021. Friends

Panic threatened to overwhelm him, but the high school detective forced himself to remain calm. He needed help, which he could get. Despite his earlier pessimistic thoughts on the matter, Shinichi Kudo did have friends, friends whom he had made as Conan Edogawa and could help him with this problem. And as he started planning ways he might be able to manipulate future events that would keep his life from spiraling completely out of control...again, Shinichi decided to go visit one of the people whose help he would need more than most. Also, it would probably be easier to work this all out if he had someone to actually talk to.

Walking back to his bedroom to get ready for the day, the black-haired teen's mind was whirling around faster than it did during a difficult case or when he was deciphering a Kaitou Kid note. He had so much to plan for, so much to do. The more he thought about it, the more he realized how many lives he had touched as Conan Edogawa. There would be no way for him to give them all a proper good-bye. So, Conan's reason for leaving would have to be swift and indisputable, but it also had to be believable. He had an idea, but he couldn't execute it on his own; in fact, most of what he was planning was going to be in the hands of other people.

Forcing his brain to stop thinking about all the things to come, Shinichi finished dressing himself, grabbed the Shallow Shroud just to be safe, left his house, and walked over to the house next door because inside were the two people on whom his plans hinged the most. Ai's cooperation and Agasa's inventions would be paramount in making Conan disappear.

Not bothering with the doorbell since he had long ago been given an extra house key, the high school detective just let himself into the house and headed for the kitchen. Since it was still early in the morning, that was the most logical place for both of this house's occupants to be, especially since they were people who actually ate breakfast (one that included more than just coffee). However, Professor Agasa was a coffee drinker, so that meant there would probably be some waiting for him when he got there, the mere thought of which filled Shinichi's heart with joy.

Of course, Shinichi had been right, and Ai and Agasa were peacefully eating their breakfast when the high school detective walked in. The response was instantaneous. Agasa spit out the coffee he was drinking, and his speech, soon after, devolved into an incoherent sputtering mess of hows, whys, whens, and a whole host of other things that the high school detective couldn't answer, even if he'd had the chance to. Ai, on the other hand, had jumped off her chair, seized his hand, and started pulling him to her lab, the teen was left stumbling every few feet since he was now completely hunched over due to their joined hands.

Without speaking, Ai speedily went through performing a series of tests on Shinichi to make sure that he was in fact Shinichi, that he hadn't taken one of the temporary antidotes without telling her, and that the change was going to be permanent this time. Well, the test results came back, and every single one of those things were confirmed. So, when she finally did speak, the words that came out of her mouth were this, "What happened?"

"I don't know what happened," Shinichi answered honestly. "I just woke up this morning, and Bam! I wasn't Conan anymore. And as interesting a mystery as magically growing up is, I'm not quite so worried about finding about why I changed back so much as making Conan Edogawa leave without looking suspicious. The Black Organization may have been taken down, but that doesn't mean I want the whole world knowing I was a child for two whole years. I really don't need that extra media attention."

"Not to mention," Ai said as she hopped up on the hospital bed next to Shinichi and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. She could tell that he was freaking out, and despite her usually cold attitude, the shrunken scientist cared a great deal about her detective friend. "A lot of people would want to haul you off to perform experiments. And the dregs of the Black Organization that were split between trying to find you and trying to get revenge on little Conan would probably join together to chase after Shinichi Kudo once they knew that the high school detective and his little cousin were actually one and the same. Furthermore, the police can't protect Kudo as well as they could protect Conan. You're too famous and are known to be able to take care of yourself…so, how are you going to handle the disappearance of Conan Edogawa?"

"That's why I'm here," Shinichi said hesitantly. "I'm really going to need your help. I know you hated doing it before, but are you willing to dress up and act as me for a short period of time? It's the best way I can of think of to do things."

"You're so going to owe me for this Kudo-kun," Ai replied with a grimace because she knew she was going to have to act a lot more convincingly this time than she had before and was really not looking forward to it. "But yes, I'll be you. It's safer for me as well if Conan doesn't just disappear into thin air. What's the plan?"

He quickly explained it to her, as much as he had thought out anyway, and she agreed that it was probably the best they could do with the situation they suddenly found themselves in. As soon as they were done discussing the basics, Shinichi set about making phone calls to the other people he needed help from. More specific details would be discussed and enacted once he had ensured everyone else's help.

The first call he made was to Hattori. The Great Detective of the West was happy to hear that Shinichi Kudo had finally returned and agreed instantly to come and help in Operation: Bring back Conan so he can disappear for good. Before they had even finished talking, Hattori was packed and heading to the train station to hop on the first available train to Tokyo. He was in such a hurry that he barely remembered to leave his mother and father a note, and that meant a lot to Shinichi. He'd been so wrong to be so depressed before. His friends were amazing.

His next phone call was to Professor Agasa's cell phone. The professor always had it with him, and Shinichi wasn't sure Agasa was ready to have this conversation in person. When the professor answered his phone, he did still sound a bit shocked but mostly recovered, so maybe the phone call wasn't needed. Well, the professor had taken it pretty well when he'd first become Conan. Either way, they were already connected, so Shinichi just asked the professor for a few revised inventions that would be needed in the initial stages of the operation. Just like with Hattori, Agasa was off and running before they hung up the phone.

The third call was to Eisuke Honda, to let him know what was going on more than anything else. The bespectacled teen was due to return to Japan soon, and Shinichi wanted to prevent Eisuke accidentally spouting out unnecessary information in surprise. At that thought, the high school detective suddenly felt that maybe he was being too paranoid and over-thinking things, leading to uncharitable thoughts. However, he couldn't help it; that was what happened after living in hiding for so long.

Anyway, Eisuke was surprised to hear from Shinichi, which wasn't a surprising happenstance, and he was grateful that the high school detective had told him he wasn't Conan anymore, but the bespectacled teen was a bit confused as to why Shinichi had called him. Shinichi explained it was just in case the FBI ever tried to contact Conan again, because they had, for whatever reason, contacted him a few times after the take down of the Black Organization. He was hoping that Eisuke could help him in the event of that happening by giving Shinichi a heads up or making up a story as to why the miniature detective could no longer be contacted. Eisuke, who was still grateful that Shinichi had orchestrated the take down of the organization that had basically killed his father and had created a world where he and his sister could now live without a fake identity, agreed without a second thought.

The last phone call he had to make, at the moment, was to Ran. There wasn't anything she could really do to help with making Conan disappear except act like a sad older sister about to say goodbye to her adorable younger brother for a very, very long time, and as much as he trusted her and wanted to tell her what was going on, the most believable performance she could give would be the one where she still really did think Conan was Conan. So, this phone call would be to make sure she didn't come to Agasa's house looking for Conan and find Shinichi instead.

He hated deceiving her like this. Ran was his friend, and he'd already hurt her more than enough. Going through the pain of losing Conan right after losing Shinichi and finding out she'd gone through all of that for nothing would hurt her all the more. These thoughts made him start to hate himself all over again, so Shinichi was left staring at the phone forlornly, hoping that his wonderful childhood friend would somehow, some way, some time in the future find it in her heart to forgive him.

"Do you want me to call her?" Ai asked softly, gently taking a hold of his hand, breaking Shinichi out of his mind and into reality.

"No," the high school detective said shaking his head and pulling his voice changer out of his pocket, setting it to Conan's voice, a setting he had never thought he would use. "If someone is going to lie to her, it should be me."

Dialing the number to the Mouri Detective Agency, he put the bowtie up to his mouth and said in a falsely cheerful voice, "Hi Ran-nee-chan."