Shinichi and Ran were bored in class. Shinichi was impatiently waiting for the day to start so that it would be closer to ending eventually, and Ran just kind of sat there in a daze while Ayumi told her a bunch of allegedly cool things. Neither of them were enjoying being in elementary school and it was really starting to grate on their psyches. Making friends only helped the burden somewhat, but it was still a huge pain to do useless work.
Kobayashi-sensei opened the door and lo and behold there was a new student in class.
"This is Haibara Ai," said Kobayashi. "She is a transfer student and will be joining our class."
Everybody cheered. Haibara walked over and sat next to Shinichi's desk, which happened to be the only available one. She said absolutely nothing to him but gave him a weird look.
Ran decided that she probably liked him or something. Shinichi's genius and arrogance meant that every first grader he ran into would pretty much fall head over heels for him. It was kind of creepy how that worked.
After class, the three Detective Boys who weren't completely braindead from first grade lessons excitedly asked Haibara to join them in their club. She just went with it and didn't say much.
Ran and Shinichi, finally able to talk to each other, walked together behind them.
"What a shy kid," said Ran.
"From how she looked at me, she's probably another admirer," said Shinichi. "I didn't have any of those when I was supposed to be this age. It's kind of weird."
"I know, right?"
"At least you're not being hounded by fangirls like you used to be," said Ran. "You fawned all over the letters you kept getting. Now it's like you've become a victim of karma."
"Oh, come on. I wasn't that bad."
"You were a monster who was just waiting to have something bad happen to him. I tried to get you to calm down about your detective fame but you didn't listen and now look where you got yourself, and also me."
Shinichi sighed. "Whatever you say."
Unknown to them, Haibara was watching them again.
"Look," said Genta, "we got a letter." He pulled the paper out of his shoe.
"The woman was wearing all black?" asked Shinichi.
"Yeah, and she was really suspicious," said the boy.
Shinichi turned to Ran. Ran shrugged. Confused, Shinichi took Ran to the corner of the room and whispered to her, "Don't you think this may have something to do with the Organization?"
"Shinichi, you can't just base your suspicions over what color someone's wearing. I know a lot of people who wear too much black," said Ran. "Usually they don't pull the look off very well."
"Okay, even if it's not them, the kidnappers may be dangerous. We have to keep the other kids out of this."
"And we're going to go investigate by ourselves?"
"You're going to investigate by yourselves?" asked Mitsuhiko, who had gotten close enough to hear that last sentence. "That's not fair. All of us have to help."
"Midori-chan and Conan-kun try to do too much by themselves," said Ayumi to Haibara.
"I think this case might be too dangerous for us," said Ran. "We may need to ask the police for help."
"Like they'll believe a bunch of first graders," said Shinichi. He whispered to Ran again out of earshot. "But what if it is the Organization? If they find out that we tipped off the police, we'll all be dead."
"Good point," said Ran. "I hate to get in on your jerk routine, but we may have to somehow lose the others now."
Ran turned to the others. "Conan-kun and I think this case is too hard. We should all go get ice cream!"
"Good idea," said Ayumi.
"No, wait, we can't just give up on our client," said Mitsuhiko. "It's our policy as the Detective Boys to solve every case we come across."
"But we've got something to do," said Shinichi. "We didn't think that this case would take this long. I'm sorry, but Midori-chan and I have to go somewhere."
"Well, if that's how it is, then I guess you two can go," said Mitsuhiko. "Have fun on your date."
Shinichi and Ran both walked out of the house looking inconceivably embarrassed and disgruntled.
"I can't believe we tracked these guys down to the exact building," said Ran. "That was really easy."
"Not so fast," said Mitsuhiko. Ran and Shinichi turned around and saw the four ditched Detective Boys members and their client standing there angrily.
"You ditched us," said Genta. "That's low of you two."
"I told you, it's too dangerous," said Shinichi. "You guys can't help investigate this case. Only Midori-chan and I can handle this."
"Why are you qualified?" asked Mitsuhiko.
"That's none of your business," said Shinichi.
"Hold on, you guys," said Ran. "Don't get in a fight over this."
"It's not like they're going to listen to me anyway," said Shinichi.
"If these guys are dangerous," said Ayumi, "why can you guys go fight them?"
"I have my shoes and my tranquilizer, and Midori-chan has her karate," said Shinichi. "You guys don't have gadgets or skills. If something happens to you, imagine how mad your parents will be."
"That's a good point," said Genta. "My dad gets scary when he's mad."
"See? We don't want anyone to get in trouble," said Ran. "Let us take care of it."
"Fine," said Mitsuhiko.
Shinichi and Ran got inside the building. A man was standing there smoking a cigarette.
"You kids shouldn't be back here," he said.
"Sorry, we got lost," said Ran. She looked over at Shinichi. He got out the watch and knocked out the guard in record time.
"You used it already?" said Ran. "You don't even have extra darts. What if there are more people?"
"I don't know," said Shinichi. "I just wanted to enter quietly. Let's go." They snuck up the stairs as silently as possible. At the top of the stairwell, Shinichi put his back to the wall and motioned for Ran to follow suit. Shinichi peered into the next room. Ran looked over behind him. There were printing materials everywhere and the counterfeit bills were all over the tables. A young man who looked exactly like the missing dude was sitting there looking miserable.
"Aren't we going to go in?" said Ran in a whisper.
"Not yet," said Shinichi. "If someone else comes in, we'll be cornered."
"If we stay out here, we're obviously going to be seen."
"Fine, whatever you say, it's our funeral." They walked into the room. Shinichi approached the printing press while Ran went over to the man.
"The cops will be here soon," said Ran.
"You guys need to get out of here," said the kidnapped guy, "or else they'll-"
A woman wearing a wholly black outfit and a stupid looking hat entered the room.
"They'll what?" said Ran.
"Well, look who we have here," said the woman. "A couple of brats playing around after hours." She pulled out a gun. "Sorry, but rules are rules. No one's allowed in here, and no one who's seen this room leaves alive."
Shinichi powered up his shoes and kicked a can at the lady's face, leaving her unconscious on the ground and the gun out of her hand.
"We'll give this to the police when they get here," said Shinichi.
"So you live around here?" said Ran. "That's convenient. We can walk to school together, Haibara-san."
Haibara didn't say anything.
"Don't be shy," said Ran. "Is it about those bad guys earlier?"
Haibara still decided not to respond.
"Man, talk about traumatized," said Shinichi.
"That's not nice," said Ran. "I'm pretty sure that that lady would have killed us on the spot if it wasn't for your fast thinking, Conan-kun. She has a right to be concerned about it."
"She wasn't even there," said Shinichi.
The three of them reached the sidewalk in front of Agasa's house.
"Our stop is here," said Ran. "We'll see you later, Haibara-san."
Haibara didn't move.
"Okay, it's getting kind of creepy now," said Shinichi. "Earth to Haibara-san."
"Apotoxin 4869," said Haibara.
"What?" said Ran.
"That's the drug that did this to the both of you, isn't it?"
"Did what?"
"Made you little kids."
"What are you even talking about, Haibara-san?" asked Shinichi. He broke out in another nervous cold sweat. "That kind of stuff only happens in comics." I am making a reference to how this series is a comic in the first place. Bada boom.
"You can stop bluffing now," said Haibara. "The apotoxin's rare side effect specifically reduces all cells in its victim's body to roughly six years of age due to the lengthening of telomerase caps on DNA helixes and..."
"What?" said Ran. "Where did you hear stuff like that?"
"Maybe I should have introduced myself first," said Haibara. "My codename is Sherry, creator of the apotoxin itself."
"Um, well, shoot," said Shinichi.
"You're a member of the Organization!?" said Ran.
"I used to be, until my sister was killed," said Haibara. "Then I decided to escape by the pill and ended up receiving the side effect by pure chance. Since I knew about the suspicions involving you and Shinichi's corpses due to investigations conducted by the Organization months ago, plus the fact that your childhood clothes were missing, I decided to request your aid and that of Agasa-hakase's. Sadly, you two were out doing something, so I had to explain the entire situation to him alone."
"So this all happened while we were visiting Otou-san," said Ran.
"Wait," said Shinichi. "How do we know we can trust someone like you?"
"Do you really think I did this to myself on purpose?" said Haibara.
"She has a good point there, Shinichi," said Ran.
"Oh, there you are," said Agasa. "I see you've all met each other."
"You're okay with this Organization ex-member staying here!?" said Shinichi.
"Oh, come on, she just explained everything," said Ran. "We have nothing to fear."
"You know, I'm right here, Kudo-kun," said Haibara. "I don't particularly enjoy actively watching you getting my feelings hurt."
"Sorry," said Shinichi.
"I can't believe this, Hakase," said Ran. "You're taking care of three fake first graders now."
"I'd like to make the point that it is starting to look suspicious," said Haibara. "I don't intend on staying here if it endangers our safety. I can find a place for myself."
"You don't have anywhere to go," said Agasa. "But Ran-kun and Shinichi-kun do."
"Where's that?" said Shinichi.
"It's been a while, I think that you guys can move back in with Mouri-san."
"Are you sure that'll be safe?" said Ran.
"I can confirm that," said Haibara. "The Organization does think you guys are stone cold dead. There's no harm in doing that, but as for me, they know I'm alive and in hiding somewhere. They don't know that the apotoxin does this to people, I was the only one who knew of its effect."
"Just how rare is the side effect?" said Ran.
"It's not a matter of rarity, it's a genetic thing," said Haibara. "So far my conclusions are that it has a higher rate of occurrence among teenagers, which aren't usually the targets of Organization assassinations. That doesn't mean there's still a chance of them finding out about it if they continue to use it, though."
"But we're safe?" said Shinichi.
"Right," said Haibara, "as long as you keep out of the limelight. I know detectives are infamous for wanting attention."
"Well, I suppose I better call Otou-san and see if this is okay with him," said Ran.
"Wait," said Shinichi. "If you made the apotoxin, you know how to make an antidote, right?"
"Sorry to disappoint you, but no," said Haibara. "I don't have access to the drug's data. I can't work from memory on something as complicated as that."
"Dang it."