Hello for the chapter of the day : )

We'll be back to the current timeline at the end of the chapter ; )

Have fun reading, thanks for coming ^_^

o.O.o

Great : Yeah, let's say that last arc is filled with my wildest theories, this is one of them... We'll have the answers in a few years... ; )

Estelle : Haha, 3 possibilities, only one answer... You'll see in this chapter ; ) I really hesitated in who the teen was going to be so, at first, I didn't chose but when I worked on the final scene... Well, I had something else in mind for the other two so I took the 3rd for this little trick : )

Chap 21 : Calm before the storm

Two days earlier

"- What ?! Ya've been attacked by that dark-skinned guy ?" Heiji spurted to the man and the girl sitting in front of him.

"Dark-skinned ? Look who is talking" Conan smirked for himself.

The Osakan, Agasa, Akai - disguise-free, Ai and him were in the professor's living room, getting the latest news about each other.

The ship case was behind both of them : Heiji had used the two remaining days on the boat to do his best to rest - predictably, with Kazuha around, he didn't really succeed - but it had been enough to get over his almost-drowning. As to Conan, well, he did enjoy his new relationship with Ran, making up for the previous weeks they didn't chat with each other and blushing a bit when they were too close or touching by accident, under Kazuha's suspicious eyes when they weren't laid on Heiji.

The four of them and Shinichi's parents arrived at the Kudô's house the previous evening and everyone stayed there for the night. The following morning, after Yukiko said the word "cleaning" twice in a row with a bit too much enthusiasm for them, the two teens escaped the house, on the pretext of saying hello to the professor.

At the bell, the old man opened the door with a smile and, brushing off their questions about the bandage he had around the head, he let them in.

"- What ?! Ya've been attacked by that dark-skinned guy ?" Heiji spurted to the three in front of him, as he asked what happened after noticing a bullet hole in the wall near the entrance so he asked what happened.

"- Yes." Akai answered, playing without thinking with the bandage just upon his right brow. "We got him under control, he's in one of our hospital, still out but he'll make it.

- Leave that alone or I'll glue it to your face" Ai threatened when she saw him touching his recent wound.

"- Yes, ma'am..."

Both teens looked at each other, trying very hard not to laugh, remembering their last discussion about those two.

"- Anything funny in us almost being killed ? " The girl pointed with an arctic-cold glare.

"- No, of course, Haibara" Conan waved his hand in front of him in denegation. " By the way, did you learn anything interesting from him about the remaining members of the BO ?

- Well, apparently it was him under the disguise with Vermouth back on the ship." The FBI agent stated. "And he over-heard us, so he discovered Shiho-san's and my identity.

- What ?!" Both teens were taken aback by the level of information the blond-haired agent possessed, mostly due to the blunders of everyone in the room.

"- But according to what he said, he didn't tell anyone, SP or BO, about us.

- That would explain why no one else came to break my door on the last two days" Agasa pointed.

" - But still, Amuro must really have had a leverage, how could he get such a high ranked member of the BO as Vermouth working for him without telling her anything ?" Conan asked, his hand holding his chin, deep in his thoughts.

"- We'll ask him when he'll wake up..." Akai shrugged. "I also have his phone but nothing interesting in there.

- The content of the phone isn't interesting but..." The boy lifted his head and looked at all of them with a serious face. "The number... What if we infiltrated the BO thanks to it ?

- Ya want ta text their Boss with it ?"Heiji guessed, a bit horrified by the small detective's plan.

"- Yes. And bait him."

Two days earlier - a bit later

"- I've got this" Heiji said as he was coming back from the kitchen , a toast in the hand, when the door's bell rang for the second time.

As he opened, an unfamiliar face came in and closed the door behind him.

"- Yo !

- Uh... Oh, guess it's ya, Kuroba? How are ya doin'?

- Great, great..." The Thief answered with a smile as he removed his disguise in a swift movement. "And you ? Heard you tried to drink and breath at the same time ? You shouldn't be in such a hurry, pal. " He turned to the four other persons in the room under Heiji's dark glare." Looks like I'm the last.. Hi guys !" He threw himself on the couch near Ai and gave her a rose he just popped out of nowhere "And good afternoon, my fair lady."

The girl took the flower with an amused look and smiled a "hello" to the Thief.

"- Looks like both your tongue and shoulders are better, " Saguru pointed from the opposite side of the table.

"- Yup, ready for action ! " He declared, slamming his left biceps with his other hand. He then gave a concerned look at his half-brit friend "Hope you also are ? How's that arm ?

- I can manage but I think you should consider me as a second liner if anything happens.

- Won' change much" the Osakan pointed as he sat back near Conan on the couch, getting another bite of his toast.

"- Some have muscles, some have brains, I'm just realistic enough to know where are my weaknesses... Unlike some.

- Uh, guys ? " Conan stopped both of them as they were exchanging murderous looks. "Let's focus on the subject, ok ?

- I don't think it's going to be easy, with that much testosterone in the room... " Ai commented, getting a bored look from all the boys.

"- Don't pour oil on the fire, Haibara..." the bespectacled detective advised.

"- So, I see you decided to keep a bit longer your first-grader features, Tantei-kun ?" Kaito asked, to change the subject and lighten the mood.

"- Yes, we decided to delay a bit me coming back to a high-school student.

- Anything to do with us all being here ? " Saguru asked, trying to focus on the new conversation, breaking his eyes contact with Heiji.

"- We thought we could polish up with you the plan we worked on..." Akai explained to the teens.

"- The more brains, the merrier, eh ? Though, not being a detective, do you count me as a "brain" ?" The Kid asked maliciously to the boy.

"- Let's say you'll give some practical point of view to the bunch of detectives we are" Conan admitted with a smile.

"- An' we'll need an expert in disguises." Heiji winked at the Thief.

"- Count on the Great Kaitou Kid to help you will all those matters " Kaito answered with a small bow.

"- So, let's see if I understood correctly..." Saguru began, with his usual calm and slightly mocking tone. " You, Hattori-kun, will be disguised as their agent, Bourbon, with a chocker for the voice ?

- Yup... he's about my size an', if we want ta keep the disguise at its minimum as they'll be suspicious as hell, someone with already tanned skinned is better.

- And you, Kudô-kun, will pose as Sherry, their lost scientist ? And you will take the cure whenever you can ?

- That's it" the boy nodded at the teen.

"- And the FBI will intervene, either if you spot the boss or, if he's not here, if you can't escape by your own means ? "

Akai also nodded.

"- This is crazy... Aren't you supposed to be from the FBI ? Why are you letting them doing things so risky ? Do your superiors agree with the fact you'll be sending teens in agents' stead ? " the blond-haired snapped.

"- Honestly ? I don't think we're able on our side to find so fast an agent not too tall and tanned enough to replace Hattori-kun. Not mentioning one who could play a child...

- Couldn't we send Sherry as a grow up ? I already tricked them with that disguise." Kaito pointed with a serious look." After all, only Bourbon knows she was reduced. And this whole "changing in their hideout" plan doesn't sound good to me...

- Nah, Vermouth also knows, we need to have a child as it's almost sure she'll be there. " Conan sighted, looking at the Thief." And it will add to the surprise when I'll grow up.

- Speaking of that, aren't the changes painful ?" Saguru asked with a concerned look at the boy. "Won't the antidote be worse ? Will you even be able to move after you took it ?

- The change shouldn't be any more painful than usual " the scientist answered with her almost adult voice. "And as he's in perfect shape, there shouldn't be any risk for him to faint.

- As she says" Conan looked at the blond-haired. "And our infiltrated agent "Kir" will get me out of the cell I'll probably be locked in. She'll help from the inside if anything goes wrong.

- You thought about everything, didn't you ? You have a crazy answer for each of my sane questions..." The half-brit detective sighted with a tense face. "One last... What about Hattori-kun's accent ?

- He'll squeeze my leg and I'll use the voice changer we'll hid in the gag.

- Ok I give up ! " Saguru softly laughed at them. " Where are we going ?

- I thought you were against that plan ?" Kaito asked him.

"- I won't say no for a bit of challenge... And since we started this together, let's finish it together. "

They exchanged a smile and agreed to meet two days after, in a FBI hideout.

One day earlier

"- Conan-kun, aren't you forgetting your Yaiba pillow ?" Ran asked from Kogoro's room as Conan was in the bathroom, getting his toothbrush.

The following day, Conan was supposed to completely disappear so both of them were organizing his "trip back to America", by his parents. They were going to spend the night at Hakase's : they claimed Conan's mother was supposed to fetch him the following morning really early and Ran wanted to spend that last night with him. Everything was absolutely fake but they had to say something to Kogoro.

Even if Conan was really eager to go back to "Shinichi", it was still a bit disturbing for him to bury what had been his life for the last six months. Spending his whole days with Ran, helping Uncle in his cases, hanging around with the detective Boys... For the latter, he would write a few letters to them so they wouldn't be too sad, as Haibara also would grow back and the detective group would be quite reduced.

For Ran, well, he wouldn't be living with her anymore but he hoped they would spend enough time together the whole day to satisfy him once he'll be back to his body.

"And later maybe…" he had thought with a blush.

"- It's ok, I won't need it...

- Come on, I know you care about it..."

She laughed as she entered the bathroom and spotted Conan's bored look.

"- What will I do without my dear Conan-kun to entertain my days ? " She asked, looking fondly at him.

"- Oh, so you would prefer me to stay like that ? " He winked in a whisper not to be heard by Kogoro who was in the living room watching TV.

"- Of course not" She smiled at him. " But I'll miss looking after my "little brother".

- Yea, I admit it'll be a bit strange for me too...

- Let me hug you one last time !

- I'm not some kind of teddy bear... " He changed his mind when he saw her disappointed face. "Ahhh, ok, come on, last of the last !". And he opened his arms.

Ten hours earlier

The following morning, the four boys, Ran and Ai gathered themselves in an FBI hideout, as planned with Akai. The man was there, with some agents, preparing for the incoming operation.

"- So, as usual, bulletproof jackets for everyone, guns for whoever feels able to and earplugs for communication." The FBI agent started. "And even for you, girls, even if you'll be hidden." He insisted, turning to both Ai and Ran. He then looked at Heiji and Conan. "I'm sorry, but for both of you, it'll be earplug and detective badges only. We can easily hide it but we can't risk you to be found with anything else."

They both nodded at him.

As Shinichi promised, he told Ran in the morning what the plan was. He was hoping it would frighten her a bit so she wouldn't ask to come but the girl had insisted in participating in any way she could. After a quick reflexion with Akai, they decided than she could be helpful with communications : no needs to explain why Conan's voice would turn in the middle of the mission from a boy's to a teen's and there wouldn't be any misunderstandings between those two. As to Ai, she had insisted to come, to the FBI agent's displeasure, as she felt she needed to see the fall of the Organization with her own eyes and still hoped to find information on her parents, above all since Amuro spoke of them to her. She would take the pill to grow up again after the morning's meeting.

"- If everything is clear..." Akai concluded, turning his head at Conan.

The boy grabbed Bourbon's phone in his hand, giving a serious look at all the faces around him.

"- Let's do it, then"

He took a long breath and dialled the Boss's mail address, "Nanatsu no ko".

Saturday, 10:42 am

"Retrieved Sherry. Was alive after all. Where to deliver ?"

BOURBON

A few minutes later, the phone vibrated and everyone turned at the small detective with interrogative looks.

"- "Meet at 8pm" and GPS coordinates." He stated. "Things are coming to an end tonight, guys."

Back to current timeline

As the door closed and the footsteps echoed away, Conan opened his eyes to check around him. He quickly got rid of the fake restraints he had on his hands and feet and took off the gag. He got the earplug he had hid under the wig to contact the FBI as planned.

"- Anyone ? " He whispered, hoping the cell wouldn't be too deep underground.

"- Shinichi ?" Conan recognized with a smile Ran's voice on the other side.

Just now, she was in an FBI van with Ai, not far away, but hidden and protected by several agents. Conan wasn't feeling completely safe with the idea of her being so close but, at least, she wouldn't be in the rescue team and that was for him a relief.

"- Everything's ok ?" She asked with concern.

"- Yea, we've infiltrated ourselves and, as we foresaw it, we've been separated. The Boss shouldn't be far : Gin told Hattori he'll meet him later tonight. So we better wait a bit before the FBI goes in.

- I'll give them message. Do you know where you are ?

- Third basement floor, I think we turned twice left and once right. I'm in a small cell with a metal door.

- Ok, I'll tell Kir to fetch you there. Be careful in the meanwhile.

- Sure. And Ran ?

- Yes ?

- Will be good to hear your voice during that mission" He said, with a grateful smile.

"- ... Good luck, Shinichi."

Getting to his feet, he walked to sit on the bed in the back of the cell. He had the pill with him but preferred to wait for Rena, aka Kir, who was supposed to bring him some clothes, so she wouldn't find him naked... The change wasn't that long after all, he confirmed it when Ai transformed a few hours ago.

After a few minutes, he heard some footsteps coming closer to his cell

"Already ?" He wondered, raising a brow.

Without any effort to be quiet, someone unlocked the door and opened it. Dazzled at first by the light from the corridor as his cell had no lights, it took him a few seconds to identify the one who just entered.

"- Vermouth ?!

- That was stupid of you to come here, Cool Guy" She stated, as she closed the door behind her. "Don't give me that surprised look... You aren't curling yourself up and shaking in a corner of that cell with wide eyes, I can tell you're not Sherry. So just one possibility left.

- Touché" Conan answered with an insolent smile, removing his mask. "So, what will you do ? Tell your Boss ?

- Well, we already knew we'll have at least one imposter tonight so he won't be surprised to hear they were two...

- What do you mean ?" The boy asked, all colours leaving his face.

"- I'm saying your plan failed even before it started. I knew something happened to the true Bourbon.

- How ?!

- He had made some arrangements... " She sighted, apparently annoyed by that fact. "If he didn't report regularly, the secret he accidently discovered on me... would be leaked to the rest of the Organization.

- That's the leverage he used on you for all his missions... ? Was is about your real age ? "

They fought each other with the eyes and Vermouth gave up, knowing that, anyway, with what he learnt about her with his mother and with what he was going to find out with Bourbon or any other BO's member they would arrest tonight, there wouldn't be anything left to hide anymore on the subject.

"- ...Yes for both questions. He saw me back in that orphanage he was in and recognized me when he entered the BO... The information arrived yesterday. Due to that damn guy, I'll have to hide once again from everyone. Even had to stop an idiot last evening who wanted to stick a knife between my shoulder blades "just to see". " She spitted with disgust on her face.

"- Unluckily he didn't succeed... What have you done with Hattori ?

- He's the one under the disguise ? Vodka and Gin are looking after him. I don't think they'll kill him yet but they're not really .. gifted as babysitters.

- And now what ? " The boy asked, trying to restrain his anger, clenching his fists as he knew his best friend, even if he wasn't dead, was in danger. "Did you come here just to brag ?!

- I was just supposed to confirm if you were Sherry or not. I have my answer and will bring it to That person." Vermouth looked at Conan in his eyes. " All the Organization's members left are here tonight. Even I don't know the odds but this is surely our last fight, Silver-bullet-kun. Good luck"

And she left, letting the door unlocked.

Removing his wig with rage, Conan touched his earplug.

"- Ran ? We have a problem.

- I'm listening. And James-san is behind me.

- I'll explain everything later but they knew we were coming." The boy heard Ran's horror gasp in the device but continued. "Half bad news, half good news : everyone remaining from the Organization is here tonight. We need a rescue team now, I'm safe but Hattori is in trouble.

- OK, we are on it."

After ending the conversation, Conan took his head in his hands, angry at his own lack of forethought.

"Ok, no more waiting, time to change back" he thought as he raised his head with a determined look.