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Diversion Tactics

“How many officers down? Seven?" 

That was more than half of the task force’s front line! Nakamori-keibu was in rare form that night; Hakuba couldn’t remember the last time that they had been this whipped this quickly. But then again, the Kaitous had continued to improve their performance while the officers continued to use the same tactics again and again. 

"Do you realize what the definition of insanity is, Keibu?" 

Hakuba laughed at the string of obscenities that came over the other end of the phone, both amused and horrified at how unprofessional his superior was. Of course, by then, he had become accustomed to it. Nakamori-keibu wasn’t a bad man; he was actually quite sweet if you could get past the stubbornness, but he was a creature of habits. Habits that always led to his defeat. 

Why couldn’t anyone see that but him? Well, and Edogawa Conan, of course, but that was almost like saying that water was wet. Fortunately, the little detective wasn’t present for this particular heist. That meant that Hakuba would finally have the chance he wanted to corner the one, true Kaitou Kid – while Kaitou Kage kept the others busy. 

"I’ll check the maintenance tunnels – send your men to the- ah, Keibu?! Keibu!" 

He’d hung up! Rolling his eyes, Hakuba jogged down the metal stairway and down through the maintenance door, using his temporary card key to gain access. Kid was in disguise, he knew, and this was the best route to escape while Kage made off with the heist in hand. Logically, it was the only route, considering Nakamori’s scheduled tactics. 

Skirting through cables and janitorial equipment, Hakuba made his way as quietly as he could through the tunnel, turning a sharp corner to work his way back behind the museum displays. If he guessed right, Kid would be waiting right about… there. 

The blond smirked, tilting his head as he came to a stop. "I believe that I’ve just cornered myself a phantom thief, Kaitou-san… Any last words before I make the arrest~?" 

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The Neighborhood Watch || miyanohaibara

It’d been weeks since Hakuba had last paid a visit to the Kudou home; it was mostly because he’d been so busy, but also partly because he’d become so entirely discouraged with the investigation that it pained him. His colleague had been missing for months, and while there were whispers and rumors that he was still alive and well, he’d yet to find any concrete evidence himself.

All of this bothered him, of course. It was so like the media to ignore a missing detective who had once been their shining star simply because there hadn’t been a scandalous story reported along with it. As far as Hakuba was concerned, there was something very, seriously wrong, and the lack of attention on the matter pointed to a coverup. 

While that had waving red warning flags all over it, Hakuba found himself continuing the investigation in his spare time, which included making housecalls. Which is what he was doing that morning, parking his car in front of the house and approaching the gate with a sigh. It didn’t look like anyone was home – as usual – but as his phonecalls and letters had been ignored, he felt he had no choice.

It took very little effort to get through the gate, and he made his way to the door with a grim frown, ready to be disappointed yet again. 

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Split Decisions || blackorgkaito

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It was just another press conference for yet another CEO; someone who made their money by having been born into a family of privilege and ‘proper’ blood. Hakuba stood toward the back, eyeing the crowd with only the mildest of interest, stealing glances down at his mobile from time to time, hoping and praying that something would call his attention and give him an excuse to leave.

It wasn’t that it had been poorly planned – no, it was clear that there was adequate budget backing the event, it was just by far not the first that he’d attended, nor would it be the last. After a while, all of them began to feel the same, particularly as he was never quite invested in whatever product or venture the conference pushed for. This evening was no exception. 

Hakuba sighed, glancing up from the messageless phone to once again scan the sizeable audience for anything worth note. 

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Pride and Obligation

How long had it been since Hakuba had left? Days? A week perhaps? He couldn’t remember. After he had pulled himself up off the floor and away from the faint muffled crying he had plunged himself into his equipment and heist preparations. The hang glider had been fixed and re-enforce in the joints to avoid another buckle. Standing on the roof he watched the commotion of the task force and his fans but he couldn’t feel their excitement and the normal rush he got. Instead he felt tired and distracted. Dangerous thing to be when starting a heist. All because there was some thing, well some one. 

The wind picked up and he glanced up at the sky; his white uniform a stark contrast against the inky sky whipped away from his body. It was time to start. He stepped off the roof and welcomed the noise.

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And yet… despite the night’s event, there was no blond detective. No half-brit gentleman lurking about. Instead, he watched the live news report from the comfort of his bedroom, wine glass in one hand, monocle in the other. He’d been debating whether or not he should go all week, but as with everything else, had yet to come to a decision. And now he was drinking. 

It was only a fifteen minute drive from there, really… at least, with the way that Hakuba drove. He could still make it. He could still join the hunt, feel the thrill of the chase, and taste Kid’s enjoyment of it all. But then… … …

He looked down at the monocle again, rolling it between his fingers in the firelight. Should he go…? Kuroba had seemed so disappointed when he’d stated that his priorities had changed. Did it matter? 

Sighing, Hakuba pushed up from his comfortable chair and drained the last of his glass, stepping over to sweep the suit jacket from the back of his chair. The monocle he slipped into the grandfather clock over the fireplace, right over the face, and closed the glass cabinet front. It would be safe there. Then, with a last look at the television, Kid’s cape caught in a glorious gust of wind, he began a reluctant walk from bedroom, down the hall, into the garage, and out to his car. 

He supposed that he was just a dog, after all… and dogs needed work to be happy. 

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Sherlock knocked promptly on the door in front of him. According to his research this was where the young detective lived. “I need to stay here for a short time. You understand this sort of thing and the reasons so surely it must be fine.”

“M-Mr. Holmes!" 

Hakuba stared at the man on the other side of the door, blinking in surprise. He hadn’t expected to see him again for quite some time, let alone right at his doorstep. Presently, his mind worked through the request and a bit of color came to his face. Sherlock Holmes wanted to stay with him? He glanced over his shoulder and into the mansion for a moment, empty and quiet except for the occasional staff member milling about, doing their work. 

Well, it wasn’t as if they didn’t have the accommodations. 

He swallowed, turning back to his idol and nodded, forcing a brave smile. It was his duty to be a good host. 

"Of course you’ll stay here. Please, do come in. Let me take your coat. I’ll have someone prepare a room for you immediately. Would you like some tea?”

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International Adversaries || worldsgreatestthieves

It was frustrating to work so hard, for so long, to still have the majority of his work with the police be relegated to the third division – theft. Hakuba wanted to be with the first, as homicide cases always offered something far more interesting than the greed and shortsightedness of most thieves. But, no. He was good at solving cases involving theft of all sorts, and his antics chasing Kaitou Kid had left a permanent scar on his curriculum vitae – he’d been type cast, and no amount of resolved murders would ever let him get past it.

This was why the young detective was hesitant when one of his contacts sent him a lead on the one and only Lupin; a thief far more menacing and experienced than Kaitou Kid. Not because it was a challenge, but because it would cement his fate with absolute certainty should he succeed. Was any accolade worth separating himself from where his interests truly lay? He doubted it, but took the lead, anyway.

After all, what kind of detective would he be if he just chose to ignore an international criminal simply because he was a thief? 

So he leaned against a column in the museum’s lobby, sipping coffee that had far too much sugar and cream to be healthy, and waited. How his contact had come across the information, he’d never know, but in theory, Lupin’s associates had been seen investigating an embezzlement coverup using imported artifacts, which meant that there was quite a bit of difficult-to-trace capital just waiting to be stolen. 

Yet it was all speculation. Would Lupin be coming? And, if so, were the alleged artifacts even the target? Was he just wasting his time?

It was a very high possibility. But at least he had his coffee. 

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Oh but it’s true. Do you want to know how he begged for it? How much he said he wanted it? How he laid down and took all of it like an obedient pet? That he screamed and sobbed like a little brat because he bit off more than he could chew.

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It wasn’t the first time that he’d heard of the incident… but while he originally dismissed it, further research proved far more troubling than he’d anticipated. Hakuba pulled out his mobile to send a text while he scrolled through the forums, brows furrowed. Dread and horror filled him slowly, ache like the gnawing cold of rising flood water. 

[text] Just checking in. Hullo!

He’d seen Kaito just recently, hadn’t he? Or spoken to him, at the very least. Really, the detective had been so busy since returning from his trip to London that the past week and a half had been little more than a blur. Still, though, this sort of thing didn’t happen to Kaitou Kid. It just didn’t. …did they?

[text] Would you like to do something later?

Hakuba stretched, leaning back in his chair as the information sunk in. From the video clips that had been posted, it was a simple enough task to determine the approximate location of the scandal, but even with that, it was difficult to ascertain if any of it was legitimate or not. Sex tapes and snuff films were popular among a particular crowd, and many adopted celebrity or character personas to draw in a larger audience. It was a disgusting practice, but unfortunately one of the things that a detective had to deal with from time to time. 

[text] Are you still asleep~?

As the seconds ticked by – which Hakuba verified via pocket watch – his anxiety deepened. To act or not? If it really was his Kuroba Kaito, he needed to be there immediately. If it wasn’t, did he risk revealing that he had a particular and personal interest in the thief’s wellbeing? While it was true that he hadn’t made the claim that they were enemies recently, and he was one of the forefront members of the Kaitou Kid task force, there was easily cause for concern that he could become emotionally compromised without due cause, betraying his secret. Both of their secrets. 

[text] Kuroba, I really need to know that you’re all right

What to do? He’d need to proceed with caution, regardless. Sighing, he set to work drafting a reply to one of the forum threads. 

leprofessorholmes posted:

Has anyone been able to confirm this yet? Or, more importantly, has anyone reported the incident to the authorities? 

That was all that he really felt he could discuss openly on the matter; it all upset him too much. Kuroba or not, those who took photos, recorded video, or stared instead of immediately informing the police were nothing but cruel abusers, themselves. And, had it been staged, it was at the very least a matter of public indecency. How did this sort of thing happen? So many had died simply because the available people had chosen to be spectators instead of heroes. He knew that all too well. Paparazzi was such a dirty word. 

…and why the personal messages? A trap, perhaps. After all, Hakuba had made many enemies in his profession, so it wasn’t completely unlikely. He picked up his phone again, this time attempting to call his classmate, but was met with voicemail. After a brief ‘please get back to me as soon as possible,’ he hung up and began dialing the station to see if there had been any reports made.

But before he could hit the ‘call’ button, another call came in.

“Hakuba Saguru speaking.”

“Hakuba. Where are you right now?”

“Conan-kun?” Hakuba frowned, surprised at the tone and aggressiveness with which the normally sweet boy addressed him. “I’m at my father’s estate in Ekoda. What can I do for you?”

“How fast can you get to Akihabara?”

The blond closed his eyes, taking in a breath while he calculated, again, the ETA for travel time. “Approximately twenty six minutes, though I may be able to shave it to seventeen and a half, dependant on traffic and parking. Why do you ask?” Though he already knew.

“You’re the so-called expert on Kaitou Kid. I’m calling you in.”

That was all the confirmation that Hakuba needed, and was out the door and jogging down the hall in an instant. 

“Understood. I’m on my way.”