A/N: Since Detective Conan doesn't exactly have a timeline, I am going to create a timeline of my own. Therefore, if it is a little bit off, please kindly ignore. I will try to associate different seasons in the right month. Thank you for reading my fanfiction!

P.S. The time will jump between present and past, but the first few chapters would be in the past.

December 27th 1999

If I am dead, why can I hear voices? If I am dead why can I feel hands holding up my body? If I were dead, why am I not in hell?

Hattori Akiya

At 0o'clock, midnight, in the central hospital of Osaka, a baby was born. He inherited his mother's pale skin and facial features, but his father's curly hair. His older brother, who was only around two years old, stood beside his tiny bed. The baby opened his eyes, a pair of deep green eyes, and stared at his brother.

Hattori Heizo stared at his younger boy. It was not a good sign for a newborn baby to be silent. "Shizu." He called out to his wife and asked, "How do ya feel."

The beautiful lady lied on the bed with her eyes closed, but she answered softly, "As long as the little one is ok."

March 1st 2003

I was an assassin, a pro. Yes, I was an assassin. Many people lost their life under my knife. Why? I thought, would a person like me be given the chance to live a second life? To be reborn as a baby, the most innocent form of life?

Hattori Akiya

"Aki!" A six-year-old boy called out. He had relatively dark skin for a Japanese and jagged black hair with eyes that were filled with curiosity.

"Yes? Ni-san?" A younger boy with dark curly brown hair answered, stepping through the doorway.

"Come on! Kazuha is waiting!"

Kazuha Toyama, a cute girl with high pony tail, was the daughter of Mr. Hattori's colleague. She was three years older than Akiya and a few days older than Heiji. Therefore, she always wanted them to call her "NeeChan" as a show of power. Akiya, of course, didn't mind. Heiji, on the other hand never ever did what she told.

"Hai.. Hai." Akiya replied.

March 3rd 2003

I finally realized… that the reason why I was born is to protect the others, to save as many lives as I killed previously. I want to be a police officer just like my father. Differently from my brother, who dreamed to be a detective.

Hattori Akiya

Akiya was happy to enjoy his childhood once again. In his last life, he was born in a slum, where children participated in child labor at the age of seven. His ability of acute hearing and sight was spotted by mafia and trained into being an assassin. He hated himself… for being scared of getting killed… for killing others in exchange for his own life.

Lost in thought, as sharp as Akiya, he didn't manage to notice a suspicious three-person group who were wearing sunglasses and high neck jackets in such warm weather.

"Sir? Ya need yeh ticket to board all kinds of buses, ya know?" The bus driver rambled impatiently, "Hurry up, ya know? There are people who neeta go to places."

Heiji giggled at how the driver's eye browns twitched together. However, his smile vanished in a flash when the tallest man pulled out a black metallic object. Something that was not sharp, but extremely dangerous.

For a old assassin who lived in peace for three years, the shape was still buried deeply inside his brain: "Nisan! It's a gun!"

As if confirming Akiya's theory, a loud Bang interrupted the joyful conversations that the passengers were having. All of a sudden, a dreadful silence lingered in the air. Everyone was staring at the smoking hole in the ceiling. Kazuha grabbed on to Heiji tightly.

After a whole minute, the tall man opened his mouth: "Do I still need ticket? Whatcha think?"

The driver, who was now shaking from head to toe, answered, "No…no, sir. Ya can do whataver ya want…"

Despite his young age, Heiji commented calmly: "He's gonna ask for our phones next. Just say we are kids and don't have one." Normally, six-year-olds wouldn't have phones, but Heiji would get one whenever he went out with friends. Just in case, if he got lost.

"Now! Everyone! Put yer phones inside tis bag." A fat man held out a large black plastic bag and yelled, "Don't try ta trick us."

"And… As ya are doing it. I am gonna explain the situation." The shortest man out of three cried, "We are not aiming for money, if ya are wondering."

"We are looking for someone." The tallest man continued, "We are 100% sure that tis person is on tis bus. And ya know who ya are. If ya don't come out in half an hour, we are gonna shoot people one by one, until we getta ya. So, if ya don't want twenty people to die because of ya are a coward like three years ago, come out right now!… "

Akiya frowned at the mention of thirty minutes. If this were a case of money, it would be easier. The police would be informed as the culprit made the call, and they would use money as a way to approach the hostages. However, in this case, even if the police were informed, the culprits wouldn't have any reasons to negotiate with the police.

"Heiji-Ni." Akiya whispered, "Can ya give me ya phone?"

Hattori Heiji wanted to refuse at first, but remembered how smart his brother acted at home and nodded, passing the small device behind his back.

Speed dial "1" to daddy! Akiya pushed the cell phone into a crack between his seat and his brother's before crying loudly, "Akiya want daddy! Bad Ojisans are playing with toys that make big noises! Wah-! Akiya want daddy!"

"Those are not toys, brat! Be quiet, or I will shoot ya!" The fat guy said impatiently while holding out his gun.

"Wah-Daddy! Ojisan is pointing a black 7-shaped tube at Akiya's head!"

Hattori Heiji instantly understood what Akiya was trying to do and smirked: "Akiya! Ya are so stupid! That is called a gun, used to kill people, not a toy. Ya should be quiet, or the bus-jackers would put a hole through yer head in thirty minutes."

Akiya wiped fake tears from his eyes and nodded with confusion on his face: "Akiya don't really understand… but Heiji-Ni is always right."

Seeing Akiya quiet down, the fat man sighed and muttered in a volume that only Akiya, Heiji and Kazuha could here: "Sorry, if I really scared ya, kids. But I have to do this! It's all for Kuoru-Chan!"

March 3rd 2003

Ugh… All those tears… I have been getting better and better at fake crying after I came to this world. Maybe I should consider the possibility of being an actor…?

Nevertheless, that was just a way of telling an ally on the other end essential information without the enemy noticing. It was a skill that I used a lot during an undercover invasion during my previous life. If I knew I would need it that fast, I might have practiced more. It worked well for now since the opponents were non-pros while we were unsuspicious kids. Who would have thought how intelligent children can be these days, though I am technically not a kid.

What surprised me was how fast and calm Heiji-ni was reacting. He was the real genius…

Hattori Akiya

Hattori Heiji watched his watch as the second hand ticked by: "We only have ten minutes before someone gets killed!"

"Are we going to die?" Kazuha's face paled, "I promised Leiko to go to her house tonight. What am I going to tell her!"

"Is that all you thought about? Aho?" Heiji gave the young girl an 'I-don't-know-ya-and-don't-ya-dare-to-talk-to-me-right-now' look, "but don't worry. There's no way we are their first target. Judging from their action earlier, they won't hurt women and children unless they had no choice… which led to my next question. Why are they doing this? Why do they want to find someone so desperately that they would hijack a bus?"

"Something about a person named Kuoru." Akiya continued, "And… they lost their will to live, so the possibility of committing suicide after they found the person they wanted to find is really large."

"Suicide? Why's that?" Kazuha looked at the three-year-old with disbelief.

Heiji, who was used to Akiya's maturity, explained impatiently, "Isn't that obvious? Aho? The possibility of hijackers being arrested is really high, yet they walked in with only sunglasses. Even if tis is their first time, wearing gloves is common sense. One person being ignorant might still be understandable… but three people together? Unless they are more stupid than ya…"

"What are ya saying? Heiji! BAKA!" Kazuha's eyes lit on flame and stomped her foot.

The bus-jackers ignored the childish conversation and continued to pace around. The tall man took a glance at his watch and announced: "I know ya are there! There's only seven minutes left before someone will die for ya again!"

Both Heiji and Akiya's eyes narrowed on the work "again".

"Ojisan!" Akiya yelled, "Akiya need to use the washroom! Can you come here for a moment?"

The fat man hesitated for a second before the tall man nodded and made his way toward the three-year-old kid. "What's the matter, kid?" He said while pointing his gun at the boy, trying to keep up with his 'bad guy' act.

Before he could react, Akiya did something that even shocked his brother. The three-year-old grabbed front of the gun and lifted it upwards.

"What are ya…" The fat man pulled his weapon back forcefully; his face red with anger.

"Ojisan." Akiya stated calmly with a low voice, "Ya don't have any bullet in ya gun."

Heiji smiled: "If my deduction is right. Only ya boss's weapon contains bullet. Exactly five. One was already fired when ya entered. One was for the person ya are trying to find… and the remaining three are for yer companions and ya. Therefore, ya are not planning to kill anyone from the very start, am I right? O-Ji-San?"

The man let out a nervous laugh and said: "What are ya talkin…"

"That's Kuoru you mentioned earlier, is ya little sister, right? The tall man is the husband and the short one is the younger brother." Heiji continued talking, despite the man's paling face

The fat man backed up one step. His eyes widened as he lowered his gun: "How… how did ya know? Who are ya?"

"Hattori Heiji. Tentei-sa~~" The dark-skinned boy grinned and said.