This is just a little OS I wrote, don't know why but I wanted to picture something dark : )

I guess the idea of a betrayal by Heiji isn't new but well *shrugs* I like it !

I may write later the whole story and use this OS as a first chapter but clearly, this isn't today's goal :3

Dark fic, not really far of an allusion of a character death.

No pairings, though mentions of ShinRan and KazuHei.

No spoilers

PS : See, I can write something under 80k words ! xD

Dark Hours

" - Good evenin' Kudô " said a calm voice, somewhere behind him from a dark corner of the room.

Conan turned his head to spot Heiji, half hidden in the shadows of his father's library, barely visible as there was no light, with his dark clothes and dark skin.

But the boy knew it was him, in fact, he had been half expecting him.

The Osakan stepped forward, to stand in the faint light of the night passing through the only window of the room, the nasty barrel of a gun in his hand now reflecting the gentle glow of the moon.

The small detective couldn't help but notice it was pointed at him.

" - Hattori… " He sighed, seeing with a twinge of pity the teen facing him looked exhausted, even if he was trying to hide it behind a small smirk. "So it was really you…

- Yea, sorry… Some stuff happened, I had ta… well." The other answered with a shrug, his smirk getting wider, though it was now tainted with sadness.

"- You know some people died because of the intel you gave Them ?" Conan scolded, locking his eyes with his friend's, a hard expression on the face, which forced the other's smirk to disappear.

"- ... I know..." Heiji admitted, shaking his head, looking away as he was unable to stand against the accusing azure eyes. He gulped to get rid of the guilt blocking his throat. "Don' think... Don' think I did it willingly.

- It's Kazuha, right ?" The azure-eyed boy stated, his eyes softening and filling with compassion, voicing what he guessed a while ago, when he started doubting his best friend but didn't want to believe it.

"- ... Yes." The Osakan nodded, barely surprised by the fact the teen saw right through him, perfectly conscious he had always been quite transparent to his friend's piercing eyes and his razor-sharp mind. His smirk came back as his green eyes made contact once again with the boy's. "Well, ya told me yerself, eh... That ya'd go ta any length fer yer girl. I found out that I'm the same."

The Tokyoite blinked as he remembered the discussion they had, when he called him two weeks beforehand. His friend had indeed seemed a bit down back then, though he had done his best to hide it under his warm laugh and his joyful Osaka-ben.

"- Ne, Kudo... what could ya do fer Nee-chan's sake ?" Heiji had asked, his voice barely audible, his tone suddenly serious, so unlike him.

"- Anything, you know that..." He had himself shrugged, feeling the answer was obvious. "Just like you'd be able to for Kazuha.

- Yea... Anythin'... Even if it goes against all yer principles?

- Come on, Hattori, if you have a question , spit it, stop beating around the bush !" The boy had laughed, wondering what crossed the Osakan's mind to make him so focused on his questions he even forgot to give him his usual denial about his relation with Kazuha not being the same than his with Ran.

"- Nah, nevermind, nevermind. Good night, Kudô.

- 'night, Hattori."

"- So I'm the new target ?" Conan asked with curiosity, trying to hide the bitterness that wanted to show in his voice.

"- Ya always were, Kudô. I just did my best ta feign my ignorance o' what happened ta ya. Worked at the beginnin', but They grew impatient... "

The small detective tried to hide his shock from learning once again a person he loved was targeted because of him. He should have seen that one coming...

"- ... I could have helped you, you know? " The boy finally sighed, cursing in his mind his best friend's stubbornness in trying to solve everything by himself. He was of course unable to blame him as, in fact, he was so similar to him on that specific trait.

"- Help me ? They poisoned her, Kudô. Each time I do what They say, They give me a temporary antidote. I tried ta save time but... If Kazuha doesn' get the cure tomorrow, she'll be dead before dusk... An' I must admit that I don' see how ya could have helped me in findin' her antidote on such a short notice when ya haven' found yers after so long..." The Osakan pointed out, flashing a small ironic smirk.

"- That's harsh... " The boy said, mirroring his smirk.

Conan crossed the distance separating them and stopped at barely a few inches of the gun pointing at his chest, noticing his best friend's hand was shaking.

"- Heiji... " He said, looking up at him, using his first name to have his attention. "We'll find a way out of this. You haven't killed anyone directly at the moment, don't go too far in following their orders, stop while you still can.

- It's too hard, Kudô, I can'..." The dark-skinned teen's voice broke as he spoke, a pained grimace now on his face. "How can I choose between killin' my best friend an' lettin' the girl I love die... It destroys me... "

A single tear rolled on his cheek as he strengthened his grip around the weapon's cross.

Conan met his green eyes and saw all the feelings twirling and fighting each other in them, though the determination seemed to win over.

The boy had a gentle smile, resigning, unable to stand to see his best friend being devastated by his own mistakes. What started that fateful day in Tropical Land was going to end here. His life to save another one wasn't that bad, finally.

"- It's ok, Hattori." He said, removing his glasses. If he was going to die, it would be without his disguise.

"- I'm sorry... Shinichi."

"Ran..." Conan thought as he closed his eyes.

"- Shin... ichi ?" A long-haired girl called, suddenly waking up with a worried frown on her face, panting, her thoughts still overwhelmed with the remaining of her bad dream.

She found it hard to breathe and brought her hand to her heart, seized by the darkest presentiment. Forcing herself to take deeper breaths, she looked around her to sooth herself with the reassuring and familiar features of her room.

Her eyes fell on a picture, of a girl and a boy, happily posing in an amusement park.

" - Come back soon..." She whispered, with a gentle smile.

A few miles away, still in Beika, a gunshot echoed in a house.

A house with the name "Kudô" on the gate.