Clamp School Fan Fiction / X/1999 Fan Fiction / Detective Loki Fan Fiction / D. N. Angel Fan Fiction ❯ Value, Price, and Cost ❯ Letters of Intent ( Chapter 1 )

Value, Price, and Cost

Letters of Intent

"But we WANT IT!"

Ijyuin Akira smiled patiently, shaking his head. "Okaa-san," he said, addressing them both, "I've retired. I've stolen the only thing in the world I truly want--Utako's heart."

"Akira-kun! That's all well and good for you, but what about us? You don't understand! This one is special!"

"You haven't even given us a grandson to ask for these things from," the other mother pouted. "If you had, we'd ask him instead of you because we know how you don't want to leave her side at nights."

Akira tried not to wince. The world was coming to an end around them, and the last thing he could do was bring a child into that uncertain future. Maybe if Kamui was successful...maybe then he'd talk to Utako about bearing a child. Until this year passed though, he could not do it. "Please. You have to understand. Utako worries so much every time I go out, and I don't want to do that to her ever again if I can help it."

"She'll worry even more when we tell her about--"

"Okay, okay!" He didn't wait to hear what they would blackmail him with. The simple fact that they would resort to it was enough to convince him, and they were his mothers. There was plenty they could tell Utako that would land him in hot water with her. "I'll write the notice."

The women smiled at each other, clasping their hands together. Had there been any doubt in the outcome?

~@~

"Yamino-kun! Are you sure?"

Yamino nodded sadly. "I don't know what it was, but there's no doubt. It's that painting."

"I see," Loki murmured. He thought for a time, seated behind his large desk in the comfortable leather chair that always made him look even smaller in this child-like form. "The first thing we'll need to do is get the painting in our possession. Only then could I try to figure out how to release the magic on it."

Yamino nodded. "Hai," he agreed unsteadily.

"So, we need to find someone to steal it for us." A familiar gleam of mischief gleamed in the god's eye.

"Steal it for us? We're not going to get it ourselves?"

"What fun would that be?" Loki asked with a wide grin. "Do you remember when Freyr appeared to first challenge me?"

"Kaito Freyr--it was all over the newspapers. Aa, of course I remember." Yamino took his glasses off to clean them, trying to hide his confusion with that gesture.

"To steal a work of art, we need a thief," Loki smirked. "I think it might be time to talk to him and see how things are going lately."

~@~

Niwa Daisuke trudged into the kitchen, setting his book bag down on one of the chairs. "Such a long day," he murmured, mostly to himself. "I'm so tired after the job last night."

"Get a good night's sleep tonight, Dai-chan! I hate to do this, but tomorrow you have a job in Tokyo."

"Eh? Tokyo! Since when?"

"Well, yes, normally we wait until things are a little bit closer to home," his mother said regretfully. "This time though, it's urgent, and I don't think the painting will be coming close enough any time soon. It's in a private collection, and already it's causing some trouble."

"But Tokyo is a little bit too far away, isn't it?"

"Do your best, Dai-chan."

"But how?"

"This way," his grandfather answered from the doorway, luggage in hand. He held out tickets.... "We'll be leaving in an hour, so pack quickly."

"This really is an emergency, isn't it?" Daisuke asked worriedly.

Don't worry, Dark's voice answered within. I'll be able to handle this.

"What about school?"

"This is much more important," his mother answered slowly, impressing upon him the gravity of the situation.

"I'll go pack."

~@~

"What is the meaning of this, Loki?" Freyr was standing tall, hands on his hips, trying to look imposing and intimidating.

Loki was not impressed.

"Ah! Freyr! You're just the person I was looking for. I need your help." Loki grinned, leaning back in his chair, pretending to take a break from the "paperwork" in front of him.

"Loki, why would I help you? You've stolen my sister, you've--"

"Actually, you wouldn't be helping me so much as you'd be helping Mayura."

"My Yamato Nadeshiko! What have you done with her, you villain?"

Loki rolled his eyes. "The question here would be, 'what has she done to herself--again?'"

"What?"

"Ah, nothing!" Loki was now the picture of innocence as he tried to wrest a favor from the other god. "You see, she was investigating something she shouldn't, and I'm afraid she's put herself into a bit of a mess."

"I am not one of your pawns to be toyed with, Loki. Get to the point, or ask someone else," he glared.

Loki fought long and hard to keep his face straight. He rested his elbows on the desk before him, twining his fingers together beneath his chin. "Yamino-kun!"

"Ah! Yes, Loki-sama?"

"How long has it been since you've had a chance to really show off your culinary skills? Especially for a large group of people?"

Tears began to shine in Yamino's eyes. "It's been so long, Loki-sama! I would love to share my cooking with the entire group again, but no one visits anymore."

Freyr jumped. "Nobody invited us!"

"Exactly," Loki said. "But, I'll see what I can do about that, as soon as Mayura is safely returned."

"I shall send out a notice immediately!" Freyr called out with his usual flair.

Loki blinked a couple of times. "A notice?"

"Of course! That's how these things are done!"

Loki blinked a few more times before adding a shrug. "As long as you bring her back before her father burns this house down or does something else just as inconvenient, fine."

~@~

The headline in the morning newspaper had many people shaking their heads in disbelief.

"Three Legendary Thieves, One Painting!"

This opened the door to much speculation and quite a few bets. Many bet on the legendary "Man of Many Faces" simply because he was the best known of the three in Tokyo, and though he hadn't shown in many long years people still remembered some of the amazing feats he'd pulled. Some bet on Kaito Freyr because he was a fresh face, and his thefts had been more recent. Granted, there hadn't been many, and he'd quickly faded from the headlines, but this brought his handful of thefts to the public mind again and had many claiming that there was no contest. Freyr would get the painting in question. Those few in Tokyo who had heard of the Legendary Kaito Dark knew without a doubt that he would be the one to beat the other two to the painting. There was no question in their hearts.

Many heated debates were begun over this, and not all of them ended with friendly bets for pocket change. It seemed everyone was a fan of one of the three...a fan, or a less happy follower of their exploits.

One pair of eyes scanned the newspaper from behind the wire rims of his useless glasses. He removed them carelessly--they were merely an affectation after all. He grinned and vowed to himself that this would be the night. His nemesis was out of his element. This night would be key....

Another pair of eyes glanced at the headline over coffee at the station--and nearly spit it out. Yes! Tonight! He spent a moment in annoyance that no one had told him that his nemesis had put out a notice before it was printed in the paper--he had a standing order that he be informed of any developments in this case! No matter. He would head the investigation and protect the painting as he always had, and this time he would be victorious!

The final pair of eyes we are concerned with grew wide with expectation. A mystery! A triple mystery even! This was the greatest thing in the world, ever! She quickly busied herself with finding the perfect outfit and accessories for investigating this before heading over to her friend's house to share the good news.

The stage was set.