It existed a flower that only grew in Meteor City. It fed on toxic waste, and was the only sign of life on the most infested territories. Its tough stem resisted to the incessant winds, and its twisted flame-red corolla showed to imagination slender silhouettes writhing in a fire. It grew up at an unnatural speed, and bloomed a single day before it dies. The detritus that was its subsistence were also its fatal blow. It was the City emblem.
It was also Kikyo's favorite flower, and Silva extracted a young sprout that he planted in a rusted can. He would always bring her a souvenir from her native city, when a contract took him in there. She wouldn't demand this sort of attention, but she was pregnant with their third baby, and Silva put effort into keeping her calm and in good mood. It was for the baby's best.
He trotted with supple and silent strides, his attention focused on the invisible presences around him. He was followed and perfectly aware of it. It was a thing of people here. He was always followed, but never attacked. Not that they were afraid of him; after all these years, he still couldn't tell what could frighten them. No; they only wanted his employer's name. They knew Silva was only a tool, and every Meteorian knew the worth of a good weapon. But they despised people who used their money as a power of life or death. Silva respected this point of vue. But he had never disclosed anything. A matter of professionalism.
It was the reason why he had settled the final appointment with his employer beyond the city's frontiers. Inhabitants rarely ventured outside. Silva had been hired to get an object back from the dead body, a strange box now covered with blood, and hand it over; otherwise he wouldn't have bothered an appointment at all.
He was reaching the dump's limits and the pressure of his pursuers were already fading away. Only one remained, a tenacious, or an optimistic one. Or a beginner, because he was badly hidden, and was approaching too close.
"Is it for your woman ?"
Silva turned over and frowned in surprise. He didn't expect a direct approach, neither what he was looking at. A young boy, not very tall, and slender like a girl, was leaving the shadows of a pile of waste, hands in the pockets and walking with a tranquil gait. He was wearing a pristine white shirt, quite astonishing in that dump. He had feverish and large eyes, and the wind, ruffling his hair, unveiled a strange mark on his forehead. He was a local, it could be told by the way he moved, the ease in his gesture. His posture was pacific. He only looked curious. But Silva didn't appreciate these manners.
"What do you want, kid ?"
"The flower. Is it for your woman ? It's a passage flower. It brings luck to unborn children and soften death throes. Is she pregnant or is she dying ?"
"It's none of your business."
"They are very rare. Not everyone can appreciate it. It must be given to a local."
Silva didn't hold an amused snort back.
"So that's why you were following me ? You want the flower for your mother, small fry ?"
"I have no mommy."
"So go and find one."
Silva started his walk again, ignoring the child. He would easily leave him behind. However, with a nimble leap, the rug rat appeared in front of him, blocking the path. He still had this collected posture, but with an uncomfortable smile, and a solemn gaze that oddly reminded Illumi. This kid might barely be older than him.
"I never disclose the name of my clients. You're wasting your time."
"It's not what I'm here for."
"So tell me what you want and scarper."
The kid pursed his lips in a shy grimace. Silva had already seen this embarrassment.
"No. Find someone else. You're obviously too poor to hire me and I don't do child rate."
"I'm not here for this either. If I decide that someone must die, they die."
The child had a calm and soft voice, that hardened on this latest words. On an intuition, Silva used his gyo. Yes, the child had an aura, thin but very bright. A beginner indeed, but a promising one.
The child understood he was observed and took the speech again, with more confident traces in his voice.
"I've already killed, you know. With my bare hands."
"Of course you did."
"Let me come with you."
So that was it. Silva smirked.
"I don't usually hire my staff this way, but I like your audacity. If you manage to open the gates and make your way through the forest, my butlers would test you and see if you're worthy of interest."
"I don't look for a job. I look for a family."
A gust lifted up the boy's hair and Silva realized that the mark on his forehead was a very old scar. It had been deformed by the growth, but he could guess a cross-like shape. It probably had been made at birth. Some mothers marked their babies before abandoning them. The people here called this : "the angel bite."
The child was staring at him with his immense eyes, and when he spoke again, his voice was so soft that the wind almost took it away.
"Adopt me."
Silva sniggered, pushed the boy away and took his path again. He could feel the boy right on his heels. He didn't care. The kid may not keep the pace very long. He would be out of breath soon, because he who hardly aligned two sentences caught him up and suddenly became voluble.
"I'm talented. I know the nen. I know how to kill, clean and quick. The body has never been found. I was never suspected. I leave no trace. I'm silent. I know the poisons, their uses, their properties, and their antidotes. I know how to prepare it myself. I'm polite and tidy. I'm resistant. I don't eat much. I study a lot. I'm clever. I learn fast. Really fast. The Zoldyck family is perfect for me, and I'll be a perfect Zoldyck."
Silva stopped dead, and the child, swept along by his momentum, collided with him. Silva angrily stared at him, but the child didn't look impressed in the least.
"So young and yet so pretentious. Show me your hatsu."
"I don't show it to anyone."
"I won't hire you if I don't know your capacities."
"I told you. I don't look for a job."
"I allow you a hope for a very sought-after job. Don't be ungrateful. If you don't answer, or if you lie, you'll lose your chance. What is your ability ?"
The boy lowered his eyes and imperceptibly blushed. Silva understood.
"You don't have one yet, do you ?"
"It's… still being perfected" mumbled the child.
"How old are you ?".
"Ten."
Silva weighed him up.
"You're lying. My eldest son is a tall ten years old child. You are a twelve years old punny who tries to appear mature. You failed. Get lost."
Silva took his fast walk again. The child didn't even try to follow him. Silva felt his stare on his back a few seconds before it vanished. Silva left the city behind and looked at his watch. He would be at the appointment on time, despite this unpleasant meeting. He had to phone his clients first with the agreed password. He searched into his pockets. He froze, eyes widen with astonishment. He could feel his phone, along with the strange box a man died for. And that was it. The kid didn't collide him out of clumsiness. This little asshole had stolen his flower.
°o0o°o0o°o0o°o0o°o0o°
Kikyo would always enjoy hearing about his missions at his return, but, as he was pushing the heavy gates with one hand and was greeted by Mike, Silva decided to spare her the story of this little orphan looking for a family. In her current condition, it might break her heart. And he wasn't keen on telling he had been robbed by a twelve years old pick-pocket. It was already irritating enough.
He reached the mountain peak and crossed the threshold of the manor. He came upon a butler, and asked him the same question he always asked for thirteen years when he was coming back home :
"Where is my wife ?"
"In the game room with your sons, sir."
"Does she have company ?"
"Yes sir, but I don't think…"
"Good, I ordered Tsubone to follow her everywhere she go. She begins her ninth month. She get tired easily. But I worried she may have send her somewhere else. She's easily upset when she feels helpless."
"Sure, sir, but it's not…"
"I won't listen any complaint if she brutalized you. On the contrary, it's good for her mood."
Silva left the butler and almost ran under the shower. The stench of Meteor City was like glued into his nose and he couldn't wait to get rid of it. He put on a comfortable yukata and headed for the game room. He could hear Milluki's laughter bouncing in the corridor. He was far more playful than Illumi at the same age.
Silva opened the door and caught a needle flying right to his eye.
"Quite precise, but not quick enough, my son."
Illumi clicked his tongue with annoyance. Milluki threw away his little cars, dolls and dinosaurs, ran and grabbed his father's leg, emitting diverse joyful sounds. Illumi, more collected, simply nodded as his father and returned to his game. He was throwing needles at a ridiculously small target.
Kikyo was kneeled at the little table where the boys usually drew. She was delicately skimming the passage flower blooming in the rusted tin can. She was smiling at a gallant remark just said by the boy from Meteor City.
Silva thought very quickly. He had needed to make a significant detour before coming home. It was the only explanation. The boy could never had overtaken him in usual conditions. It also meant he was stronger than he looked. Those gates weren't heavy enough.
Kikyo made a move to get up and Silva signed her to not bother. Miruki still hung on to his ankle, he came to the table and kissed his wife's hand. She looked up to him with a smile of tender reproach.
"Silva, why haven't you ever told me about Chrollo ?"
He had just enough presence of mind not to ask who that was.
"I'm not jealous enough to reproach you for your past affairs. We haven't met yet when he was born. I wouldn't have judged you differently if I had knew you already had an illegitimate son. But I'd rather heard of it before. I'm annoyed with you, Silva", she teased him.
Silva had two rules he would never break. First of all, never making a scene in front of the children. Second, always sparing Kikyo's nerves when pregnant. Unfortunately, both applied at the moment. He requested all his self-control and answered with a perfectly calm tone:
"I'm sorry, woman. I'll answer every question you may have in a few minutes. How about you drink a white tea, while I have a one-on-one discussion with Chloro ?" The brief amused smile of the boy annoyed him. Did he say something funny ?
"Sure" she agreed. "I'll watch the passage flower opening up. It's his gift for me. What a lovely attention, isn't it ?"
The boy had already left the table and was standing by the door. Silva stood up, unhooked Miruki who started to scream, get out of the room, let the boy pass by, calmly close the door, and grabbed him by the throat. The boy didn't bat an eye. He obviously let him do. Silva effortlessly lifted him off the ground and tightened his grip. This time the boy grimaced, tried to kick him, scratched the robust grip, seeking air. The sight brought Silva a genuine pleasure.
"Listen up. I don't you who you are, and I don't care. I don't know what you want, and I don't care. I don't know what you've said to my wife, and I don't care. But you will rectify your bullshit. Right now. It will be just like you never came here. It will be just like you've never been born. Because as soon as my wife forget your existence, I'll kill you."
Silva let his hold go and the boy collapsed on the floor. He stood up on his four, breathing large gulps of air. He rubbed his throat. Then laughed. Silva felt stupefied. It was a tiny and winded laughter, a joyless laughter, but a laughter nonetheless.
"It's too late." he muttered raucously.
He sat against the wall. His head hardly reached Silva's knees.
"She loves me now. I told her everything. My mother, died in childbirth, the angel's bite you applied on my forehead. Your promise, that I'll become a true Zoldyck when I'll be strong enough to cross the gates. The secret you ordered me to jealously keep, for my own security, and the security of your true family. It's what I said : "true family." I'm such a good boy. I know my place. I know it's normal if I've barely saw you twice a year. I know why you abandoned me, and starved me, and denied me any education, any affection. I know I'm less of a rat for you. I know I have to fight for every crumb of human dignity."
He cackled and showed up a radiant smile.
"She was about to cry at some point… Pregnancy hormones, it's really something !"
Silva's inner thoughts were running all over his mind. "I can't kill him now I can't she will want to see him again she'll want an explaination I can't kill him now…" He gritted his teeth, clenching his fists compulsively. The boy didn't look like he would stop speaking.
"She was so touched when I gave her the flower. I ran to pluck it as soon as I heard I'll have a brother again, you know ? I was so happy ! I've always dreamt to belong to a huge family. Ha, if only I weren't born a bastard…"
"You sure are a bastard."
"She let me touch her belly..."
Silva's knee went and smashed the wall. The boy had tilted his head, without showing any concern.
"You shouldn't do that. I don't wanna appear to my family dishevelled and dusty."
The Silva's thought race suddenly clicked.
"Your story doesn't hold water. You're around twelve. I was already married when you were born. My wife know I would never cheat on her."
The boy shrugged.
"Ho, I said I was fourteen."
He stood up, dust his white shirt and offered this radiant smile again.
"You were right. It's ridiculous to pretend being younger when you want to move somebody to pity. It's way better to make yourself older and look like a malnourished abandoned child. It was better for my story. Kikyo said it was unworthy of you."
Silva was speechless.
"No need to be surprised. It's your fault. Everything should have been fine. I'm a storyteller; but I'm not a liar. Everything I told you in Meteor was true. You are the one who lost his chance. I could have been a blessing for this family. I could have brought you my very best. But you refused to adopt me. What is refused to me, I take it by force."
The kid put his hand on the handle, and softly whispered :
"I warned you, father. I learn real fast."