Chapter Text
Sumiko was super excited for her class’s field trip. She remembered her own first field trip to the Center quite well and always looked back on it fondly.
Back then, she had been hoping to come Online as a Guide, if only so she could talk to animals like her friend Emiko’s mother had. Talking to animals was every Disney princess fan’s dream, but Sumiko had had a different reason to dream big. After all, the K-9 units were just starting out in the Tokyo police department and how cool would it be to fight for justice with her animal companions at her side?!
Unfortunately, it wasn’t meant to be.
As she grew up, the ‘Guide Potential’ the Center had sensed in her lessened until it became non-existent in her Junior High test. Not an unusual thing in 90% of the population, but still disheartening for her. Her dreams of being on a team of animal freedom fighters were over.
But that didn’t mean she didn’t feel nostalgia set in as the bus pulled to a stop in the Center’s parking lot.
Behind her, the seats were filled with the excited chattering of students, all ready to catch their first glimpse of the inner workings of the Center. She hoped they enjoyed it as much as she had.
“Okay, Class!” she called as she stood up. “We’ve made it to the Center! Now, who’s excited to go in?”
A chorus of ‘Me! Me! Me!’ met her ears. She laughed.
“Great! Me too! But before we go in, we have to remember the rules. Who can tell me the first one?”
A hand went up.
“Ryuto?”
“Stay with the group!” he answered dutifully.
“Good job, Ryuto! Now, what’s the second rule? … Hana?”
“If you need something, ask Kobayashi-sensei!”
“Exactly!” Sumiko nodded. “If you need to use the bathroom or your buddy has wandered off, let me know and I will help. What’s rule number three? Mitsuhiko?”
“Don’t go where our tour guide says not to.”
“Very good! Some places in the Center are for employees only, so make sure not to go where you aren’t allowed.” Sumiko grinned. “And the last and most important rule?”
“Be kind and court-ee-ous to everyone!” the whole class chimed in.
Sumiko clapped her hands. “Perfect! Now, remember to keep an eye on your buddy as we get off the bus and head inside. No wandering off now!”
The kids hurried off the bus in a more-or-less organized, chaotic mess. She did a quick headcount to make sure all the kids were off the bus, then another one inside the Center lobby to make sure no one had tried to sneak off.
One would think a teacher of first-year elementary students wouldn’t have to worry about delinquency, but most didn’t have the Shounen Tantei-dan on their hands.
The whole group had a habit of wandering off if there was a mystery afoot. Conan, in particular, was the worst, often on the scene before an accident even happened. Yes, Sumiko was their teacher advisor and she loved a good mystery, but today, she had to be a teacher foremost and a mystery nerd second.
She could only hope the Shounen Tantei-dan followed her example.
She seemed to be in luck! Genta, Ayumi and Mitsuhiko were all looking around with unrestrained excitement. Haibara was peering around with calm interest, just a bit more than the usual polite intrigue she usually gave. Conan…
Conan was his parents’ issue for the day.
Sumiko had gotten a notice from the school receptionist that Mouri Ran had called in his absence. His parents had come in from overseas for a visit, completely forgetting that there had been a field trip planned for the day. However, since there was a field trip and no actual work would be done, they had decided to pull him out for the day for some family bonding activities.
Honestly? Sumiko was kind of glad they were showing interest.
She had been worried when she first learned of Conan’s living situation. Being taken care of by people who weren’t even blood-related to him while his parents were off gallivanting across the globe sounded stressful for her young student. It was nice to hear that they had wanted to spend some time with him.
It was… slightly frustrating that they pulled him out of school to do so, but of all days, today was the day to do so. Even if it was many kids’ first trip to the Center, it certainly wouldn’t be their last. Conan would have many more opportunities for his own trip. Family, in Sumiko’s opinion, came first.
“Welcome, everyone!” greeted a woman with long dark hair rolled into a bun. She wore the standard Center-issued uniform of soft cream fabric —not too harsh on the eyes or skin, but not overly expensive either. The term ‘Sentinel-friendly’ came to mind. “My name is Hayashi Fuiko and I will be your guide on your tour of the Tokyo Center for Sentinel and Guide Services. Is everyone ready to go?”
A chorus of ‘yes!’ followed her question.
“Now, not only will I be your guide today, but I am also a Guide in general!” Fuiko laughed and tapped the small badge of her uniform depicting an “E, G” inside a hexagon. “E here means I am the lowest rank of Guide. Do you know how many ranks there are?”
Tamaki threw his hand up, but answered before he was called on, far too eager. “Five!”
“That’s right!” Fuiko smiled at him. “And can anyone tell me why there are five levels?”
Genta raised his hand. “Because they both start with the same kana?”
Sumiko resisted the urge to facepalm, knowing it would set a bad example for the kids. Because Genta’s answer…
“Genta.” Mitsuhiko sighed with the most disappointed look Sumiko had ever seen on a six-year-old’s face. “Guide is made with the kana ‘ga’, not ‘go’.”
“Oh!” Genta’s eyes went wide, truly surprised by his own misspelling.
“Um…” little Mayu raised her hand. “Is it because it’s easy to count?”
Fuiko giggled at her answer. “Not quite.”
Mitsuhiko raised his hand and patiently waited to be called on.
“Yes?”
“My dad told me it was because Sentinels have 5 levels,” Mitsuhiko said. “And they have 5 levels because of their senses.”
“Bingo!” Fuiko clapped her hands. “Exactly right! Both Guides and Sentinels have five ranks because humans have 5 senses. Does everyone know what they are? Go ahead and point to one!”
The kids all giggled as they pointed to eyes and ears, mouths and noses. Some lifted their hands as a way to show touch.
“My, aren’t you all so smart!” Fuiko crouched down. “That’s right! The five senses are Sight, Smell, Taste, Touch, and Sound. Do you know why the five senses are important to Guides and Sentinels?”
The kids fell quiet, not quite knowing the answer. Sumiko didn’t expect them to. Unless their parents had explained the concept to them, this would be most children’s first introduction to Guides and Sentinels.
“It’s because Sentinels have heightened… super-powerful senses, right?” Haibara asked quietly from the back. “Like super-sight or super-hearing?”
“Exactly that!” Fuiko tilted her head to the side. “Sentinels can increase their senses at will to be able to hear better or see farther than normal humans! They can also pick up scent trails or taste individual ingredients in meals or even feel invisible marks left behind by other people.”
“That’s awesome!” Genta shouted, stirring up other chatter among the kids.
“It is quite amazing, but it can also be dangerous for them. Sometimes, they focus too hard and can’t stop their senses. Can you imagine having super-hearing during a fire alarm?”
The kids all shared looks of worry and unease. Fire alarms had only occurred during drills, but they had startled several kids into tears multiple times from the sound of alarms alone. Sumiko was sure they were trying to think of how it could be even more loud.
“Because their senses can sometimes get stuck, Sentinels need help getting them unstuck. That’s where Guides come in.” Fuiko tapped at her uniform badge again. “Guides are special just like Sentinels, but instead of using their senses, they use their minds. Does anyone know a Guide? Or knows somebody that does?”
“My daddy was a Guide!” Ayumi said quickly and quite happily for the words she used. ‘Was’?
“Oh? And do you remember him doing anything different from others?” Fuiko asked delicately.
“Um…” Ayumi thought hard for a second. “He was really nice? And he always told really good bedtime stories! I always fell asleep in the middle of them, but Mommy has to read two or three before I get tired.”
“Ah, it sounds like he might have had a knack for Suggestion,” Fuiko said. “That means that he could calm people down really well and make it so you were sleepy faster. Does anyone else have someone in mind?”
“My friend’s mother could talk to animals,” Sumiko offered.
“Oh, that’s a good one!” Fuiko said, head craned back to see her. “That’s one other people can easily see!” She turned back to the kids. “Sometimes, you can’t see the effect of a Guide’s power, like mine. Other times, you might be able to feel an Empaths’ Cloud Effect or communicate with a Telepath through your mind alone. They will have to talk to you, of course, but they can hear any thoughts you direct to them. Most Guide abilities have something to do with the mind in one form or another. This unique aspect of theirs is what lets them help a Sentinel in need.”
Her statement was met with a mix of awed gasps and excited ‘whoa!’s. One particularly eager student exclaimed, “It’s just like superheroes!”
At that, Fuiko laughed. “You’re right! Sentinels and Guides are a lot like superheroes. In fact, they might have been the inspiration for the first comic hero! After all, Sentinels and Guides have been around since before the warring tribes of Sengoku. They used to be the protectors of villages and towns and even the emperor himself!”
The excited chatter rose in volume.
“Of course, the world isn’t quite the same as what it used to be. Now, most Sentinels and Guides live their lives like any other person, just with a few extra quirks.”
Well, it wasn’t quite that simple, but that was a good explanation for kids.
“Okay everyone!” Sumiko clapped her hands to settle them down. “Fuiko-san here has some fun activities planned for us! Some of them will even test to see if you have Guide Potential!”
“You can test for that?!” Genta looked amazed.
“Indeed, we can!” Fuiko dusted off her knees as she stood. “There are some fun card games we can play to test your intuition! After all, Guides have a higher sense of intuition than normal people, even if they are Offline!”
There would also be some basic mental probing from the Guides attending them, with the parents’ permission, of course. Those who didn’t have parental consent would still be able to participate in the activities, but the Guides with them would have to be careful not to probe. Nothing these expertly trained Guides couldn’t handle.
Ah, it was a shame Conan couldn’t be here today. He was really missing out.