Prologue:

2 years, 5 months, 4 days.

For Shinichi Kudo, one of Japan's ace detectives, it is the time length of being shrunk down to a seven year old body, taking in the persona Conan Edogawa, living with his true love Ran Mouri, her drunken PI father Kogoro Mouri, solving crimes from the shadows; meeting reliable allies - Heiji Hattori, the Detective Boys, Shiho Miyano aka Ai Haibara, Sera Masumi, FBI agents Jodie Starling and Shuichi Akai aka "Subaru Okiya", even Vermouth, one of the members of the Black Organization's Inner Circle. When May 4, 2016 came around, he would brush it off as a birthday he couldn't celebrate, at least not in person - Haibara was running out of supplies to create the APTX-4869 antidote on that day, leaving only a couple capsules left for emergencies only. Hakase was out running errands when the news came in, leaving Ai alone, finishing up research while enjoying a cup of tea. The doorbell rang a repetitious ring, starling the young chemist for a second before relaxing her guard down. She thought it was Genta, Mitsuhiko, and Ayumi, or it could be Hakase coming back early. But on this day, it was Subaru Okiya.

"Okiya-kun? What brings you here?" She gave a puzzled look at the disguised FBI agent.

"Oh, Haibara-chan, is Conan-kun home? I have something to tell him?" The smile on his face seemed forced, yet genuine.

"Conan-kun is at Mouri-kun's. Why?"

"May I come in?" Haibara obliged. For all the time she has been hiding out with Conan and Professor Agasa, she felt freer than before, not having to worry about the Black Organization. Not that she still feared them, but she has gained the will to fight, a feeling akin to what her sister might have felt when she was risking her life for the only family she had left.

The sun was coming down, leaving the mass living room left in a warm glow. Okiya placed himself on the maroon couch, reaching for the switch to hidden voice changer. Haibara noticed this, deducing that whatever Akai had to say to Conan, it was urgent.

Akai already knew that the little girl coming up to her was none other than Akemi's little sister, and with that notion, to keep his late lover's promise, he would protect Shiho at any cost. And Haibara knew the same about him, too. With that, they have shared a brother-sister relationship for quite some time, even since they confronted each other on the truth at the beginning of the year.

"Akai-kun, what's going on?" Her tone was sharp, her mind focused on what seems to be a new case with the Organization.

"Shino-chan,"Akai replied in his regular voice. "I've got good news and bad news. Can I have some of your tea, first?"

"Let's start with the bad news, then. And sure."

A couple of minutes have passed since Haibara served them both some hot green tea. Having tea to end off the day is nothing but intense peaceful bliss.

Akai broke the silence. "Bad news is Kir is dead." The sound of it froze Haibara on the spot, knowing that they now lost another dear friend because of the men in black. "Her cover was compromised. They captured her, but before she could talk, she committed suicide."

At first, Haibara shivered at the thought of Gin torturing the CIA mole, but any fate other than the latter was comforting.

"And the good news," she said, sipping her drinking silently, somber for the recent loss.

Akai took out his smartphone, logging on to his email, showing a file. "Kir sent this before she got compromised. I think you'll find the information interesting." He sent the file to Haibara's cell phone. When she looked it up, it brought a shock to her.

"But how?"

"My guess is as good as mine. But she got it." Akai finished up the tea from the small porcelain cup. "And there's another thing."

Conan was lounging at home, reading The Black Echo by Michael Connelly. He wondered why he hasn't read this before. He's a Holmes fan, of course, so reading hardboiled police procedurals was a first for him. Kogoro was his normal self, ogling Yoko Okino on television while drinking can after can of beer. Ran was cooking up some spicy curry, smiling happily as she looks upon Conan. Life was good for them.

"Enjoying that book Shinichi recommend to you, Conan-kun?" Conan looked up from his novel to relish the smiling face of his love.

"Yep! Ran-neechan, you got to read this some day! It's so gritty like those black and white films Shinichi-kun would show me when we hang out."

Geez, Conan thought, now this is really pushing out of my character. Reading this book would raise flags to anyone.

Conan's phone rang from his pocket. He checked the caller ID and it was Haibara.

"Hey, Haibara-san."

"Kudo-kun, you need to come by Hakase. It's the Organization."

His mind shifted to overdrive. It always does when they're mentioned, all hands on deck.

"Ran-neechan, Haibara wants a sleepover! Can I go?" His childish façade was as misleading as it is innocent.

Ran was a bit dishearten, the idea of her little brother going off somewhere, like he does when there's always a case. At times, she wondered whether Conan was Shinichi's protégé or his brother. But in any case, she relented and allowed him to go off to Agasa's home.

The moon was full, shining everything in a ghostly paint, while the front lawn of Hakase's house was lit up in yellow, pale light. Conan came in around 10, arriving in filled with excited, yet caution. Haibara was coming from the basement, along with Hakase, holding only 2 batches of the APTX antidote.

"Haibara, what happened? What's going on?" Conan gazed at the antidote before noticing Okiya sitting on the couch, watching the local news. "A new recipe," he questioned, as he smirked at the idea.

It was to his surprise that Haibara immediately took one of the pills, and handed the last one to him. "Take this," she responded.

This must work, she thought. The composition was perfect, but nothing is right until tested.

Conan looked at the capsule in his little kid hands, while Hakase gave his adopted daughter an assortment of adult clothes. "Don't tell me that it's done, that this dose is perfect?" In his mind, there was only energy, the feeling of finally getting his life back and going back head first as Shinchi Kudo, spearheading the charge against the Organization. Since it was the case at that point in time, he had no hesitation when he swallowed the pill.

"Here you go, Shinichi-kun," Agasa said, giving the boy detective his old high school clothes.

It didn't take long for the drug to kick in. It burned his insides, as if he ingested a bleach and lye cocktail, but the effects were quicker. It took him no longer than a few minutes before he grew back into his regular form. He came back into the large, open hall, all dressed up, having the elated sense of theatricality. In the back of his mind, Shinichi imagined that this is what Kaito feels like when he presents himself to the audience - police and bystander.

Okiya was on his phone. "Yes . . . tomorrow at 18:30 . . . . Be sure your guys are ready, Jodie . . . Ok . . . Goodnight." He hanged up and walked up to Shinchi. Shiho just came out, wearing her typical lab coat and brown turtleneck. "Oi, Kudo-kun."

"Akai? The organization is having a meeting somewhere?"

Akai nodded. "Yes." He filled in the news about Kir and her final email, containing details on the toxin and a small meeting with the Boss at Tokyo Tower.

"This is it, isn't it?" About damn time, the detective thought. "Who's coming?"

"The Metro and the FBI will be in on this. It's all hands on deck for this one, " Shiho answered. "I would take this time for them to get ready. I still have to check the drug's effects and see if they'll last. But, I'm confident that I have everything I need."

In May 4, 2016, Kudo Shinichi has received a gift that he wants. An opening, a chance for justice and his old life back. But, just as any other birthdays, sometimes you get the gift you deserved, and the gift that you never ever want.