Kaitou KID One Shots 2

Names

Funny, isn't it?

Sounds aren't necessary to communicate within nowadays society.

Yet a name never lost its importance.

We earn our names mostly even before birth... continue with cute nicknames given from family and get introduced to other names. Table. Cake. Hair. Soon enough we adopt new names from our friends, may they be cool, hilarious or cute. Someday we start changing our last name, too, just to adapt to society in a socalled marriage.
We even change our names according to our job and receive new ones during adulthood. Sometimes even because of fun, sometimes we earn ourselves a title to go with the name.

There are no limits concerning names.

What is it like, to wake up every morning, without this essential part of life?
Two years ago I woke up. Wires and tubes going in and out of my body, white walls around me. After the internally panic had died down, someone came into the room. Another name.
She smiled at me and rested her hand above my forehead.
"You woke up. How do you feel?"
I opened my lips to answer but found myself unable to do so. How did I feel?
Numb?
Shocked?
Emotional?
The name calmly explained it to me. A car accident had occured a week ago and I had been the victim. Nobody could identify me and I couldn't either. But they settled with it... Nice names they were, kind and careful.

Soon after, they allowed me to cheer up the children within the hospital. Magic, they named my abilities. Sleight of hand, I renamed them.
It didn't matter for me but I continued. Something about this felt right. The sparkle within children's eyes, the beaming smile which couldn't be more innocent, it all was intoxicating and drew me closer.

I didn't want to stay inside the white room and thus, at evening, I left it, having signed my papers with one of the names I was rolling with. It may have explained why I found these items... special items.
Inside a corner... invisible for unknowing eyes and yet it was the first thing falling into my eye. I didn't know why I chose this particular route. It could have been every other and yet I felt myself drawn to it.
A flashy suit, ridiculously eyecatching, and gadgets. I had heard of Kaitou KID, who wouldn't after resting between gossiping nurses and fangirling patients. But finding his utensils here?
Had KID died?
No heist for a half month. I grew curious with each second and began my research. KID was gone. I hadn't heard of him since long. I call it an unhealthy obsession... but something fascinated me of the thief, something far beyond my understanding. I watched everything I could find. Videos. Reports. Documents. Files.
I began to imitate him. Moves, behavior, voice, speech, tricks and miracles. I practised day and night, studied his surroundings. Nakamori-keibu was the one of my focus.

Someone had to fill in.

After all, KID was just one of the names society had given. Just like any other human being, KID had adapted to it. It didn't belong to KID and neither did it to me, as nobody knew the face behind this unique name.
One KID died... a new one came.
Simple.
It was sad, in a way. The former KID had been a marvellous magician and I admired him for it. And yet, nobody was able to acknowledge the real person, the real miracle.
Because nobody could tell KID and his next generation apart. KID was a phantom and so was his name.

I adapted to it.

I never understood why KID sent a heist note and still I found myself repeating the action. I didn't think of it as particular necessary... and yet I realized I, myself, had the latest written card in hand. It felt so normal. I just rolled with it.
Who wouldn't?
I was a perfect copy.

The first heist was my victory.
As I bolted through my escape route, blaring sirens and screaming police behind me, target hidden on my body, the adrenaline swallowed my entire soul, I smiled.
God it felt so right. The thrill of the chase, the adrenaline, the screams.
And the name. The name I had stolen, the name I had adapted to.
It wasn't mine and I knew that, sensed that. But I, too, felt a strange connection to it. It felt better than the names I had used to roll with.
I decided to continue KID.

Deep down inside my heart, I had the small hope to see the phantom thief alive. Somewhere, watching my every move, perhaps inspecting the gem targets even before I did. I lingered to see his face, to understand why it was drawing me into his charm like magic. To understand his reasons, fears, hopes and desires.
I smirked.
I wanted to consume him, be all of him.

A new name had reached the surface on my third heist. Someone my age, considering the outlooks, and quite familiar. The name had my face, just different eyes.
It made the chase so much more exiting, I became addicted to it. The brown haired male seemed to know my every plan, adapted to it like I had done to KID and chased me down.
I began to research about him. Something about him seemed... well, off. The adult was a force of nature to behold. He had gadgets of his own and never hesitated to use them; my heart throbbed in exitement whenever I saw him. He was close, too close to KID. Always just two steps behind, so hilariously close to catching his cape and yet far away. I had to pay attention, I couldn't allow myself to slip up. I did my very best to adapt to his marvellous threat, too, and succeeded.

I started looking forward to my next heist.

I gave him a name.

Meitantei.