Case File: Pandora & The Universe

Run

If anyone were to tell Kudo Shinichi that tailing men in black would result him into turning into a child, he would have laughed at their face and proceed to deduce that they're delusional. If anyone were also to tell him that he'd be going back to said past via a gem that was rumored to grant total immortality, he would've happily put them into their own business by kicking a soccer ball to their face.

Unfortunately for him, both these things did happen to him. He knew being de-aged was impossible and being sent back to time was just removing any sanity left in his wake.

But here he was, Kudo Shinichi, his old identity who failed to defeat the Black Organization and thus officially pronounced dead to the world.

Here he was, 4 years of being Edogawa Conan and still looking so much like a six years old even as he turned ten, giving up on getting his old body back after consuming too much temporary antidote and being told that it can't be completed without the original (destroyed) data.

Here he was, bloodied and bruised as the Organization that he chased throughout the rest of his life in his child-sized body ambushed Agasa-hakase's house along with his own manor just to get rid of those who knew about them.

He was still running away from them.

It was supposed to be a good day. It was supposed to be an overly violent criminal activity free day whenever there's a KID heist. He was supposed to relax into the ongoing rivalry and battle of wits with the one and only Phantom Thief, chase him up to the rooftops and retrieve the stolen gem. And it was.

He persuaded Ran to let him go to the heist, using his childish acts as Conan to complain about how it's the only event he actually enjoys. Ran told him that he can go as long as he goes straight back after the heist. Conan happily agreed with it and proceeded to go to the location where the heist was going to happen.

It was a very good day, to the point that he was giddy enough to let a bit of childishness to seep through his very being and prepared to run when the fans from outside started the count down.

The thrill of dodging the traps and running after the Phantom Thief was the best thrill Conan was willing to take, because the thrill of chasing down murderers didn't allow him much fun without potentially endangering him or those around him.

They proceeded with their dodge ball routine on the rooftop, though this time he didn't get the chance to take the gem because the look that the thief had when he checked the gem under the moonlight told him that KID wouldn't give it back anytime soon.

KID finally found what he was looking for and even beckoned Conan to come beside him to look at it.

He thought the heists were a safe haven. He thought that no one would dare murder someone within KID's no-harm policy. That this was a safe place from the men in black.

But as Conan walked towards the thief he saw the red dot he feared so much point on the thief's forehead, and all he could do was quickly kick a soccer ball in that direction as fast as he could to manipulate the thief to dodge.

Conan didn't like the look of pure terror on KID's face as the bullet hole leaked blood. It was like the time slowed as the thief tipped backwards from the force of the bullet, the gem slipping from his grasp and landing in front of Conan as he fell from the eight-story building. He wasn't fast enough.

Conan screamed.

It was the worst KID's heist in history, and everyone would remember the horrifying echoes of Edogawa Conan's scream as he watched the infamous Phantom Thief 1412 fall to his untimely death.

Only the ping of another bullet near his left leg forced him to pick up the gem and run. Panicked, he went down the building and grabbed his solar powered skateboard to try and loose them.

Chaos was all it was at the bottom as everyone runs for their lives, the task force doing their job to do as much damage control as they can. Conan could care less as he all but threw his skateboard on the ground in his haste to get away.

When he thought he lost them, he went straight to Agasa-hakase's house to warn Haibara Ai, formerly known as Miyano Shiho, that there's more of them, and they just killed Kaitou Kid. But as he veered his skateboard to the road leading to their house, he saw smoke.

He knew it was wishful thinking that it was from another house, but as he sped past the house he knew they were gone.

Haibara and Hakase were gone and he was alone.

He was still speeding through the streets choking back a sob. He avoided going to the direction of the Mouri Detective Agency, not wanting to see if they too, were ambushed or if they were left alone. He was not about to take the possibility of them being safe only for him to blow it up by showing up at their doorstep. He can't let them hurt Ran-neechan.

He sped to a different direction.

A direction he knew were familiar in the back of his panic induced mind, but he couldn't be bothered to think much of it as his skateboard tripped on a small rock, sending him tumbling down through the trees and bushes. He tumbled and rolled to a stop, leaving him scraped and bruised. He huffs and gulps, eyelids blinking slowly like he was gassed with sleeping gas.

Conan knew he had to get up, to run away and hide. All he could do was roll his body so that he was lying on his back. Panting from the effort, he curled his hands to form a fist, only to notice the gem that he was still holding with his right hand. Lifting said limb, he looked at the gem under the moonlight.

He saw blood red within the supposed sapphire gem, and he cried.