Chapter 15 Prototype
At evening on the next day, Tsuna and Gokudera are called into the lab.
"What's up guys?" asks Gokudera, walking over and looking at the screens. Being as smart as he is, he gets some of what's going on.
"We need you and Decimo to do something for us. We have found a theory, but we need your flames to test it." States Verde, pushing his glasses up his nose.
"Our flames?" questions Gokudera, looking over to Juudaime. Tsuna shrugs his shoulders, not having a clue either.
"well, Gokudera your flames…" Shoichi starts to explain their theory, and Tsuna and Gokudera become eager to help. Spanner asks them to light their rings, and he collects some of the flames from both of them.
"After we have made the prototype we'll test it on a sample of Conan's blood. If it gets the desired results, then we'll put it into effect. Can you call Conan down here? I need to take a fresh sample of blood." Elaborates Verde. "It's should have been long enough after the last transformation for his body to return to its 'normal' state."
A few minutes later Conan arrives in the elevator, followed by a nervous Kaito. Kaito seems more nervous than Conan. "I've done this all before. I know not to get my hopes up." He tells Kaito.
After the blood sample is taken, the three scientists go back to work, effectively ignoring the others again. Whilst they wait, Conan and Kaito spend time getting to know the other Guardians. It seems that they don't have to do as much as Tsuna does, but they still have duties around the mansion. Lambo and I-Pin go to school in Nanimori during the week, and play during the weekend. Gokudera spends his time helping Tsuna, and organising the house so Tsuna doesn't have to. Ryohei spends his time training or keeping some of the others in the household fit, as well as teaching a few self-defence moves. Yamamoto also spends some time training, but he also keeps up-to-date with local and world events and news, as well as keeping in contact with other allied Families. Hibari and Mukuro both disappear each day, and return whenever they want to. It seems that Hibari acts like the local police, along with his Disciplinary Committee, and keeps Nanimori safe and 'following the rules'. Mukuro heads off in the opposite direction, to spend time with his Gang. Conan didn't want to see them again until he was in his real body- if this experiment worked; if it didn't then he would see them at a later date.
A few more days passed, with Conan giving more blood samples. However eventually, after 2 days, they found a working solution. Conan was glad that they had found one so soon- He was sure that Ran would be getting suspicious. He had left on Friday. Friday night was the fake heist, with Saturday being the first day of experiments. It was now Monday. Kaito had called in as his mother to Conan's school, explaining that his Grandma hadn't gotten any better, and Conan was very distressed over the fact and wouldn't be at school today.
Conan stepped out of the elevator, head held high. But Kaito saw that he was shaking slightly. He puts a hand on Conan's shoulder, and gives a reassuring smile. Together they walk to where the scientists are.
Pushing up his glasses, "Good, you're here." Says Verde, jumping up onto the desk. "Come here and I'll explain how this cure works."
Conan and Kaito walk over and look at a computer screen infront of them.
"Using the flames we collected from Gokudera and Decimo, we have created Nano-bots, for want of a better term. We found that we couldn't give you a biological cure without destroying your immune system. In addition, any chemical drug would have caused a reaction in the poison and killed you. Finally, totally removing the poison from your system wasn't possible either. Your body had become dependent on it. If we removed it totally, then again, it would kill you. It took us a while to think of a solution that wasn't biological or chemical. But luckily enough, you are here, in a mafia filled with people who have been to the future. With this knowledge from the future, we could use the flames to create a temporary solution."
"But what do the flames do? It was only Gokudera and Tsuna's flames you used, wasn't it?" asks Conan, following the conversation so far. Up until the mention of flames from the future. Not being with them at the time, neither him nor Kaito have any idea what he meant- being told only accounted for so much.
"In the future they learnt a lot more about the specific properties of flames" explain Shoichi. "Our Nano-bots utilise the unique attributes of their flames to help counteract the poison. Firstly is Tsuna's Sky flame. This has the Harmony attribute. With this flame covering the outside of the Nano-bots, your body will readily accept them, thinking it's part of your natural body. Basically they will harmonise with your body. We needed his soft flames, since the hard flames would have turned the Nano-bots to stone"
"OH, so it's like with Yamamoto. He has Rain flames with the Tranquillity attribute: He gave me some flames when I was worried about Shin-chan's transformation, and it calmed me down" exclaims Kaito, getting at where Shoichi is coming from.
"That's right. Effectively, this cure works by these Nano-bots 'eating' the poison to a level where you change back. Like Verde said earlier, we can't totally remove the poison without killing you. So the Nano-bots keep the level of the poison in your blood low enough not to invoke the change, but high enough to keep you alive and healthy." Continues Spanner. "Gokudera's Storm flames have the Disintegration attribute. I have placed his flame inside each Nano-bot. The flame destroys any of the poison the Nano-bot 'eats'. This means that the Nano-bots don't get filled up and have to be removed or changed."
"So this cure should actually work. There's a high possibility that I can return to being Shinichi for good?" gasps Conan, looking at the three scientists around him.
Verde sighs, "No and Yes, Conan. As I said before this is a temporary solution for it is a prototype. We are really confident that this should work and we have the knowledge from the future but the we don't have the technology to make a permanent solution. The Nano-bots will turn you back to your original form for about 6-7 hours at least. With this prototype, we will continue to collect data to improve and make a better solution." Conan nodded understanding.
Shoichi stands up. "Your friend Haibara didn't have access to the flames like we did, so she couldn't use them to cure you for a long period of time. Even if our solution is not permanent, we will continue with our research and improve to make a permanent solution. So are you ready to take it?" asks Shoichi , bending down to look Conan in the eye.
"But what about the pain." Asks Kaito "I don't want to hear him scream like that again. And I'm sure that you don't want to go through that again either Shin-chan."
Verde pushes his glasses up his nose, "We've been told about that" informs Verde "I suspect that it was because of the poison reacting to the cures the other scientist was giving him. Like we said, his body has become dependent on the poison. The pain was his body's reaction to this removal. For his body, it was like we were trying to remove Oxygen from his blood stream. The pain was a warning from the body telling Conan that it needed the poison to work."
"However, just in case, we are going to knock you out, okay. We'll have you hooked up to some machines to keep track of vital signs like blood pressure, heart rate, things like that. It's just the same as if you were at the hospital." Explains Shoichi.
"Okay then. I'm ready" states Conan. Taking in a deep breath and steeling himself.
"We've got everything set up in a room down the hall." Says Spanner, walking towards a door and opening it. Verde and Shoichi walk through the door and down the corridor.
"Conan you can get changed in there. We don't want your clothes to stop you growing" says Shoichi, opening a door for him. Conan goes in and gets changed into something like an extra-large dressing gown- leaving his gadgets in a separate pile.
He walks out of the room, but notices he can't see Kaito with the rest further down the hallway. He walks back out into the main room and sees Kaito, still standing where he left him.
"Aren't you coming?" Conan asks, taking a step back towards Kaito.
Kaito avoids Conan's gaze, looking around the room. "Don't worry about me Shin-chan. I'll be alright. I'll be waiting here for you."
Conan sighs, not believing this. He walks over, grabs Kaito's hand, and physically drags him through the door. "I want you there! I don't want to do this alone. I've transformed alone too many times before. I'd feel a lot better if you were there when I wake up."
"…Shin-chan…" Kaito breaths, eyes open wide.
"I don't know what you will see. I've never seen me nor Haibara transform before. In fact apart from Haibara observing some times, no one else has seen a transformation before. Not the Hakase, and obviously not Ran. I've never trusted anyone else but her before. But we are about to enter this new life together. So I want you to be there.
"Shin-chan!" Kaito shouts, picking Conan up and hugging him. "This means so much to me. You really trust me that much?"
Conan gives into the hug, and sits there in Kaito's arms. "Of course I do. We have become quite close over the past few years, haven't we? Can you stop asking stupid questions now? I want you there and that's that." Conan growls, a blush on his cheeks.
"Guys, in here." Shoichi sticks his head out of a door further down the hallway, and beckons to the pair.
Kaito walks down the hallway, or rather skips, and deposits Conan on the bed.
Verde starts to attach pads to Conan, to collect the vital signs. Spanner sits infront of a computer, typing away, whilst Shoichi comes over with a syringe.
"You ready?" he asks. Conan takes hold of Kaito's hand, and gets a reassuring squeeze in return. He nods at Shoichi. "Next time we see you, you'll be all grown up."