Chapter 16 - Réunion With the Black Organization - Part II


It had been over an hour, and they still hadn't found her.

Conan had moved to Agasa's car, and stayed there until Inspector Megure questioned the suspects inside the hotel. Hopefully, he'd be able to stop whoever Pisco was from getting to Haibara again.

Suddenly, a subtle sound emanated from his badge. Hoping she was safe and had managed to get in touch, he started calling out her name again.

"Hai…ra…bara! Haibara!" his voice echoed, reaching her as she slowly stirred awake.

"Kudo-kun?" She rubbed her eyes, bringing her surroundings into focus.

"Can you hear me? I'm so glad you picked up! I'm sorry; I had no idea they would recognize you in this form. If only I had known..." He trailed off, but stopped right there. There wasn't any point in thinking about what he would have done differently. The priority now was getting her out of there.

She didn't say anything in response.

"Do you know where you are?" he asked, hoping she might be able to provide any clues.

"No, I was put to sleep, most likely by the same agent who managed to kill Nomiguchi-san."

"But he doesn't seem to be here anymore. This seems like the inside of a wine cellar though." She said, glancing around the room.

She had no idea how long she would stay alive, though, so she decided to share everything she knew about her poison. "Listen carefully. Apoptosis is the process of cell destruction. Apotoxin-4869 works by releasing the enzyme that accelerates this process..." She detailed her experiment, providing a starting point for a potential cure even if she were to succumb.

"Stop this! I'll listen to you once you're here!" he shouted in frustration. This wasn't the time to be worried about him.

Ignoring his outburst, she continued, "Even if I manage to escape, now that they know I have shrunk, they'll do everything they can to find me and everyone who's hiding me. So you should escape along with Hakase while you can."

"...And please promise you'll keep the children safe." She had grown rather fond of them.

This girl really was a piece of work, wasn't she? Well, he had no intention of leaving her there.

"I had Agasa-Hakase call the Inspector to tell him not to let anyone leave the building. So you should still be inside the hotel."

"Don't worry. You've been missing for more than an hour. If Pisco had managed to get in touch with Gin and the others, they'd have shown up a long time ago. Which means as long as we find Pisco first, he won't be able to contact the other members. Our secret is still safe. So, see if you can find a way out."

She reached out towards the door, but couldn't pry it open. There didn't seem to be any windows or other doors out of the room either. "I can't, the place is locked. There's an old chimney, but I don't think I can climb it in my current condition."

"Is there a rope or something around you that you could use?"

"I don't know. Do they generally keep ropes in a cellar?" She glanced around. Voicing her reservations. "If only it were my real body then it might have worked though, ugh."

"Wait a minute, did you say you were inside a wine storage?!" He suddenly yelled, surprising her a little.

"Yes, it seems like they are keeping a bunch of imported wines here."

Figuring a way out of her current situation, Conan told her to look for Paikaru. The same wine he had previously used to go back to his own body. Somehow, his luck seemed to have rubbed off on her. He hadn't mentioned that there was a way to revert before, but this wasn't the time to keep it a secret.


He took a look at his own vial that he always kept near him. After drinking the wine accidentally, thanks to Hattori Heiji, he had decided to test its usage. Initially, it had lasted almost an entire day, but the second trial resulted in only 16 hours before he turned back into a child. He had stopped after a single trial, lest the amount of time decreased further, but he always kept the liquid close in case of an emergency. Plus some spare clothes.

…In case he needed to turn back.

And there was no way he would leave her like that all alone.

Besides, at this moment, he knew they both needed to turn back to their real age to hide the truth about them shrinking from the rest of the organization.

Plus if they were back to their original forms, he could even contact the FBI for backup.

He drank his own vial and suggested she do the same. While calling Akai to provide cover as well.

It took a few minutes, while she worked on copying the data from Pisco's computer onto her own device. He had left it behind, to figure out what device she was carrying as well. But since he was recalled for the investigation, he had no other choice but to return, lest he attracted attention to himself as a suspect.

Leaving her locked behind in the room.


While things were looking good initially, with Shinichi having come up with a plan, suddenly it all turned grim with the ominous arrival of Gin.

Shinichi saw Gin's distinctive Porsche pull up to the Hotel entrance.

This was bad!

He had to either go to the room first to rescue her directly or tell her to escape while he took care of them.

He asked her to scream for help so that someone might come there to rescue her, but she declined. Stating that she wouldn't involve any more innocent people. And what was even wrong with him for suggesting such a stupid plan ~

"That idiot! This wasn't the time to be considerate of others!" he wanted to yell. But by now, he understood that she was too prideful to let anyone else suffer because of her.

"Alright, then. See if you can escape directly using the chimney. I'll try to reach you in the meantime. Before Gin and Vodka do. Keep informing me of any changes via the badge."

"I told you once, our deal was off when we encountered Gin. I can't get you in any more trouble. I'll leave the data in one of the barrels inside the storage room. You should be able to retrieve it once I'm gone."

Was she going to do what he thought she was planning?!

"Haibara!" He shouted, trying to dissuade her.

"I promise I won't tell them anything about you either. I hope you'll believe me." Ignoring his outburst yet again, she replied.

"If you can capture Pisco first, they won't discover the truth of Aptx-4869. I'll leave that to you, Goodbye now, tantei-kun." Saying that she disabled her badge and crushed it underneath her feet to ensure the Organization won't be able to trace back her allies.

"Wait, Haibara!" He yelled, but his voice could no longer reach her.

"Dammit!"


He told the professor to provide him details of any developments outside the hotel instead through his earpiece while he rushed back inside.

He went to the hotel lobby to inquire about the cellar. But the attendants had no clue what room he was talking about. But they did recall there was resting place that had been temporarily turned into a storage area. The hotel was going to be reconstructed soon, so they had moved some stuff there.

That was it!

Shinichi thanked them for guiding him and started heading towards its direction. But a sudden phone call interrupted his pace.

"So, what's the current situation?"

"Akai-san!" Finally, the FBI agents had arrived as well!

Shinichi had only contacted them for assistance, since they couldn't exactly arrest the organization members without any actual evidence. And shooting in the middle of the dark could be dangerous.

Shinichi requested him to keep a watch from the rooftop of the aligning building. If Shiho had climbed out using the chimney, then Akai could inform him of the situation at the top of the building as well.

And if she was still inside the room? Waiting for them instead? Well, that's why he was in a rush towards the place!

In a twist of fate, Gin, using the tracker on Pisco's computer, reached the room first. Almost as if she had a sixth sense, Shiho knew they were close. She had no time to stash the data into the barrel, and hid it in her pockets as she rushed towards the chimney.

Unfortunately for the girl, Gin had discovered a similar reddish-brown hair strand near the chimney inside the cellar as well and assumed that the traitor had probably done something to Pisco to prevent him from contacting them.

As he heard someone ascending the chimney, he grinned maniacally, leaving the room with Vodka in tow.


Gasping for breath, Shiho grappled with the challenges of her transformation for the first time and the strenuous chimney climb, akin to Cordelia Grey emerging from a well. Despite the toll on her body, she persevered, reaching the rooftop.

That's when Akai realized just what was going on. Recognizing her face from his rifle's scope.

So the person their ally wanted him to keep an eye on was one of the same people that same ally had been chasing after, huh? Akai knew he certainly would be having a chat with the teen detective once they managed to escape from this situation. About how exactly he had kept her hidden for so long from both, the organization and the FBI in the first place.

The sudden echo of a gunshot pierced the air, and she winced as the bullet tore through her right arm. Frozen in the moment, she instinctively applied pressure to the wound, grappling with the searing pain.

"I was waiting for you, Sherry." Even in her unstable state, she could recognize that voice.

"Doesn't it look beautiful? The white snow that scatters amongst the darkness. Being covered by your crimson blood," he remarked quite sadistically.

"That pathetic attempt at a disguise doesn't suit you, but this is the perfect place for the death of a traitor. Right, Sherry?"

Turning to face him, she tried to keep her usual sarcastic demeanor. "I'm surprised you figured out I'd be coming out of the chimney."

"It was your hair. I found it inside the room. I don't know if you were trapped inside by Pisco or sneaked inside that spot to hide yourself, but I could hear it. Your quivering breaths. I could have killed you inside the chimney, but where's the fun in that? I prefer my targets believing they have a chance to escape. Makes the chase more thrilling for me."

"Oh, I suppose I should thank you, Gin. For waiting for me in this chilling weather." She bit back, not wanting to risk losing her emotions.

A second shot tore through her right leg. In the face of agony, she maintained an eerie calmness, refusing to let her composure slip.

"Care to enlighten us about the trick you used to escape the gas room?" Gin asked, his tone void of any remorse or humanity after shooting the girl.

She remained silent. As long as she could keep them all safe, it was fine if she died here. There was no reason to react to his taunts. Her time in the organization had, at least, taught her how to be resilient in the face of adversity.

The next bullet targeted her left arm. Deep breaths masked the pain, preserving the facade.

" Move!" Akai's whisper remained unheard, her world consumed by the relentless assault.

Her body had inadvertently provided cover for Gin and Vodka. Unless she ducked or moved, he couldn't get a clear shot at them.

Finally, with the fourth shot, numbness engulfed all four limbs, and she crumbled to the cold, unforgiving ground.

"Aniki, she's not going to talk." Vodka commented, knowing they had to leave soon otherwise the cops would swarm the roof. He knew Gin would often get too immersed in playing with his prey.

"I guess not."

"Well, the only thing left is to reunite you with your sister, isn't it, Sherry?" He reloaded his gun and aimed it towards her chest, intent on striking a bullet straight through her heart.

But she had no strength left to respond. She could barely register what was happening around her. She could hear another gunshot, but this time she didn't feel any pain. Perhaps her body had gone numb to it all.

But numbness wasn't the reason for her lack of additional discomfort. The moment she fell on the ground, Akai had managed to shoot Gin's Beretta out of his hands.

Taking advantage of the diversion, Shinichi yelled out loud. He had also managed to reach there, just in time – or perhaps, not too late.

"The chimney! Get inside the chimney quickly!" She heard an unfamiliar voice guiding her. But instinctively knew who it was.

She sadly wondered why he had come back. If Gin were to notice him, he'd lose his life as well.

Shinichi aimed his wristwatch at Gin and tried to put him to sleep while carefully evading Vodka's bullets aimed at him.

But using the distraction, Shiho managed to crawl towards the chimney again. Realizing she was about to escape, Vodka turned to face her again and A final bullet shot by him struck her shoulder and she fell inside without being able to climb down.

Knowing she was not yet out of immediate danger, Shinichi rushed back towards the room as well via the staircase.


The drop hurt, but so did the wounds inflicted by the bullets. She was back in the storage room she had tried to escape from.

And as luck would have it, so was Pisco.

"How did you manage to turn back to your real age, Shiho-chan?" His voice dripped with curiosity at how the scientist had aged back to her original size.

Suppressing the pain and fear, she thought this was it. Pisco was right in front of her, pointing his gun at her head. She wasn't going to confess now and put Shinichi in danger as well.

"Well, never mind then. The secrets of the dead hold no value anyway." Just as he was about to pull the trigger another voice pierced the tense atmosphere.

"That's as far as you go, Masuyama-san!"

"Or, should I call you by your codename, Pisco?"

Relief washed over her as his voice reached her ears again. She managed a small smile. He had truly come back for her, despite the danger that lay ahead. With the comfort of his presence, the pain and exhaustion finally took over, causing her to faint.

"Who's there?!" Pisco, alarmed by the intruder, diverted his attention to find the source of the voice.

Shinichi ignored his question. Instead, he proceeded to unveil the method that Pisco had employed to murder the lawyer, Nomiguchi.

The agent tried to locate the voice, and was led to a wine barrel. He shot it, expecting Shinichi to be hiding inside. But even after he had shot it, the voice kept going.

On the side of the crate was only the speaker through which Shinichi was speaking.

Having managed to distract Pisco away from Shiho, Shinichi had reached her, shielding her from any danger using his own body as cover.

Mocking the teens current predicament, Pisco taunted, "What makes you think you can do anything in your current situation, boy? Look around you, there aren't any cops to protect you. Nor do you have any weapons to assist you."

Unfazed by the taunts, Shinichi calmly pointed towards the man's feet. "It's you who should look carefully around you."

Pisco glanced down, realizing a little too late just what the barrel he had shot contained.

"Spiritus. It's a wine with 96% alcohol content. I don't need to tell you what happens when you smoke around it, do I?"

And the room erupted in flames, eliciting a desperate scream from Pisco as fire consumed him. As the inferno raged, Shinichi swiftly scooped up a now unconsicous Shiho into his arms, carrying her out to safety.

"Where are you?! Show yourself!" Pisco's final, futile shout echoed through the engulfed room, his gun poised in vain. Shooting in random directions.

Those were the last words that came out of his mouth, as the flames took away the last of his breath. The sprinklers inside setting off a bit too late to prevent him from dying.


Back at the rooftop, the appearance of Akai Shuichi was an unexpected outcome for Gin.

So, the person who had helped Sherry escape from the gas chamber was most likely the other traitor, Gin was led to believe. And this entire charade, most likely a trap laid by the FBI. The guy who told her to leave and shot him with a strange needle must be one of his lackeys as well.

He shot his own arm, noticing the needle in it causing him to feel drowsy. He managed to rid himself of the fatigue, but they needed to leave immediately. Unless more of their enemies showed up. And they rushed back inside the hotel towards their car. Their final ally waiting for them as well. This mission had ended a disaster, and she certainly would enjoy seeing he had failed.


Shinichi decided the best course of action would be to take the FBI agents' car instead of the professor's. They quickly drove to his manor while the professor went back to his, ensuring his involvement with the teen detective remained concealed from them. He knew Shinichi would let him in to see how she was doing, once the agents left.

Turning his own room into a makeshift operating room, Shinichi laid an unconscious Shiho on his bed.

One of the FBI agents who specialized in emergency medical treatments swiftly attended to the gunshot wounds that marred Shiho's delicate frame. The room echoed with the determined rustle of bandages and the careful clink of medical instruments, as Shinichi could do nothing but watch helplessly.

Later that day, as Shiho rested—now from the effects of anesthesia instead of the pain—Shinichi addressed the waiting FBI agents with a sense of gratitude. Though he also sounded urgent to them. "Thank you for your assistance, but I'm afraid I must ask you all to leave now."

Jodie's gaze shifted between Shinichi and Shiho, a hint of skepticism in her eyes. "But she's Sherry! One of the organization's top scientists," Jodie pointed out, concern etched in the lines of her face.

Shinichi nodded, his demeanor serious. "Yes, she was working for them in the past. But now she's working with me."

Jodie and James were hesitant on what to do next. They couldnt just leave like this with no answers or resolutions.

"We still need to question her," she voiced her reservations. After all, Shiho Miyano was one of the high ranking agents of the organization. With what information she must have had, they could certainly make use of it.

"I can't let you do that. Now that she's working with me, she's my ally as well. Unless you want to end our partnership, I hope you can drop this matter."

Not willing to budge, he stood his ground. Their current condition wasn't one where they could remain in their real bodies for long. And he had no intention of revealing that they had shrunk.

Besides, the last thing the girl needed was to be hounded by them about information. He'd work on getting the answers from her himself. Maybe once she trusted him enough, she'd be willing to tell him more. And once she stopped hating him for not being able to save her sister.

Jodie's protest lingered on her lips, but Akai's intervention halted it. "If she's switched sides, then she does deserve a chance to prove herself," he conceded on their behalf.

"More importantly though," he looked at the teen who had remained fixated on Shiho the entire time.

"Kudo Shinichi, the famous high school detective. I must say I am shocked. So, when you contacted us saying you had a clue about their whereabouts, it certainly was interesting to see so many familiar faces, all at once." Akai commented.

"Let's just say I got involved with them. And she came to me for help," he replied.

"To the organization I am supposed to be dead and she is supposed to be in hiding. But that's all I can tell you for now." Shinichi added, emphasizing the limits of information he could disclose.

They didn't have much time. According to his estimate, Shiho would turn back in 3 more hours. Less, if her injuries were to have an effect on the process.

He wasn't planning on revealing about either of them turning into a child anytime soon.

"I have to ask how the boy called Edogawa Conan got involved in your mess." Akai inquired. Involving a child in this game was a dangerous pursuit.

"He's my cousin. Don't worry, the kid's bright. He realized I was still alive and is currently helping me stay hidden." Shinichi said, gesturing towards the door.

"Right," Akai let out a rare chuckle. "Everyone's entitled to their secrets."

"Well, take care of her. If not, her sister might hound us both. I guess it's for the best for me to leave since I can't show my face to her either." Akai declared as he and the other agents left the teen's home.


"That was close!" Shinichi wiped the sweat off his forehead. "Any sooner and this would have been a nightmare to explain." He mused, casting a glance at her shrunken form. He checked his watch. She had lasted for 9 hours. He assumed that the wounds she received must have accelerated the shrinking process. Her body had been fighting to stay alive, after all.

The patchwork held up surprisingly well, he noted; the dressings and gauze pads remained secure even after she shrank. He had to admit, the FBI's medic teams were extremely talented. However, he did have to reapply the bandages, since they no longer fit her arms and legs.

After he was done, he gently covered her with one of his jackets, a slight frown creasing his forehead as he observed her bruised form. The weight of regret pressed upon him; his unwavering determination had nearly cost her her life.

She lay there, still clinging to life, barely alive. Tonight had thrust her into a more harrowing ordeal than the day she had first sought his assistance. Remorse enveloped him as he contemplated everything that must have taken place in his absence.

Gin...how dare he?

This certainly wasn't the first time she had endured the trauma inflicted by them, but tonight was the first time he noticed her bear the brunt of Gin's sadistic pleasure once again.

Gin!

He really wanted to make sure that man would not be able to harm even a hair on her body again.

He certainly had regrets about this night, things he could have prepared. Plans he could have made in advance. The realization that he couldn't shield her from the horrors that unfolded.

"If nothing else, I promise you this. From now on, I'll never let you face them on your own." He said to the sleeping figure who had narrowly avoided death.

Shinichi soon reverted back as well.

Fortunately, the shrunken teens' secret remained concealed, hidden from both the FBI and the Black Organization.

But if Gin was able to figure her out from a single strand of hair, and Pisco could recognize her even in her shrunken form, it would be best to prepare an actual disguise for her.

If he was being honest, he hated the idea of them being forced to hide themselves, losing every single part of their identity. Which is why he didn't want to do this. Running away and hiding like this. But their lives were more important. If charging head on was a fool's endeavor, he needed to take a step back and figure everything out. By now he had grasped their patterns, even if he only knew a little bit about their organization as a whole. But soon it will be his turn to expose them to the world.

He'd need to call his mom back to prepare a makeover for Haibara. Besides, in the condition she was in, there was no way he and Hakase could take care of her by themselves. Neither could cook a decent meal, for one. Perhaps it would be best to have her stay for a while? It's not like his dad couldn't take care of himself. Though Yusaku certainly would get upset at living separately from his wife. Well, if he truly wanted to, his dad could move back too.

Besides, there was one individual he had gotten wary of, realizing how Pisco had managed to leave the interrogation so soon. And that certain someone had stayed behind instead. And his mother could certainly explain just what sort of person her friend and the daughter of her friend was. It was just a hypothesis, but Sharon and Chris Vineyard's arrival to Japan was something he would have to investigate in detail.

Conan turned around and as silently as he could, to not disturb her sleep, approached the door. Closing it behind him, he went to the living room to call his parents. As he dialed the number, he recalled his previous chat with his mother. When the runaway scientist had first arrived at his manor.


A/N:

This concludes episodes 176-178 + my own changes of the showdown's ending. As always, feel free to leave any comments if you have questions. I did add a lot of new events near the end which I felt were more suitable than the original, so I'll share one of those right here:

Shiho/Haibara's treatment! We don't see her being treated, but she is wearing bandages and using crutches. I'm sure at least one of the medical staff would have a few questions as to how a 7 or 8 year old gets shot multiple times!

So, I had the FBI treat her in the Kudo mansion instead.