• • •

Shades of Grey: Entering the Ops
by Icka! M. Chif

• • •

Hakuba woke up to a bitter taste in his mouth and a gritty sensation behind his eyelids. Not unlike waking up after getting hit with the Kid's sleeping gas. He'd meant to talk to the kaitou about that. If you were going to wake up after being put to sleep against your will, you should at least have a really good buzz or a hang over or get -something- out of it.

"Oi. Ya awake over there?" A friendly voice with a distinctive Osaka-ben drawl called.

"Vaguely." He responded, sitting up, the heel of one palm pressed against his eye. He -really- hated falling asleep with his contacts in. A common occurrence since meeting the Kid on a regular basis, he was loathed to say.

And evidently imprisoned in a cell. How lovely.

"Hakuba-kun!" Aoko's voice called, closer than the Osaka voice. "I was worried about you!"

"Aoko-kun?" That got his attention. He rose, walking less-than steadily to the bars that made up one wall of the prison.

"Yay!" The Osaka voice cheered. "He's alive!"

"Heiji!" A second female voice scolded. The boy chuckled in response, completely unrepentant.

"Where are we?" He asked, inspecting the area they were detained in as much as he could given the circumstances. They were in a long corridor from what he could tell. Cells lined the corridor, with other teenagers held inside. The younger ones looked despondent.

"No clue."

A hand reached from the bars beside him and waved, distracting him from their surroundings. "Hi, Hakuba-kun." Aoko wiggled her fingers playfully. He reached through the bars and caught her hand in his.

"Hullo, Aoko-kun. How are you doing?"

"As well as can be expected." Her voice was falsely bright as she twined her fingers in his, ensuring he didn't pull his hand away. He gave her hand a sympathetic squeeze.

The dark-skinned boy in a cell across from them cleared his throat, looking faintly embarrassed at the display of affection. "Hattori Heiji, at yer service." He grinned, speaker with the Osaka accent. "I'd say pleased ta make yer acquaintance, but this ain't exactly the best of circumstances."

"No." He agreed. "This is not. You wouldn't happen to be related to Hattori Heizo, the Director General of the Osaka Prefecture, would you?"

"Got it in one." Hattori said cheerfully. Hakuba recognised the name now. The Teenage Detective of the West, rival to the missing Kudo Shin'ichi. "That's my Oton."

"There's ten of us here, all children of Officers." The ponytail girl supplied helpfully. "Toyama Kazuha, at your service."

Daughter of the Head of the Osaka City Police Department. Aoko was here as well, her father being the Head of the Kaitou Kid Task Force.

"Heiji-kun thinks they might have gotten me by mistake." Aoko added. "My father's the lowest ranking so far." She didn't sound exactly pleased about it. So they were grabbing children from parents ranking above Inspector.

"My apologies." Her fingers tightened around his hand, but she didn't say anything. They'd been walking together to the ice cream shop before meeting Kuroba for tutoring.

"Who's yer father?" Hattori asked, his curious voice deceptively mild. There was steel in the other detective, sharp, like a katana's edge. "Aoko-han couldn't remember his rank."

"Superintendent General of the Metropolitan Police." Hakuba said calmly. "I am Hakuba Saguru, pleased to meet you."

That got startled reactions from both Toyama and Hattori. Evidently Hakuba had just inadvertently won the hierarchy-pissing contest. It was both gratifying and annoying.

For some odd reason, it was like no one ever expected his parents to actually amount to anything...

"Does anyone know what we are doing here? Or who brought us here?"

"Not really." Aoko sighed.

"It's a massive hostage situation." Hattori crossed his arms, looking both annoyed and deep in thought. "Someone isn't happy with the Police department, but so far no one's seen who grabbed us."

Hakuba sighed, nodding. He did a quick check of his pockets with his free hand, then frowned. "Does anyone know what time it is?" His pocket watch was missing. Most annoying. According to his internal clock, he could have been out anywhere from a couple of hours to half a day. It was always harder to tell after being drugged.

"Nobody's electronics are workin'." Toyama informed him. "And everyone's watches are missin'."

"Bugger."

Hattori smirked. "Exactly."

"Don't worry." Aoko said brightly. "Kaito'll show up and get us out of here."

Toyama's voice was a strange blend of suspicious and curious. "Who's Kaito?"

"My best friend. He's a Magician." Aoko raised her voice gleefully. "And Hakuba's Boyfriend!!"

"HE IS NOT!!" Hakuba shouted back, his voice echoing back at them.

"YET!" Aoko cheered, her hand squeezing his enthusiastically.

"Aoko-kun, I was raised to be a gentleman and not to inflict injury upon women." Hakuba informed her in a haughty tone. "Please do not make me re-examine my ethics."

The Kansai couple exchanged looks through the bars and sweatdropped. The fact that Hakuba had not removed his hand from Aoko's grasp did not help his argument.

Hakuba supposed that he could explain that he wasn't dating Aoko either, but then decided it wasn't worth the bother. He and the volatile Inspector's daughter had grown much closer since she had decided that he and Kuroba needed to be good friends. And at this point, it just wasn't worth the argument. Arguing about getting closer to either Aoko or Kuroba.

Aoko let out a soft giggle and he felt better for it. Her pulse was faster than normal against his fingers, but she'd evidently gotten past 'furious' and had moved on to 'scared-but-not-showing-it'.

"As talented as yer friend may be," Hattori was clearly sceptical and not making much of an effort to hide it. "I don't think he's gonna be able to find us before the police do."

"You've never met Kaito!" Aoko retorted hotly.

Hakuba was torn. Kuroba was the Kid, and if anyone could find them, it would be the Kid. However, as Kid had commented several times, he was not a detective. He was a thief and a very good one at that.

And Hakuba certainly was not going to take to standing on tall objects shouting, 'Kid! Come here and Steal me!!!'

Aoko tugged on his hand, wanting some backup in her argument. He stilled a grimace, not entirely completely sure what to say.

"Oh, ye of little faith." A familiar voice drawled. Toyama and Hattori joined them in looking up, where a ceiling panel removed itself and disappeared into the darkness above. A lithe figure in dark grey, not black, flipped out of it, landing in a crouch on the ground. "Hup!"

"Kaito!" Aoko cheered, releasing Hakuba's hand. The Osaka couple looked pole-axed and Hakuba could hear the noise of the other kids in the cell stirring with soft exclamations that sounded like hope.

"Sorry to take so long." Kuroba apologised, walking over to their cells. He crouched down, inspecting the lock on Aoko's door. "But I see you were in good hands." Blue-violet eyes flickered his way before returning to the examination of the lock.

"Someone had to keep her out of trouble." Hakuba retorted.

"How did ya find us?" Hattori inquired, suspicion colouring his tone.

Kuroba flashed a cellphone as he reached into the bag he carried over his shoulders. "Traced Aoko's cell phone back to it's last known location. With as much trouble as she gets into, it's a handy thing to know."

"As much trouble as -I- get into?!" Aoko growled. Kuroba gleefully dodged the swat she aimed for his head, pulling something egg-like out of his pack.

"Do me a favour, Aoko?" Kuroba requested, his tone light despite the fact that his expression was deadly serious. "Back up to the corner of the cell, wouldja? I'm not quite sure exactly how powerful these are. You too, Hakuba."

Hakuba quickly retreated to the far corner of his cell, arms up to cover his face. He noticed Hattori and Toyama doing the same. "Explosion?!" Toyama exclaimed.

"Yup." Kaito scampered back, pressed up against the side of Hakuba's cell. He pressed a button.

It wasn't so much of an explosion as a muffled sizzle. Kuroba scrambled forward, his expression thoughtful as he re-examined the lock.

"Kaito?" Aoko questioned, a bit of fear creeping into her tone. Hakuba moved forward, watching as Kuroba stood up, then kicked the bars with the heel of his shoe.

The door rattled open, sliding back a half metre.

Everyone froze, as if expecting guards to come running at any time.

Nothing.

Kuroba let out a breath, his shoulders slumping forward a bit in what was obviously relief. "C'mon Aoko, lets get these people out of here."

A soft cheer and exultations went up from the people around them. Aoko jumped out of the cage, giving Kuroba an enthusiastic hug. Kuroba gave her a quick half hug, before crouching down and sliding off his pack and rifling through it.

"Would it not be easier for you to simply pick the locks?" Hakuba inquired.

"I'm not familiar with picking door locks." Kuroba retorted, pulling more egg like canisters, all business now. "Aoko darling, my lovely assistant, can you keep an eye out while I get this trick prepared?"

Aoko nodded, moving for the single door at the end of the hall, her bearing tall and proud once more, an Amazon in schoolgirl's clothing.

Kuroba's eyes flickered at him as he divided up the tiny explosives he carried and Hakuba realised the problem. From what Toyama had said, there were ten cells, but he could only see nine additional explosives. Which wouldn't be much of a problem if there was a guarantee that they wouldn't need the limited supply of explosives to get out of the building, much less the room. Hakuba wouldn't forgive himself if he got out and someone else did not. Or they did not get out at all.

"Do mine last." He said in a soft whisper, for Kuroba's ears only. Kuroba gave him an apologetic look, then a quick nod before scooping up the munitions and beginning work on the doors.

"Where'd ya get the explosives?" Hattori asked curiously as Kuroba attached the putty like substance he pulled from the eggs on the look of the Osaka detective's cell.

Kuroba tsk'ed at him, a wide grin on his face. "Magician's secret." He explained. "But they do come in handy, don't they?"

"If they work." Toyama agreed. She was obviously a bit more leery of the explosives. Kuroba chuckled at her, attaching the goop to her door before moving on. Hakuba kept an ear on him, noticing the quiet ease that Kuroba allayed the other people's fears as he went about in his attempt to free everyone.

"Yer boyfriend is impressive." Hattori commented casually.

"We are not dating and yes, he is." Hakuba agreed. Hattori snickered, obviously enjoying the teasing.

"Heiji!" Toyama scolded.

"What?" The dark skinned boy grinned, his expression full of fake innocence. "Don't you think they make a cute couple?"

"HEI-JI!"

"You would not happen to be related to someone named 'Koizumi', would you?" Hakuba inquired loftily.

"Eh?" Hattori blinked. "Not that I'm aware of."

"Pity." Hakuba sniffed. "You sound just like her."

Kuroba's snicker was surprisingly close. Hattori grinned in return, obviously equally at ease getting teased as he was teasing. Hakuba's assessment of the Osaka detective rose several notches.

Hakuba raised an eyebrow. "Done already?"

"Almost." Kuroba called back. There was some muttering, then the boy in dark clothing appeared. "I put one of the explosives on the main door." Kuroba informed him in a side whisper.

Hakuba nodded. Kuroba had understood what he meant, putting the others a higher priority than him. "Thank you."

Kuroba shrugged in response, pushing a small amount of the putty stuff against the joint where the bolt held the door shut, a wire sticking out of there like a squashed bug antennae. There wasn't as much of the explosive as on the other locks either, Kuroba must have pinched off small pieces off of each one in an attempt to get Hakuba's lock open as well.

"Ladies and Gentlemen!" Kuroba called, his clear voice ringing in the confines of the room as he gathered everyone's attention. Hakuba made a mental note to work on both Kid and Kuroba on their pronunciation a bit more. Kuroba still leaned his 'L's a bit too much towards the 'R' sound. "If you would kindly move the back of your rooms, we'll blow this pop stand."

"Hopefully not literally." Hattori commented, retreating to the far corner of his room.

"At least not until later." Kuroba grinned. There were fangs there.

Hakuba found himself silently agreeing with them as he moved back to the corner of his own cell.

He was starting to wonder if exposure to the Kid was a good thing. He'd certainly gained more a more violent mindset since their visits, having wanted to blow up several buildings now.

Kuroba ducked into the cell that had been holding Aoko and began a count down. "Three, Two, One!"

The locks on Hattori and Toyama's cell went 'fssh'. The lock on Hakuba's cell made an odd popping noise, but that was about it. Hakuba grabbed the bars on his cage and heaved, but was dismayed to find he couldn't budge it. His cell was still locked.

Toyama and Hattori did not have that problem. They had their cell doors open with a minimum of fuss and a clear use of martial arts. Hakuba made a note not to go up against either of them in a fight anytime soon, both of them looked extremely vindictive at the moment.

Kuroba however was confused. "They should have all opened..." He muttered as he stepped out of the cell.

"We think there's a somethin' blocking the cell phones." Hattori informed him. "It may be messin' with yer remotes as well."

"Short range it is then." Kuroba gave the lock on Hakuba's cell a cursorily glance, then shook his head. It hadn't worked. Hakuba motioned for him to get the others. Kuroba nodded, heading down the corridor to the next set of people. "Here we go again."

Applying the trigger from a central location appeared to work better, the locks on the remaining six cells went 'fssh'. Kuroba, Hattori and Toyama opened the doors, getting the smaller kids out as fast as they could.

"I haven't heard anything from outside." Aoko informed them. "Are we rea... Wait. What about Hakuba-kun?"

"I didn't have enough explosive." Kuroba said apologetically. Hakuba couldn't see them, but he could hear who he assumed to be Kuroba take off a backpack and rifle through it. "Here. Take these, just toss 'em and they make a big cloud of smoke. Aoko, find a mop or a broom or something. You two from Osaka, can you get everyone out in one piece? Good. I'll get Hakuba out of here and we'll bring up the rear. The police got an anonymous tip about this place, so they should be here shortly. You guys just focus on getting outta here, okay?"

"Kaito?" Aoko's voice sounded shaky, and there was a pause. Hakuba smiled, knowing that Kuroba was going to look out for his sister, no matter what. It'd be okay.

"One... two... three!" a final 'fssh' sound, then footsteps. They were gone, out the doors. Kuroba hurried back, pulling items out of his pockets.

"They going to be okay?" Hakuba asked anyway, more for something to talk about.

"Huh? Yeah, yeah." Kuroba's eyes had a distracted edge to them, like he was walking on a tightrope, juggling and attempting to pick locks all at the same time. He knelt down and began to work on the lock.

This... was not going to work.

Hakuba knew he was not a good judge of people's motivations. But he -knew- Kid. He -knew- Kuroba. Kid and Kuroba were two halves of the same coin. Same person, different faces.

And right now, they needed the Kid's skills, not Kuroba's. Which obviously Kuroba felt uncomfortable using in front of him.

"Kuroba." He tapped the kneeling boy's shoulder. Kuroba looked up at him, his face a mask of concentration.

-an image to save for another time and place....

Hakuba motioned for him to stand up, so that they were closer to eyelevel. As close to eyelevel as they could get with a six-centimetre height difference anyway. Kuroba did, his eyes slightly rounded in confusion. "Yeah?"

"Do not hold yourself back on my account." Hakuba said slowly.

Confusion became more apparent. "Hakuba-?"

"Do not." He rested his hands on Kuroba's shoulders, putting careful emphasis on each word. "Hold yourself back because of me."

Kuroba got it. He could practically see the knowledge finally sink in and click into place. There was a slight pause, as if he was just now realising that Yes, Hakuba knew that he was the Kaitou Kid, Yes, he was quite comfortable with that knowledge and No, Hakuba was not going to say anything about. To anyone.

Kuroba took a deep breath, closing his eyes as he slowly let it out. He seemed to -transform- then, his features becoming sharper, the eyes clearer as Kuroba personality receded into the background and the Kid took his place.

"Right." Kid-in-Kuroba said, the voice dropping down to the clipped businesslike tones the Kid used. "Let's get to work."

This time when the other boy knelt down to work on the lock, it was undone in a matter of seconds, not the minutes that a learning magician would need.

"There was no one guarding the room?" Hakuba inquired as he helped slide the door to the side so he could walk through.

"I looped the security tapes when I took care of the alarm systems I could find." Kid said, stepping back. "As far as they know, you're still asleep."

"And no one has escaped."

"Precisely." Kid slipped his instruments back where they had been hidden. Hakuba paused him a moment by pulling him into a half hug and giving him a quick kiss, a silent grateful thank you that the Kid reprocated.

"I know that you probably just came for your sister, but thank you." He whispered.

"You're welcome." Kid commented back, his violet eyes gentling for a moment before the impassive shields came back up. "But I'd recommend that we follow their example before our gracious hosts decide to visit. These people aren't as accommodating as the police while in pursuit."

Cold fingers shivered down his sloki, Kid's words sinking in. "These are the people who shoot at you."

Kid didn't answer as he made haste to the door. Hakuba followed on his heels, suddenly more than eager to leave the room as well.

They jogged through the halls, Kid following some already pre-determined path with a confidant air. It looked like they were in some sort of warehouse complex, but with the amount of noise that they had made, and the noise that the group ahead of them would make, Hakuba was surprised at the stillness of it.

"No guards?" He mused in a half whisper.

Kid started to stumble, then caught himself. "Hakuba?"

"Yes?"

"Run."

Kid took off at one of his near legendary sprints, pushing Hakuba to the limit to stay with him. They turned a corner and spotted the group of Officers children, moving at a quick trot, but not near as fast as the two of them had been.

"Go!" Kid shouted, waving an arm. "Go-Go-Go GO!"

Fortunately the others didn't stop to ask, picking up their pace to a dead run, trusting the frenzied instructions. There doors were right ahead of them, Aoko hit them, opening them with excessive force as she burst through. A thin high-pitched electronic wail, like a computer monitor going bad began to echo in Hakuba's head.

The place was booby-trapped.

"Keep RUNNING!" Kid bellowed as Hattori, who was bringing up the rear, disappeared into the night air outside. The high-pitched whine turned into a series of beeps.

"Kid-"

"Shut up, shut up shutup." became the growled chant as they both stretched their legs to the limits, picking up a fraction more speed as they bolted through the door, Kid slightly ahead of Hakuba.

The beeping stopped.

Hakuba leaped, tackling Kid and shielding the smaller body with his own as something in the building behind them exploded, the roaring push of the heat and air momentarily lifting them up and flinging them further away. Arms still around Kid, they hit the ground hard and rolled, coming to a rest with Hakuba half sprawled over Kid's body.

"Bastard." Kid grumbled into the dirt. "Always knew you wanted to be on top."

"Fine, fine, you can be on top next time." Hakuba countered, his legs scrambling for purchase as he half-rolled off Kid and tugged him to his feet. "But now, belt up and run."

"Right." Kid grunted, staggering to his feet. Holding on to each other like a pair of drunks, they quickly stumbled away from the now burning building and towards where the others watched, huddled together in the crisp October air. Aoko wrapped her arms around them both as they collapsed, adrenaline buzzing through Hakuba's ears as he panted for breath. Oh, he was going to feel this later...

"Wow," Hattori commented, just a bit of awe in his tone as they watched the building and its contents go up in smoke, the faint sound of sirens echoing from a distance. "Ya really did blow that pop stand."

• • •

"I want in." Hakuba's voice was low and slightly hushed, primarily due to the fact that the lower half of his face was currently buried in the wind-tousled hair of the Kid. Kid smelled a bit like antiseptic, smoke and doves, with a clean, wild scent underneath, like the wind itself. "I want to take these bastards down."

Kid had shown up shortly after he had dragged himself into his room, torn between exhaustion from the adrenaline withdrawals and the sheer fury roaring through his veins. Kid hadn't said anything as he'd stepped warily into the room, like a frightened cat. Hakuba had held one hand out and Kid had paused for a moment, then took it, allowing himself to be pulled into a fierce embrace that he returned with equal fervor.

They had stayed like that for a while, Hakuba not bothering to calculate how long, taking assurance in the fact that Kuroba, no, the Kid, was here and he was all right. When they had begun to sway in place, like tired dancers, they'd shifted to the bed, Kid loosing the hat and the cape on the way. Kid was currently sitting between Hakuba's legs, leaning against Hakuba's chest, using it as a back rest. The red tie was loosened around Kid's neck, the top button undone in a way that looked deliciously wanton, even if the real purpose behind it was to avoid agravating a bandaged cut on the thief's neck. Hakuba was contently wrapped around the Kid, Kid's arms covering his, their fingers loosely entwined.

"No."

"Yes."

"No." Kid growled, his gloved hand squeezing Hakuba's in a surprisingly protective gesture. "You can't cross that line, -Tantei-san-."

Hakuba snorted, bitter amusement welling up inside of him. A bit late for that. Wasn't that exactly what he had been doing every time he saw Kid and didn't report him? Crossing the line between lawful and not? Blurring that line between 'right' and 'wrong' until it was nothing but a hazy shade of grey?

"Too late."

"No, it is not." Kid snapped back. "You don't want to be involved in this."

"I am already involved." He drew a breath in, inhaling Kid's scent as he did so, closing his eyes as he tried to figure a way to explain this to the thief. He reached up, fingers tracing around the monocle but not removing it. At least not yet. "I am not involved merely because of this. Because of you. They brought this fight to me today."

He sighed; tilting his head back against the headboard and filling the thief in the facts he most likely missed since he wasn't involved in some of the clean up afterwards. Kuroba had been scolded thoroughly for butting into police business, and then thanked profusely by the parents of the children for his bravery. When Aoko had been sent home, Kuroba had gone with her. Hakuba had stayed behind with Hattori and Toyama, going over the remaining puzzle pieces.

Not that there had been much of anything useful left behind in the charred remains of the rubble.

"Nakamori and his men were the first ones on the scene." He began in a low tone. "The doors of the warehouse were wired to set off the explosion once anyone opened them. If you, if -Kuroba- had not gotten us out first, we all would have perished when the warehouse blew."

Kid tensed against him, the intertwined fingers squeezing his painfully. He and Kuroba had taken the brunt of the injuries by virtue of being the last ones out. Well technically, he had, since he'd managed to shield Kuroba to the best of his abilities. Both of them were bruised, scratched and sore, but nothing that they couldn't recover from by taking it easy for a few days.

Or so the paramedics said.

"It is bad enough watching them shoot at you and being unable to stop them." He said softly, sliding his hand down the side of the Kid's face, past the shoulder to hover over the scars over the on the upper arm. The one he had helped to bandage, and the one he still didn't know where it had come from. "But they did not just shoot at you today. It is not about them capturing me. Kid... They got Aoko-kun. They kidnapped children and risked the lives of police officers we know. They crossed the line, they brought me into this today."

That was the heart of it right there. He could overlook his own capture; he'd anticipated some sort of trouble from the beginning, inviting a thief into his home. And at least he had a clue about these mysterious murderous people.

It was the capture and cold-blooded premeditated planning to kill the other hostages, who had been innocent that riled him up. That they had aimed a double blow at the law enforcement by killing both family and officers pushed him even farther. But them involving Aoko and by default Kuroba made him see red.

No one touched those he cared about. Not without retribution.

One of Kid's hands unwrapped itself from Hakuba and reached up, burrowing itself into Hakuba's hair and moving his fingers in soothing circles, stroking his hair. Hakuba dropped his head down pressing a kiss against the thief's forehead in silent apology as he let his grip relax slightly around the other boy. He had not been aware that he had been holding the Kid so tightly.

"I am not volunteering to help you plan your heists." He said into the Kid's hair, revelling in the texture and closeness. "I just want to put these bastards away."

Where they couldn't hurt those few he cared about again.

Kid's fingers in his hair tightened, almost to a painful level, but he said nothing for a long while. Finally his fingers relaxed and continued their massage.

"I don't like this."

"I know." He whispered back. "But I can understand things you cannot. You create, I deconstruct. I can see patterns that you might overlook."

"I'm not a detective."

"I am not a thief."

"I know." There was a sharp hint to Kid's voice that Hakuba had better not be considering it either.

-Kaitou were territorial after all.

They fell silent after that, the events of the day catching up with Hakuba and he found himself eventually drifting off to sleep, lulled by the Kid's presence and warmth around him.

He woke up several hours later, the breeze from the open window giving him a chill, his body protesting it's recent abuse. There was no sign of Kid, not that was a surprise. What was a surprise was the fact that his computer was on, a file open on the screen.

Curious, he slipped on his glasses and padded over to the computer, ignoring the coolness of the room. The file was a news article from less than two years ago, the last case of the famous detective of the East, Kudo Shin'ichi. He read the article, then paused.

Picking up the mouse, he opened up his computer's internet history. The most current entry, the one he was looking at had been opened approximately twenty minutes ago. He scrolled down until he found the websites listed that he had visited earlier that day, then began to scroll upwards, perusing the newly created files.

Links listed included a hodgepodge of electronics, video games, various news articles, obituary notices and one from pantheon.org, on the Greek myth of Pandora.

Hakuba pushed his glasses higher on his nose and began to read.

-fin-

• How many times did Kid say 'Go' as they were rushing out?
"Five." *snickers*

• Everyone's watches are missing because of Conan's dart watch. Voices inform me that Kuroba retrieved them.

• Many many thanks to Kaitou Ann for helping us with the parent's titles.

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