The Beast Within (Shinkai/Kaishin)

Bad Decisions

Tear my flesh, take my blood, I don't need any of it as long as I have you!

Hakuba shivered, eyes fixated onto the tiny picture on KID's phone with its caption. His background was a picture of Beikan's star detective Kudo Shinichi, covered in his own blood, smiling up into the camera with such a captivating and intoxicated look in his eyes that Hakuba had to force himself to avert his eyes from him. It was only a small moment in which KID had taken out his phone to check the time but it had felt like minutes to the usual all composed London detective.
Realization dawned upon the blond detective, regret started to bubble up inside him. It wasn't only KID who had an obsession over his target, Kudo Shinichi was the same: he had developed the same obsession over KID, too. Hakuba needed to digest that, he needed time to think. Those two were made for each other. Was it okay? That he was interferring? That he had intentiously parted them? Kuroba deserved a man who could meet his needs and appreciate him- the fact he actually preferred men had hit him by surprise after all his time with Aoko... Hakuba had expected them to end up together. Ah, this was causing him headache. He had to be alone, evaluate his choices... with a murderous Kuroba in near, impossible.
"Kuroba-kun..." Hakuba began, trying to swallow his nervousity as KID turned around to him with a pokerface he had come to love and hate, "I should go back to my house... There are things I have to take care of and I'm sure I'm not needed any longer in here."
KID gave a small nod and continued to rummage through his wardrobe- at least Hakuba assumed that it was his, the clothes suited him.

Arriving at his house, Hakuba slipped into his house slippers and rested the duffelcoat on a hook inside the entrance floor. Baaya was already home and he had to spend the night alone... his father was out for a conference in Osaka, not quite uncommon for the halfbrit.
A feeling of dread made its way into his guts as he took the steps up to the first floor. It was quiet... So unbearable quiet...
He pulled out his phone and checked for any new mails. Nothing. Clenching his teeth, Hakuba stuffed it back into his pocket and brushed over the grip of his revolver to lull himself into a false sense of security again. Why wasn't Koizumi contacting him? Did she betray him? What if she had escaped... with Kudo?

Hakuba unbuttoned his hemd while entering the bathroom and sighed midway. What had gotten into him to rely on Kozumi anyway? It was a bizarre situation and he had been suspicious all along. She had contacted him all of a sudden, out of nowhere after her disappearance after the graduation ceremony, promised him a cure for Kuroba Kaito as long as he was able to separate Kudo Shinichi from him. What, if all of that had been a lie? He had been insane enough to dignify these vague promises with any reaction. But the possibility on curing his rival had blinded him, lured him and now he had fallen into Koizumi's trap. Right? Kudo Shinichi was most likely gone and Kuroba was going to blame him.
Hakuba looked up and froze, blood running cold. For a moment everything was quiet, then he whirled around to see nothing. Panting, Hakuba clutched his shirt, adrenaline made his limbs shake in fear.
KID. He had seen KID inside the reflection, behind him, emotionlessly glaring at him, lurking inside the shadows of the dimly lit bathroom. Hakuba swallowed, trying to calm his deafening heartbeat. KID was here.
"K-Kuroba-kun?" he asked, inside his mind cursing his nervous voice, "Come out, I've seen you!" It was so quiet inside his house but Hakuba knew, he wasn't alone. Kuroba had followed him. Dear god, did he know? Did he find out? Hakuba's hand wandered towards his belt and he relaxed just the slightest as he felt the grip of his revolver.

Hakube moved towards the door after making sure his bathroom was safe. He had to reach the closest police station, else he wouldn't be seeing dawn again. KID was here. KID knew.
KID was going to catch him.
Hakuba buttoned his hemd up on his way out, eyes searching left and right for any sign of the phantom but he knew this was a lost fight.
Suddenly a door slammed shut close by and Hakuba nearly jumped out of his skin. He paused, trying to make out a single noise.

Steps.

Closer and closer, heavy, dangerous steps. Cold sweat ran down Hakuba's nape. He had to run Immediately, he turned and dashed head over heels towards the stairs.
"Kuroba-kun stop!! I didn't mean to!"
Knowing that his words weren't reaching him, Hakuba didn't bother slowing down. Finally, the stairs. For a moment, he hesitated and turned around, in the last second registrating a fastly approaching KID.
A sudden and heavy push had him flying down the wooden stairs and colliding with the merciless ground, a deafning crunch coming from his leg. Hakuba let out an agonized scream, eyes shooting from his leg up towards the man in white at the stairs.

Unmoving, without a word, he was staring down onto him like he wouldn't be human. Tears of pain rolled down Hakuba's cheeks as he scrambled to get back onto his legs, another mewl emitting from his throat as he accidently touched his leg.
"K-Kuroba-kun please...!" he begged as the magician proceeded to take the steps downstairs, murderous indigo eyes never leaving him.
"Where is he, Tantei-san?" KID whispered in a voice that sent chills down his spine. Hakuba swallowed down the lump in his throat, he had never feared for his life so much than now.
"I-I don't know, I promise! Koizumi-san most likely has him! She promised a cure as long as I managed to separate you for a while! This is all I know."
KID had reached the end of the stairs by now and was looming over the frightened blond, examining his definitely broken leg with silent joy.
"Is that all?"
"Yes it is!" Hakuba hastily ensured, relief bubbling up in his guts. Maybe Kuroba was still in there... else he would have killed him since long. Kuroba wasn't going to kill him. Hakuba wanted to cry in happiness.

That changed as KID raised himself with a mischievous smirk and walked past Hakuba towards the housedoor.
"I shall excuse myself then... Sleep well, Tantei-san."
"W-wait, Kuroba-!"
Before Hakuba could say any word the lights went out and the door shut behind the magician, leaving the injured detective alone. A loud click indicated that the door was locked, draining the blond of his last spirit.

Hakuba stared into the surrounding darkness for a few seconds, unable to progress what had happened. His eyes slowly adjusted to his surroundings and yet the pain coming from his leg made his mind numb; Hakuba couldn't scream for help either. An idea crossed his mind and Hakuba began to search his pockets for his phone, only to realize he had left it inside his bedroom upstairs.
He was alone, all alone and left behind. His neighbors couldn't hear him, nobody could. The halfbrit squeezed his eyes shut, trembling all over his body. Agony overwhelmed him, Hakuba noticed himself slipping into a daze.
"I-I have to stay awake..." he muttered, more to convince himself, but it was no use, "K-Kuroba...kun... please come back..."
His eyelids dropped and the halfbrit finally lost conciousness, curled up at the bottom of the stairs.