Conan was torn from his sleep by the melody of Nanatsu No Ko. Shaking his head he grabbed the phone, adjusting his voice-changer before answering the call. "Hello, this is Kudou," he said in Shinichi's voice. The reply came a moment later, in a voice that was obviously disguised. "Kudou Shinichi... you have been chosen to participate in my game... a deduction contest, if you will." Conan frowned; a contest? But he'd asked Megure over and over not to give his name and number out, and to hush publicity. "No, Megure-keibu did not give me your contact information. I've had it for much longer than that..."
He froze, and his breath hitched as he thought of the possibilities; Either it was his dad or Agasa pulling his leg, or... I shouldn't have answered the phone as Shinichi, he realized, his heartbeat moving racing at the same pace as his mind. "From the silence, I assume you've realized who I am aligned with... Good. Now, here's what I want you to do." What have I done? All of the care I've taken not to get caught, to protect Ran and Oji-san... was all of that for nothing?! He swallowed, his breath coming in shallow gasps, as the voice continued. "Aside from the one brought into the game by the FBI, there are three others involved; one is your ally, one is to be your rival, and the third..." He couldn't see it, but Conan knew there was a smirk hidden in the dark silence that followed. "Well, you'll find out soon enough."
Conan shook his head. His voice cracked as he asked, "How much do you know?" A snicker came through the receiver, and the reply followed soon after. "You are teenage detective Kudo Shinichi, seventeen when you were attacked by a man known as Gin and fed an experimental poison that failed to kill you... Right now you are hiding out with the famous 'Nemorino Kogoro' in hopes that this black syndicate won't find you and go after those you love... But don't worry, I don't plan on leaking this precious information to the likes of Gin... though Bourbon may find out soon, if he hasn't already... Now, you must take the Bullet Train to Osaka. A representative will meet you there. Your mission will be to unmask the Cat among the Pigeons, or rather, the Pigeon among the Cats..."
"And if I refuse?!" Conan was quick to reply. "What will you do?"
Another laugh, this one sure and open. "If you refuse to take on the challenge, the rival team will win by default, and I can't guarantee that the circumstances will allow you to concede and part with the prize..."
"What is the prize? Who are you? What is this-?" Conan was cut off as the call was ended. "So I have to participate..." He grabbed a coin purse from under the shelf by Kogoro's nightstand, shaking a small red and white pill out into his hand. "Damn, I was hoping to save this to meet Ran on her birthday..." The apotoxin antidote had been one of a dozen Haibara had made over two months ago; when she'd spilled them on the floor, he'd secretly slipped one in his pocket, safe from then until now. There was no way she'd give him one for the contest... she'd tell him to call the police and not get involved, that it was dangerous, that he was a reckless moron...
"Yeah, I guess I have to..." After taking some of his clothes from when he'd been Shinichi out of the hiding place behind Kogoro's bookshelf he allowed himself a touch of amusement at Kogoro's expense. "That old man has never found any of my hiding spots, even though he has to constantly hide his extra beer from Ran..." Shaking his head he walked to the bathroom, where he took the capsule and waited for it to take effect. A statement rang through his head as the spasms signaling the approaching transformation began. 'The third... you'll find out soon enough...' What did he mean by that? Who are the three involved? What is the prize? Are Ran and Oji-san safe?!"
Twelve minutes later Kudo Shinichi, dressed in a collared shirt, yellow jacket, and blue jeans, left the bathroom and snuck downstairs past Ran's room, leaving the building and heading to the train station. His tracking glasses were in a jacket pocket along with both cell phones and enough cash for a round-trip train ticket and Okonomiyaki. "It's in Osaka... Is Hattori the ally?" Shinichi smiled at the thought of seeing his friend and rival in his true form, at least for a little while... Friend and rival? Then, could he be the rival instead? What if this contest isn't as serious as it seems? His less optimistic side dragged him back to earth. What if it's more so?