

It wasn't a question, but I answered it anyways. "No."

"What was your Otou-san like?" I know I was pushing dangerous grounds with that question, and I was expecting him to tell me that he wasn't going to answer it, but he did.

"He was the greatest. He taught me everything I know. He was a magician." I knew that look. He was staring at the ceiling of the car with a smile on his face in recollection. Kaito had that look on his face when he thought of his Tou-san.

"Was?"

"Yeah. Eight years ago now." Even though he didn't say it, I knew what he meant. "I get two questions now." He gave me a playful look. "Do I really bring Nakamouri-keibu's blood pressure up?"

I nodded. "He was at the doctor's last week. It's gone up a couple points since you appeared the first time. And it keeps climbing. They might put him on some medication for it soon."

Kaitou Kid's smile faltered again. "I'm sorry, Nakamouri-chan. Next question though: What colour panties are you wearing at the moment?"

For a minute there, I could have sworn I heard my best friend's voice within Kid's. And it sounded like something Kaito would say too. And that smile that was breaking through his poker face resembled Kaito's too.

"I exercise my right to pass. Pervert." Kid's grin only widened. "Why must you ask a question like that?"

"C'mon, Nakamouri-chan. I was only joking." Pfft. Joking my ass. "You're so worried about Nakamouri-keibu. What about your Kaa-san?"

My Kaa-san? "She died when I was still a baby. I don't remember her." Somehow, he didn't look surprised. "What about yours?"

"Alive and kicking. Literally. She doesn't know about my… erm… night job, if that's what you're asking though." Well, it wasn't what I was asking, but it was nice to know. Why was I spending my time on these pointless small-talk questions though? I wanted answers. "So," he began his next question, "Are you going to go and tell Nakamouri-keibu about all we talked about in this elevator?"

I had to think about that one. "No," I decided. "Why 'Kid'?"

He smiled, and seemed to have gotten what I meant. "I have no idea. Phantom Thief 1412 was Kid before I was."

"What do you mean?" Shoot! Now he's going to make me answer two questions.

"Eight years ago when Kid disappeared, that was Tou-san. He died. Then I found his costume and a whole bunch of Kid's stuff in my attic and came to the conclusion that Tou-san was Kid. I'm about your age. Tantei-san's machines weren't broken like he thought when it said I was between 15 and 17."

Screw how many questions he was going to ask me! "Why did you decide to take your Tou-san's place then? Why become the Kid?"

He closed his eyes, "I wanted to know Tou-san. Whenever I'm out there I feel close to him. I know he's watching me. I miss him."

I could sympathise. That's why we were both stuck in the elevator at the moment, it seems. We both wanted to get to know our fathers. Maybe hating him was a bit too much. We're in the same boat… well… almost.

"So, I get three questions now. Then you get the last one. First: What do you think of me now? I know you hated me before. Second: Why haven't you tried to hit me with something? Third: Do you have your cell with you?"

I raised my eyebrow at the last question. "First: I don't hate you, but I sure as hell don't like you. Second: Because there's nothing to hit you with. Third: No. I left it at home. Even if I did, I doubt there's a signal in here."

My last question now. I've got to make it count then. I wanted to know so many things. Why did you try to steal that old clock-tower and how did you fail? Do you wear masks under your hat and monocle on a regular basis? Why don't you let anybody get hurt?

I decided on one though.

"Kid-san, when do you think we'll get out of here?"

"I don't know, Nakamouri-chan. Soon, I hope."

I wasted it. And I'm quite happy with the result. The entire thing felt like I was tearing off the mask, piece-by-piece, and I suddenly, when faced with the opportunity, decided that I didn't want to know.

I didn't want him to tell me.

Because an audience knows how the magician does his tricks, the magic is gone.

We didn't talk after that. Kid pulled out a deck of cards again and showed it to me. He hid their faces, shuffled them, and showed me the deck again. It was all aces.

The elevator began to move.