File 6: Learn of the Truth


You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you mad.

-Aldous Leonard Huxley, British writer


Kudo, you idiot! Going and getting yourself killed! That isn't worthy of you. Heiji continued to muse. You have left Neechan all alone. I thought you told me you promised her that you'd come back. Liar! And I bet that Ai gir—

"HEIJI!" Kazuha yelled in Heiji's ear.

"AH!" he said, jumping in his seat, "What'd you do that for, aho (1)?!"

"You just didn't hear a single thing I told you, aho!" replied Kazuha sharply in turn.

Heiji sighed in resignation, "What did you say?"

"I asked you if you know where the memorial service is being held."

"Professor Agasa told me to come over to his place and he'll take us over to the place."

"What were you thinking about earlier?" she asked.

"Huh?" Heiji looked at Kazuha in confusion.

She sighed at the amazing stupidity of high school detectives, "When I yelled at you earlier?"

"Oh. I was wondering how Neechan is holding up," said Heiji thinking up the white lie quickly.

Well…it's not a complete lie, he thought. I was thinking about her.

As flight attendant came on over the intercom, Heiji and Kazuha paused to listen.

"Passengers, please make sure your safety belts are buckled and your trays are up and locked in position and your seats in their full and upright positions. We are making the final descent into TokyoInternationalAirport. We know you have a choice in airlines and we thank you for choosing Tokyo Air."

"Hear that, Heiji? We are almost there," said Kazuha.

No, duh, were almost there, I heard the announcement, too, he wanted to say but for a change, he held his tongue and merely grunted an affirmative.

"Normally, I'd be really excited about seeing Ran-chan but…I know she isn't taking things too well," continued Kazuha, "I am worried about her."

"Part of her…problem is that she was relying on Conan for emotional support in place of Kudo," said Heiji but he thought, Kudo won't be returning, though. And 'problem' isn't the right word but I can't think of a better one.

Kazuha brought a hand up to her chin that completed the puzzled look she now wore. She murmured "But Ran-chan said, 'Now, Shinichi will never return.' Does she think Kudo-kun will hold her responsible for Conan-kun's death?"

OH CRAP! Neechan knows! Heiji struggled to keep a nonchalant expression on his face.

"If Kudo is thinking that, I will personally hunt him down and beat the tar out of him with my shinai," Heiji temporized.

There was a thump that indicated that the plane had landed.

"Please remain seated while the plane is taxiing. Once we come to a stop, be careful opening the overhead bins because luggage may have shifted during the flight."

Switching topics Kazuha asked, "Where are we going first?"

"We swing by Neechan's for a bit. You can stay for a little while. I'm going with the professor to his place. Apparently, Kudo's father is in town and he'd like to meet me. The professor said that Kudo-han offered to take us to our hotel after the memorial service."

"Hmmm," Kazuha said thoughtfully, "sounds like a plan to me.

------------------

Ran smiled wanly at a humorous remark made by Heiji. While, he could tell she was amused by his humor, deeper down she was suffering. Kazuha, too, noticed this silent suffering. She had a moment of insight.

Heiji wants me to stay and talk to Ran-chan because he feels I connect better with her than he could. That's why he was arguing for me to stay with Ran while he went ahead to Professor Agasa's. Kazuha internally smiled at the surprising thoughtfulness of Heiji.

"Oi, Neechan. Agasa's invited me over to his place for a bit before the service. I'll be coming in with him, so don't worry about me," said Heiji and trotted down the stairs to the bus stop.

After a minute had passed, Ran finally spoke again, "I was thinking of not going."

"Ran-chan, you have to go, you were Conan-kun's primary caretaker." Looking directly into Ran's eyes, she continued, "And you can't keep moping around. Lay him to rest today. He would want that."

Sniffing, Ran brought a tissue up to wipe her eyes, "I wish it were that simple, Kazuha-chan but…but…"

Ran began to sob again.

Kazuha patted her gently on the back, "But what, Ran-chan?"

"But I think…I think that…" said Ran still sniffing, "Never mind," I don't think she would believe me if I told her I think Conan is Shinichi, "I'm not ready to talk about it yet." It's too outrageous. Unbelievable. And I'm so afraid it the truth, Ran thought.

"Well, when you are ready you can tell me."

"Thank you."

--------------------

Heiji knocked on the Professor's door and was greeted by Haibara.

"Good afternoon, Hattori-kun," Haibara said with a slight smile, she turned from the door she told Agasa, "Hattori-kun is here."

"Ah, Heiji-kun, you can go straight to the Kudo's house," said Agasa, "you are expected."

"Thanks, Professor," said Heiji and trotted on next door to the Kudo house. Was it me, or was that Ai girl calmer than she should be? he thought.

As Heiji walked through the gate he was greeted by a man who looked a lot like Shinichi.

Ah ha! Now I know whom Kudo got his looks from.

"Kudo-han, I'm Heiji Hattori. Nice to meet you," said Heiji bowing.

"It is a pleasure to meet an acquaintance of my son. I'm Yuusaku Kudo, though you already knew that," Yuusaku said grinning. "Please come in and meet Yukiko."

"Your wife is here?" asked Heiji just a little surprised, "I wasn't told she would be here."

"Well, 'Fumiyo Edogawa' must make an appearance today, you know," said Yukiko dressed in the clothes of Fumiyo.

"I am putting in an appearance for my wife because she 'is unable to make it'," said Yuusaku. At Heiji's questioning looked he elaborated, "Yukiko is supposed to be distantly related to Conan."

"Ah…" said Heiji just a little puzzled. They are both a little…well…happy for a couple that has lost their only child. "Are you guys okay?" waving his hands in the air trying to voice his confusion.

"Huh?" the Kudos said.

"Oh my," said Yukiko covering up a big smile with a hand.

"I guess you don't know then," said Yuusaku grinning.

Looking even more confused, Heiji said, "Know what?"

"Let me show you," said Yukiko waving for Heiji to follow her up the stairs.

Still looking and feeling puzzled, Heiji followed Yukiko to a door and walked in when she motioned him inside.

I don't like that smile she's wearing, thought Heiji. She's up to something. I don't like

Heiji looked around the bedroom as he stepped through the doorway. His eye caught someone in the room and he stopped dead in his tracks. Heiji's mouth dropped open and his eyes opened to the size of saucers.

A dry, scathing remark cut through his shock, "If you keep your mouth open like that a bird might fly in and start making a nest there."

Heiji's mouth snapped shut and he pointed as he said with shock and some anger,

.

"KUDO!?"

. Sitting up in the bed was one Shinichi Kudo, currently known as Conan Edogawa.

"But but but but…" Heiji seemed unable to get out a coherent sentence.

Conan chuckled at Heiji's reaction.

"Who? What? When? Where? HOW?!" Heiji asked in quick succession while becoming irritated and agitatedly waving his hands around.

"Why didn't you tell me?" he asked.

"I just woke up yesterday. Not my fault that no one told you," Conan said, shrugging.

"I do not like being left out of the loop. Now," continued Heiji, "answer my question."

"Which one?"

Heiji sighed with exasperation as he threw his hands up in the air. After a moment he asked, "Okay, if that's the way you're going to act. What happened?"

"You want to know what happened?" Conan said. "Well, the short story is I got shot, thrown into a river and lived."

"No shit, Sherlock! (3)" snapped Heiji becoming more exasperated and irritated.

Conan grinned maliciously, "Payback's a bitch, isn't it?"

Heiji muttered to himself, "Damn it! Kazuha was right about stuff I do coming back to bite me."

"You got that right! I knew I'd get back at you one day for calling me 'Kudo' in public."

Speaking to Conan he asked, "When did you become so, so…," waving his hands around trying to find the right word.

Nonchalantly, Conan replied, "Cheating death can do that to a person."

"I hope you've got that out of your system," Heiji growled, "I want to know what happened."

"Fine, I'll tell you what happened. It started with a very stressed-looking man asking me the time. It was 3:37…"

To be continued…


(1) aho= silly, idiot. Not quite as strong in meaning as 'baka'.

(2) -han is an alternate form of –san. Used in the region that Heiji is from, I can't remember where he is from at the moment.

(3) I've wanted to write that for a long time… --;

Can you tell I've flown a lot? Heh heh.

I almost left this file at the "KUDO!?" part but I decided not to do that cliffhanger (Also, it didn't flow as well in the next file).

Heiji is such fun to write. He's so much more expressive and animated than any other character.

Posted: 6-23-04