The car stopped moving abruptly. Shinichi felt himself being thrown forward with the seatbelt holding him back, painfully digging into his throat due to his height. He barely paid it any attention as his eyes were still glued to the young woman.

A loud honk broke him out of his temporary stupor. The drive in the car behind them had to swerve to another lane to avoid a collision with them and was clearly enraged. The commotion caused the people on the street to turn towards them and for a brief second his eyes met Ran's.

Logically he knew that there was no way she could have recognised him. Not only was he ten years younger than he should be. but he was also wearing a disguise. Despite this, he still imagined that her gaze had lingered a bit too long on him. It was silly of him, really; more wishful rather than logical thinking which he always prided himself on.

He could probably chalk it up to the surprise of seeing her again as he hadn't expected it. She was a stark reminder of the life he was desperately trying to get back. Not completely of course since he had finally gotten access to the organisation, he just wanted to be Shinichi again.

No matter how much he wanted to, he had no time to get lost in memories, regrets and hopes for the future. He was on a mission and couldn't let himself be distracted. Especially not now considering that he had almost missed two important things. One, Ran wasn't alone and second, Bourbon has gotten out of the car. Sonoko was standing next to Ran, tugging on her cost and pointed, not even trying to be discreet, in Bourbon's direction. Judging by Sonoko's expression she was, as always, excited to see an attractive man.

Shinichi immediately opened the door a bit to listen in on their conversation.

"I apologise for causing a disturbance," Bourbon said, one hand scratching the back of his head. From his perspective Shinichi couldn't see his face, though his voice was enough to make him narrow his eyes. He sounded nothing like the man Shinichi had gotten to know so far. "I thought I saw a cat running across the street and stepped on the break immediately."

"Don't worry," Sonoko said. "We are just glad that nobody got hurt."

"That is very kind of you, Miss …?"

"Suzuki, Sonoko Suzuki."

Before either ot them could say anything else, Shinichi interrupted them. "Can we go home?" he asked, trying to sound as whiny as possible.

"Ah, yes, of course. Once again I apologise for everything. Have a nice day." He bowed slightly before turning around and getting back in the car again.

Shinichi crossed his arms in front of him and kept his gaze strictly on the street, not daring to look at Ran again. He would see her again when he had his body back. But for now he had to keep his composure. Sherry's escape had highlighted the importance of keeping his identity a secret. If Bourbon really was such a great detective as his father had claimed, Shinichi didn't want to give him any clues that might help him dig into his past. His reaction to seeing Ran must have already raised Bourbon's suspicion and Shinichi needed to squash that flame before it turned into a fire that could destroy his life.

Still, he didn't dare to approach the topic himself. So he waited and like expected, it didn't take long for Bourbon to begin questioning him.

"You don't think the Suzuki heiress has any connection to Sherry, do you?" Bourbon asked, his voice a mix of curiosity and disbelief.

Shinichi bit his lip to not swear out loud. This was already worse than he had hoped. Why did Sonoko have to mention her name? "You really think that was her?" He tried to dissuade Bourbon from this lead without being too obvious. "Why would she walk around the city without bodyguards and reveal her name to strangers?"

He ignored his objections. "I already had a feeling that her face seemed familiar and after she introduced herself, I remembered having seen her on TV before." He changed the lane and accelerated the car. "I thought she was the reason why you reacted that way." Shinichi was surprised by how direct Bourbon was.

"She kind of was, but not because I recognised her. Due to the length and colour of her hair I've mistaken her for Sherry." On its own this explanation might not be the best, but it was not entirely improbable. After all, Shinichi at least looked like a child and Bourbon had seen him wearing glasses before. He could make it seem like a simple mistake. "I'm sorry. I guess I'm just desperate to find her and starting to imagine things after days without neither sleep nor success."

Bourbon murmured in agreement, seemingly satisfied with his answer; at least for now. But Shinichi wasn't done yet. Sometimes attack was the best defence and he too had questions. "By the way, how did you really recognise me? I had my back to you meaning you couldn't have seen my mask."

If his question surprised Bourbon, he did a good job of masking his reaction as he only let out a dry laugh. "You really are quite observant. I get why Anokata is so interested in you."

Shinichi had wondered what Bourbon was thinking about him. When he had joined their investigative team, he had been the only one unaware of his identity. At Shinichi's previous request, the others had not treated him like a child even in the presence of others and Bourbon had immediately followed their lead. They hadn't talked much, but Bourbon had always treated him like an equal and Shinichi hadn't questioned it because everyone else had done the same. But in hindsight, his willingness to do so without complaint was quite strange. How much did Bourbon know about the research being conducted by the organisation? What was he really thinking about an apparent child's presence in the organisation?

The most logical explanation would be to assume that Conan was a some kind of child genius who got discovered and recruited by the organisation with the purpose of training him to become a capable agent in the future. Unfortunately, there was no way of knowing what Bourbon was really thinking. Shinichi only knew that in case Bourbon had any moral qualms about it, he was very good at concealing them.

"That doesn't answer my question," Shinichi said after Bourbon made no indication of elaborating. He didn't want to let him of the hook that easily.

"Honestly, there aren't many 6 year-olds walking around Tokyo on their own," Bourbon said and began slowing down the car. "But for your next disguise you might want to consider also changing your accessories like your phone and shoes."

Shinichi looked down at himself as if to double-check Bourbon's observation. It was true, he hadn't changed his clothes since it hadn't seemed necessary. Yet again he had made a mistake. On first glance Bourbon's explanation appeared conceivable, but Shinichi still remained a bit suspicious. One had to be incredibly observant to notice all that in a split second all while driving past him. Not impossible, but improbable. He made a mental note to pursue it further if Bourbon ever happened to do something questionable again.

The car came to a stop in front of a plain looking building. "It won't take long," Bourbon said and left Shinichi alone in the car while he wondered if that source would finally bring them forward.

It was a strange feeling to wear a lab coat again. She had worn them for years and had always felt comfortable and also a bit powerful in them, but now the once familiar weight on her shoulders felt foreign. She had to fight the urge to rip it off of her. The only thing stopping her from doing just that was the thought of why she was currently in this laboratory. It wasn't as spacious and modern as the one in the organisation, but it had everything she needed.

After James had first established contact to the Japanese Police, they had exchanged several messages. Form everything Shiho had overheard and had been told, the existence of such a wide-spread and powerful criminal organisation in the heart of the capital city had been a complete shock to the selected officers. Initially, they had doubted James' explanation regarding the size of the organisation, their influence and, perhaps most unbelievably, their ability to shrink people. To convince them he had sent them excerpts of the evidence the FBI had collected over the years as well as parts of her research.

Shiho had been reluctant to share her research with the police. Her work on the apoptoxin was not something she was particularly proud of and the more people knew about it, the greater was the danger that someone might recreate it with. Not only that, despite what Akai had promised her, she was still scared of the potential legal consequences she might have to face. Thus far, her worries appeared to be unnecessary. After some debate they had decided that they wanted her to finish the antidote. They had argued that no matter who that child was, if their rescue operation was successful, they wanted to help him return to his former state.

This is where Shiho came in. The police were still wary of her which was quite understandable considering she was a former member of the organisation. But with James and Akai vouching for her, they had agreed to provide a laboratory and the necessary ingredients for her. Even though she was only allowed to work under strict supervision, she was still amazed by their trust in her and wondered if they simply didn't have access to another capable scientist willing to associate himself with her work.

She had been terrified to leave the perceived safety of the apartment. Neither her now darker hair nor James' promise that her presence in the lab was under strict confidentiality with only a handful of people in the know made her feel particularly safe. Just getting into the inconspicuous car in which James had driven her to the location had required a lot of courage. Nevertheless, this tiny amount of freedom felt refreshing after days of being locked up in the apartment. She truly did love her sister, but spending almost every waking moment with her felt a bit suffocating. Shiho simply wasn't used to it as she had spent most of her life being on her own, withdrawn from others.

Admittedly, she wasn't exactly free in the lab, but the two police officers watching her kept their distance, meaning she could almost tune out their presence. After she had familiarised herself with the layout in the lab, she quickly got lost in her work. It felt reassuring to be here, almost like coming home. In the grand scheme of things, mixing the ingredients in the correct ratio together and transferring them into capsules was the easiest part of her work. She still took her time as - despite everything - she still enjoyed chemistry as a discipline and she wanted to ensure to not make any mistakes.

It took less than an hour to finish it. For a moment she had considered dragging the process out, but in the end had decided against it as she didn't want to make the officers suspicious of her.

She looked at the capsules as she carefully placed them into a container. Realistically, they only needed one, but she had gotten the instruction to create several capsules, just in case. In the beginning, Shiho hadn't questioned it as it wouöd have been quite difficult to get the ratio correct for just one capsule. But now that she saw them all in front of her she began to wonder if they had any other, more ulterior motives.

How confident were they that they could rescue the boy? And even if they did, would they dare to actually use the antidote? So far, her work on it had been mostly theoretical. There was no guarantee that it would work and she couldn't think of an ethical way to test it out.

She was about to place the last capsule in the container when she heard a ringing. She turned around and saw the female police officer reach for her device.

"Sato speaking. Is everything alright?" Shiho saw her narrow her eyes while listening to the person on the other end. The inspectors eyes met hers and Shiho gulped when she heard her next words.

"We'll bring her there immediately."

Shinichi was currently in the meeting room from which they coordinated their search, although this time he wasn't being productive. The tireless work had finally taken its toll on him. Despite his eagerness to continue working, a child's body just wasn't as resilient. He was slumped over in his chair with his head laying on the table while he dozed. He wasn't entirely asleep as he still heard Vodka typing, Vermouth talking on the phone and Gin flipping through pages.

The peace and quite got interrupted when someone burst into the room by slamming the door open. Shinichi jolted up and saw Bourbon standing in the doorway, breathing heavily.

"Sherry has just been spotted at a store in Haido."

It took a moment for Shinichi to register the meaning of his words, but when he did, he felt his adrenaline rise which suppressed his exhaustion. They finally had a lead!

"How trustworthy is this information?" Gin asked.

"80 percent, I'd say. My source noticed her because of her distinct hair colour." He crossed the room while he spoke and got a box of equipment out of one of the cupboards. "I'll go there immediately to check it out myself."

"Why you?"

Most would describe the smile he flashed in Gin's direction as charming, but by now Shinichi knew that it's purpose was to irritate him. "Isn't it obvious? Sherry and I have never met. If it's really her, I can get close without her immediately fleeing."

"She isn't stupid. I doubt she is walking around the city on her own. You'll need back-up."

"I'll go with you."

Shinichi's offer got the same response from Gin and Vermouth simultaneously. "No!"

"Why not?" He asked defiantly. "No one pays attention to a child." He purposefully didn't look at Bourbon as their conversation in the car was still fresh on his mind.

"Except Sherry who knows about you and your situation," Vermouth hissed.

"I'll wear my disguise of course. That way I can get close to her without her noticing." He pointed towards the backpack he had brought with himself.

Gin clenched his teeth, but didn't say anything. Bourbon looked at Shinichi with a strange expression and Shinichi held his gaze, even raising an eyebrow.

"Well, what are you waiting for? We don't have much time. Put on your disguise and let's go."

He immediately jumped off his chair as he didn't need to be told twice. This was the chance he had waited so long for.

"I'll join you," Gin said, his voice leaving no room for objections.

Everyone started moving. Shinichi turned towards Vermout who, despite her initial reluctance, quickly helped him put on the mask. In the meantime, Gin had gone to get more weapons.

As soon as Vermout was done, he followed Bourbon down to the parking lot where Gin was already waiting for them in front of the familiar white car. They got in with Bourbon behind the wheel.

Despite the fact that he was relegated to the back seat, he was buzzing with energy. This was his first proper mission as during his earlier outings he had just wandered the streets aimlessly, The weight of the gun near his hip - a parting gift from Vermouth - was unfamiliar, but not uncomfortable.

They were driving on one of the main roads that was typically very busy. Though Shinichi got the impression that today of all days it was worse than usual. All lanes were packed with cars and they barely moved forwards. Apparently, Shinichi wasn't the only one getting impatient with the traffic jam.

"Turn right on the next crossroad," Gin ordered. He had a map of the city open on his phone that he had studied for the past few minutes.

"But this is the shortest way." Bourbon argued.

"Do it." It was obvious that he wouldn't repeat himself a third time.

As soon as it was possible, Bourbon merged into the right lane. They were still barely moving, so it took them a bit to reach the next crossroad. Afterwards, Bourbon followed Gin's directions leading them through a labyrinth of side streets and narrow alleys. No other words were exchanged as they got closer to their destination.

They had just turned into another alley when Shinichi briefly saw a flash of light in the sky.

Pop. Pop.

Immediately after hearing the sound he felt the car begin to swerve.

"What?" Bourbon yelled and Shinichi saw his hands tighten around the steering wheel. He heard metal scrape against concrete as the car came to a sudden stop.

For a second it was quiet as they processed the situation before jumping into action, all speaking at the same time.

"Burst tires."

"I saw bullets."

"We need to get out of here."

Car doors were opened and Gin and Bourbon jumped out of the car. Shinichi moved to the front seat and felt himself be yanked out by Bourbon. For once he was actually happy about his smaller frame because it made it easier for him to hide behind the door.

"What now?" he asked.

"So much for that reliable source of yours, Bourbon." Gin spit out, glaring at the other agent from the other side of the car. He had drawn his gun and Shinichi followed suit.

"Apparently they wanted her to be seen." Bourbon answered heatedly. "They laid a trap they knew we couldn't resist walking into."

"Can you argue later?" Shinichi hissed. There was a time and place for this conversation and it certainly wasn't now. "We need to get out of here."

He scanned the area and clenched his teeth. Honestly, their situation didn't seem particularly promising. They were in a narrow alleyway, high building walls on both sides. No doors, no windows, nowhere to hide. The only two possible exits were at the beginning and the end ot the street itself. Somehow, Shinichi had a feeling that it wouldn't be that easy and this feeling got confirmed when he heard footsteps. One by one he saw their silhouettes appear as people armed with riot shields began blocking off both ends of the alleyway. They were surrounded by the police.

"What now?" Shinichi asked. He felt his heartbeat quicken as panic began to rise in him. What were they supposed to do? Why hadn't they considered that it could be a trap? Wasn't it extremely uncharacteristic for Sherry to just walk around Haido of all places? His desperation to find her had led him to make another crucial mistake.

"We could try to shoot our way through them." Bourbon's face looked strained. "But unlike them we have no protective gear."

"Do you want to give up this easily?" Gin retorted.

"You are surrounded. Drop your weapons and give up." The voice from one of the police officers was being intensified by a megaphone.

Out of the corner of his eye Shinichi saw movement. Before anyone could react, Gin had lifted himself a bit and shot in the direction where the voice had come from. The deafening noise lingered in the area, causing Shinichi to flinch. He barely managed to cover his ears just in time for Gin's next shot. .

"Are you mad?" Bourbon screamed at Gin who didn't pay him any attention. Shinichi glanced from one side to the other and saw the commotion amongst the police men. Then he heard Bourbon shouting again. "DUCK!"

Shinichi felt himself being pushed to the ground as a bullet flew over them. His face scraped against the floor, tearing both his mask and his skin underneath. Gin continued to fire back relentlessly. Shinichi propped himself up a bit and ripped the mask off that dangled from one side of his face. It had become useless, disruptive even by obstructing his view.

He still debated whether or not he should use his own gun when he saw something oval and metallic land next to the car. His eyes widened in shock. It was grenade! He quickly realised that it wasn't a real grenade, but his relief was short-lived as smoke started to emanate from it. The sleeping gas began to spread around him, the fog making it difficult to see anything and he held his breath.

Shots were still being fired from both sides. The sounds rang in his ears. Bourbon cried out in pain. Shinichi felt him slump over on top of him and a warm liquid started to seep into his clothes. The additional weight pushed the air out of his lungs. He gasped and the gas immediately filled his lungs. He smelt iron. He coughed, fighting against its effect, but it was futile. Slowly, he felt his consciousness fade away. Then everything went black.