"Move it!"
"Dig three feet deep if you have to, but find that guy!"
"Helicopter units, keep your eyes peeled—track where that thief went!"
Officer Nakamori, dressed in a suit, stood across the street, barking into his radio and directing the swarm of officers to fan out and search the area.
The young policeman who had just entered the alley quickly pulled his cap low, slipping into the shadows.
"Save me! Save me!"
"Where are you going?!"
The middle-aged man, his hair gripped tightly by the black-clad figure, flailed in the dark, finally clutching the young officer's pant leg.
"Heh."
The black-clad figure let out a cold laugh, tightening their grip with such force that the sound of hair tearing from scalp was almost audible.
"Hey!"
"Let go!"
"Let go already!"
The young officer, confronted with this bloody, violent scene and that chilling, dismissive laugh, felt goosebumps erupt across his skin. Tugging at his pants, he desperately wanted to flee this terrifying alley.
What is this mess?
I just escaped the police, and now I'm stuck in this?!
There's a whole squad out there searching—go yell at them across the street!
And you, buddy, stop grabbing my pants!
"You looking to get involved?" Tsuneo tilted his head, eyeing the young officer with a frown.
Something was off. This guy's face…
Kid the Phantom Thief…
"Officer, please!" the beaten man begged, his ears ringing and eyes swollen to slits, oblivious to the chaos outside the alley.
He saw the young policeman as his savior, ignoring the searing pain in his scalp as he tried to crawl toward him.
"Get lost…" Kid muttered.
A bright flashlight beam suddenly cut into the alley.
"Hey, what's going on in there?" two officers at the alley's mouth called out.
Their light revealed three figures: a black-clad person gripping a man crawling on the ground, and another who seemed to be their colleague…
Clearly, their question was directed at the "officer."
Kid glanced at the chilling figure in black and instinctively said, "Some thief got caught. I've already called for backup!"
His gut told him not to cross this person.
And definitely don't get tangled up with them.
"No—" the man on the ground started to protest, but Kid swiftly clamped a hand over his mouth.
"Watch yourself!" the officers at the alley's mouth called, turning to leave without a second thought.
Catching Kid was the priority. If the robber was already caught, there shouldn't be any issues.
"Phew."
Kid exhaled, turning to the black-clad figure. "So, uh…"
"Keep his mouth shut," Tsuneo said coldly, raising his leg.
Crack! The sound of shattering bone echoed as the man's arm, still clutching Kid's pant leg, was crushed underfoot, twisted into an unnatural shape, no longer able to grasp anything.
"Ahhh!!!" The man's head jerked back, his agonized wail filling the alley.
"Can't even handle something this simple," Tsuneo muttered, hearing the approaching shouts from outside. Knowing he couldn't linger, he stepped over the man's body with long strides, heading for the other end of the alley.
"Huh?!"
Kid shuddered at the scene, then saw the two officers running back. He quickly followed the black-clad figure, vanishing into the darkness.
This kind of assault case? Yeah, I'm staying out of it…
Why do I keep running into weirdos tonight?
Kid's thoughts drifted to the little detective he'd met on the rooftop earlier…
…
In the darkness:
"Why are you following me?" Tsuneo turned, his voice sharp.
The repairman couldn't figure it out. Was this thief playing cop so much he wanted to arrest him too?
Looking to climb the ranks or something?
"We just happened to pick the same route…" Kid waved his hands, insisting he meant no harm.
This was, in fact, his preplanned escape route.
A few more alleys, and a car would be waiting on the main street—seamless getaway.
Tsuneo suddenly thought of a certain shrunken detective and chuckled. "Not bad, Kid the Phantom Thief."
Bet that kid's face is priceless right now.
Watching the thief slip away right in front of him—that expression must be something.
He'd considered going to the scene himself, but the urge to deal with that creep in the alley couldn't wait a single day.
"Maybe I should return the compliment—nice work, Dark Knight," Kid said, his smile intact but his heart uneasy. He kept his cap low, hiding his face.
"Heh." Tsuneo's laugh, filtered through a voice modulator, came out icy and piercing, though it carried no malice.
With a brain as sharp as Kid's, it wasn't surprising he'd guessed his identity.
"Not afraid I'll break all four of your limbs and toss you into the sewer?" Tsuneo asked.
"…"
"I'm pretty sure I'm not your target," Kid replied, a bit nervous but not overly so. He wasn't helpless, after all.
And based on the Dark Knight's MO, he probably wouldn't touch him.
As a high schooler, Kid found this sudden vigilante figure oddly charismatic—way cooler than those so-called detectives.
"Happy April Fool's Day," Tsuneo said, glancing at a helicopter flashing by overhead. With that, he turned and melted into the darkness.
Relieved to see him go, Kid quickened his pace, darted out of the alley, and hopped into a waiting black sedan, speeding off.
…
The next day, at Dr. Agasa's house:
"Huh?!"
"You saw Kid the Phantom Thief?!"
"And you didn't try to catch him?!"
Conan's face was a sea of question marks.
"I'm not a detective. You're the one who let him slip through your fingers," Tsuneo said, munching on some food and not missing a chance to jab at the young sleuth.
This guy doesn't know his opponent well enough and just charged in.
Bet he was scared stiff last night.
Conan shook his head, glancing at Dr. Agasa, who was facing away. "By the way, why's the doc giving me the cold shoulder?"
"Someone hung up the phone last night without a word," Haibara said, flipping through a magazine without looking up, her tone dripping with sarcasm.
Tsuneo nodded. "Talk about cold-hearted."
Conan: ???
Dr. Agasa: Hmph!
These past couple of days, I've been cooking by day and writing by night—busier than a workday, haha.
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No, really, no need to donate!
No… seriously…
Thanks to WhiteWhite for the donation, haha!
(End of Chapter)
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