Shinichi couldn't believe it. He made a jump forward towards his mirror, viewing his bright sapphire eyes inside the reflection. Clear, beautiful, his own.
Sputtering, he whirled around, staring at the smirking stranger inside his bathroom.
"How did you do that?! Who are you?"

He eyed him from head to toe. A weird looking person. Definitely european. Southern Europe, if he was correct. Black unruly and curly hair, tanned skin...
This was a boy. A boy, barely younger than he himself.
"Oh you would love to know, wouldn't you. Alas, I don't have the nerve for this. I did you a favor, Kudo, because you're interesting. But... Now I'm bored." He shrugged his shoulders, yet his eyes gave away a glim Shinichi felt unsettled by.
"Bye."
"H-hold on a moment."
Shinichi speedwalked after the strange individual who was strolling as peaceful as ever through his house towards the front door. The boy didn't seem in any way hostile towards him and yet, Shinichi felt weird in his near.

"What. Don't annoy me, and we'll go peaceful ways."
"I'm telling you to wait." Shinichi grabbed his arm, holding him back, frowning. "I need to know how you did this. I don't even care about your name, if that's what it is. But if you... I assume you did... were the one to cure my eyes, I need you to help out my colleagues."
And KID, he added in thought but didn't dare to speak it out towards him.
"Well then, detective."
He turned around in his grip before getting a hold on Shinichi's arm as well, looking deep into his eyes.
"I'll need your assistance, then... Something very annoying has been dug out some time ago and set free, and it's a pity I couldn't find them before they slithered away below my nose. Help me find someone, will you~?"
The smirk on his lips was sickening, and yet Shinichi found himself agreeing. In any case, he would nearly trade anything for the safety of his colleagues and KID.
"I'll look into it. Who are you searching for?"
"Well..."
The two let go of each other at the same time, and the stranger flashed a glance into the direction of his father's study.
"I'm sure you'd be kind enough to offer a guest some tea... wouldn't you?"
"Of course. We can talk in the study."

Shinichi soon found his way into the study, only to be relieved once he saw his guest patiently waiting. Nevermind he had broken into his house, he was necessary for the detective to help out his fellow colleagues.

***

Kaito had searched the entire day, without much success. His knee was throbbing in pain, and even the medicine didn't help anymore at this point. Limping worse than before, Kaito slowly shuffled home, relying heavily on his cane to support his knee.
Where could he have gone off to...?

Kaito was positively worried and blaming himself. If now the Black Organization was getting their hands onto him, what then? Of course he was immortal but it didn't help him much with those kinds of guys.
He was just one inch from getting onto a roof and screaming Pandora's name as loud as he could to find a possible answer, or at least lure him towards him.
Keys turning inside his lock, he slowly stepped into his house, finally relaxing once the door shut behind him.

Shoes off, jacket off. Take on the slippers. Kaito shuffled quietly into his living room, falling down on the couch with a painful hiss. Getting rid of his pants, he inspected his knee. It felt worse than before but Kaito knew it wad just because he had pushed himself a bit too much today.
One look at the remote next to him and Kaito turned the television on, quietly easing into the cushioned seat. He needed this moment, this calm.

A calm before the storm, since the news did him quite dirty. Another disease going around? Kaito's eyes were glued onto the screen, a photo of one of the victims on it.
Oh god.
Several people, infected, and that obviously by Pandora. A real bacterial contamination of an entire house. Pneumonia for one victim, an infection of brain tissue for the other. One had luck and got away with an infected finger, one had their ears red and filled with puss.

Kaito felt as if about to gag. Pandora had to be stopped, had to be contained. So many people, infected, their lives in shambles. His phone rang, absentmindly he accepted the call.
"Kuroba-kun did you see the news?!"
Akako.
"I did," he said almost hollow, eyes still fixated onto his screen.
"W-we need to stop this. We need to find Pandora and bring him back."
"And how do you propose we do that?"
"I-..."

Akako fell silent for a second, then breathed out a soft sigh.
"I... need a piece of you. Some skin from your knee... or blood... Anything."
Kaito was already opening his mouth to protest but Akako continued nevertheless.
"It will contain bits and pieces of magical energy coming from this curse put on you. If I have a sample of it... I might just be able to identify the location of its scource."
"You're saying... you can find Pandora."
"Probably, yes."
"Then what are you waiting for?!"
Akako scowled at the other end. She knew Kaito wasn't quite himself since he had yelled at Pandora and scared him off but she wasn't going to let a peasant talk to her like this. Especially in this tone of voice.
"Apologize, Kuroba. If you're like this I'm not interested in helping you AT ALL."
"Fine. Fine I'm sorry. Now get your stuff and do whatever you need to do."

The witch sighed, nodding. Some shuffling was audible.
"I'll take it from you tomorrow in school."
"That's... fine by me. I'll make sure we're gonna be alone."
Kaito hung up after bidding his farewell and switched the tv channels. He couldn't bear to see anymore of Pandora's work, especially since he slowly began to doubt those incidents were actual accidents.