Moonlight Magician

Chapter 31

Chapter 31

KID jerked sideways as the card gun went off, which was exactly what Shinichi knew he was going to do. The card pinned his mantle to the floor, effectively stopping him in his tracks. Shinichi fired off a few more rounds, skewering the other edge of his mantle and the bottom of his left trouser leg to the floor. Shinichi felt that it was a pity that KID wasn't near a wall or anything, because then she would be able to immobilize KID's whole body, pinning him against the wall as effectively as his glue often did to the taskforce.

KID raised his arm and fired at her, forcing her to lower her gun and jerk out of the way. The crowd around them was rapidly backing up, recognizing the danger of those razor-sharp cards. KID ripped his way free of them, grimacing at the torn state of his mantle. He didn't think he would be able to fly that night, which was a change of plan he hadn't foreseen.

KID fired another shot at Shinichi, and then another and another as they all missed. They fell into a sort of complicated dance of ducking and weaving around each other, occasionally getting pinned to the floor or wall by flying cards. The taskforce hung back, too afraid to enter that deadly card cloud even with their target so near. Ran, who had attended the heist with Sonoko, caught Takamoto's eye, an astonished look on her face. Who knew Shinichi could move like that?

Ran pushed her way forwards until she reached her boyfriend, who was working to keep the more reckless people in the crowd at bay.

"Do you think Shinichi-chan will be alright?", she asked anxiously. "Shouldn't you guys try to stop them?"

"Shinichi-chan does this all the time", Takamoto said reassuringly, throwing out an arm and catching Sonoko in the stomach as she tried to slip past him. "Whoops, sorry." He turned back to Ran. "Like I said, she'll be okay. She's the only one who seems to be able to keep up with KID- trying to interfere will probably end up in disaster."

Ran nodded uncertainly, still not entirely convinced.

Shinichi was gasping now as she tried to avoid KID's attacks. She was being alternately helped and hindered by Pandora, who kept poking KID in the back of the head to distract him, and giving Shinichi multiple near heart attacks as cards flew through its torso.

KID was panting too, she could see. Both of them had been going for a while without a break, neither of them willing to stop for the upper hand it would give their opponent. KID gave Shinichi a mocking smile, which she returned in full.

The pain in her legs was excruciating. God, this was like doing zumba, a stupid dancing exercise Sonoko had once dragged her and Ran to.

Pandora, she thought wearily, I think now would be a good time to throw a taskforce.

Right!, Pandora said cheerfully. It grabbed the leg of someone behind it and swung.

The crowd's attention was focused solely on KID and Shinichi, and so didn't notice the newest member of the taskforce levitate a few centimetres off the ground before zooming forwards. They did notice, however, when he flew across the floor to crash into KID's legs, knocking them out from underneath him and winding him. The thief lay motionless on top of the taskforce, wheezing as he struggled to get his breath back.

Strrrike!, Pandora celebrated. It hugged Shinichi and then wiped the sweat off of the detective's forehead. Did I do good, Shinichi?

You did great.

Having more or less regained her breath, Shinichi advanced on the heap and pulled the taskforce out from underneath KID. He still looked terrified, but now with a sort of dazed look in his eyes.