Case File: Pandora & The Universe

A Mail

Conan was going to strangle Mr. Cuddles. Mr. Cuddles did not deserve to be in his presence if Mr. Cuddles was going to make fun of Conan for wearing glasses when he really didn’t need it. Conan didn’t care if he was turning into one of them, he thinks Mr. Cuddles deserved to be punished.

He knew the stuffed toy’s main purpose was to be a comfort item because he was deemed to be a traumatized child but Conan feels anything but comforted by the plush. It was staring at him with that teasing energy!

“I’m telling you, Shinichi-niichan! Mr. Cuddles hates me!”

One thing about identity disassociation was that he can play around on creating a new one, and being a kid had a lot of flexibility. One such flexibility is having a very vivid imagination.

Mr. Cuddles most definitely did not hate him, but Conan felt like he can twist his words whenever he wants. He also thinks something was off with the bear.

He was not being dramatic.

“Conan, how many times do I have to tell you? The toy doesn’t hate you!” His guardian disapproved as he picked up a toast from the toaster. Conan pouted but ate the toast Shinichi gave him.

“Now come on and grab your stuff, we’ll be late for school.”

A pause... and then, “Don’t you dare leave Mr. Cuddles.”

“I don’t need a comfort item.” Conan replied quickly.

Shinichi stood in front of the door, blocking the child from going any further.

“Niichan we’re late.” Conan told him with an innocent look. Shinichi stood his ground. Conan frowned.

“Either that or we stay home today.” Shinichi threatened.

Conan made a face of despair. He was bored at home and he rarely goes out of the mansion. He was getting claustrophobic!

“You have school!” Conan countered.

“I can catch up easily.”He said adamantly.

They were officially late and Conan was not going to stay inside the house.

So Conan grumbled and snatched the stuffed toy from where it was thrown on the floor.

Did he mention he was also forced to bring the horrid thing to school? It was recommended by the school that he bring a comfort thing in case he had an attack. Conan thought it ironic since the only attack that would happen in school would probably be a terrorist attack.

With his luck on running into crime scenes, it was most likely going to happen. Though it hasn’t happened much because he was stuck home for a couple of months before he can finally be somewhere not within the perimeter of the Kudo and Hiroshi mansions.

Nine months had already passed since his birthday, and it was a very good few months for Conan. He was easily accepted by the Kudo family and was officially adopted by them.

It was true that he could have just fitted right in without the adoption papers and be a Kudo, but it was hard to disassociate that way. Though he almost regretted not taking the claimed route.

The first three months after they officially adopted him was hard due to having social workers visiting the manor bi-weekly to check their status and if the environment was good enough for a child to live in.

Thankfully Conan hadn’t ran across any crimes even when he attended Teitan Elementary School nor were there bodies dropping in front of him whenever he does get a chance to go out, so their status was good. Ran also visited whenever she can and those were the only times he could truly accept that he was just Conan.

‘I’m so bored.’ he thought as his morning classes started.

He didn’t like going back to elementary again for the third time, but if he was going to be Conan for the rest of his life he might as well befriend Conan’s previous friends. The kids were fun to be with anyways. Conan briefly wondered what they were like before he went to school, but he found out that they were still the same.

The only difference now was that they were Detective Boys under the watchful eyes of Kudo Shinichi who was physically here this time. It was one of the conditions after Shinichi found out they successfully solved a kidnapping case that would have resulted them getting hurt if it weren’t for Ran saving them.

The bell rang, signalling the end of school day. Conan could only sigh in relief as he went to his shoe locker to change to his outdoor shoes. Someone tapped him on the shoulders and he turned to see Ayumi, Genta, and Mitsuhiko smiling At him.

“Let’s go!”

The kids were a good source of random gossips. It was Shinichi’s suggestion that they listen to the news and share it within the group as exercise. Through this Conan found out that Mouri Kogoro was taking all the spotlight as “Sleeping Kogoro” without his help.

Conan guessed that it was the universe’ way of balancing the missing pieces... Or whatever it was Hattori said when he rambled about the fantasy book Kazuha forced him to read. Still, they were the ones he could rely on to really feel like a kid.

It was more relaxing than he originally thought, and he wondered if the stress of dealing with the Org and solving cases were the ones that put a strain to his mental state rather than the fact that he was a child again. Or maybe it was the effects of being in a different universe...Conan didn’t want to venture too deeply.

“Bye guys, see you tomorrow!” He waved at the rest of the detective boys before walking down the street the mansion was in.

If he was skipping a bit, no one needed to know.

It was a Thursday so Shinichi wouldn’t be home until after his soccer practice. Ran-neechan was out for their tournament so Conan had to go home alone.

Both teens fussed over what he’d be doing whenever they were both out and decided on this: he was to stay with the Detective boys until they had to part ways, and he’d have to report to Agasa-hakase even if he didn’t want to stay in the old man’s house. He also needed to eat in said doctor’s house before going back to the Kudo mansion.

“Hakase! I’m back!” He yelled as he took off his shoes and wore the indoor slippers, “Shinichi-niichan and Ran-neechan are out doing clubs today! What’s for dinner?”

“Ah, Conan-kun! I’m in the kitchen!” He heard the old man’s voice and went to that direction. When Conan saw him behind the counter he went around and gave the man a hug.

Agasa-hakase smiled apologetically, “I forgot to get groceries so we’re ordering take out today.”

“That’s fine! I want noodles please!” He exclaimed as he went to the living room where the man usually put the Kudo mail.

Conan originally didn’t want to meet Agasa-hakase. He didn’t want to see the old man in fear of finding out that the man died because the universe said so.

But when he laid his eyes on a slightly young and very much alive Agasa, he’d all but ran up to the man crying and hugged him. He’d been hugging the man ever since and if asked he’d claim it was because he’s never had a grandfather before.

They didn’t need to know it was because his own version died in a house fire and he’s doing it to prove the man really was alive.

“Do you have another puzzle for me?” Conan asked as went to get his pencil case.

Agasa-hakase only chuckled, “I think you’d like the mail today Conan-kun.”

Conan glanced at him before looking through the mail. There were a couple of fan mails for Shinichi again, and a few of them seemed like they had to be picked up from the post office. Did niichan bought stuff online?

“I don’t know hakase, they all seem...” He saw a white card among the pile of letters, and he just knew that paper, “...normal?” He ended weakly as he snatched the card to take a good look. He was right.

It was a heist note.