Killua slowly drifted his eyes from his induced slumber. He was careful not to appear too somber, or else alert the others to continue their abuse. He tasted iron. A taste that is far too familiar for the Zoldyck heir. A taste that he shed to others in the amusement of his loved ones to climb to the highest of echelons. Many nights he explained to himself, because telling his loved ones would have been futile, that there were limits on how many people have to die for a name. Because eventually, someone will kill him for a name. He was cautious when using his words. Very cautious because there were those close to him who wouldn't mind slaughtering him for a name. He spat out the leftover saliva that settled in the corner of his jaw. He didn't even want to look at himself. Even if he could, the binds to his arms and feet inhibited him of doing so. Unbelievable was the word for what his family did to him.
Judging by the shadows from the small window above him, he saw light spilled. He assumed that he had been out for a few hours or so. The night before wouldn't have gone under Killua's most crazy nights.
A door opened. Footsteps slowly coming to his direction. He displayed no fear. The bruising on his body and the lacerations gave proof that he pulled the night. He was still alive and ready to take on the family who condemned him to his abuse.
Even if it was his maniacal brother, Milluki and the callous, cold hands of his careless mother, Kikyo.
"It has seems that you have risen from your grave. Judging by our blood running in your veins, I don't expect anything less."
Killua didn't look at the source of the direction. Her deadpan, flat, monotonous voice only came from the women who gave him life. The same woman who was close to giving him death; not like she was going to let that happen. Killua knew the sole reason of her revenge towards him. He remembered it like the open sore he had on his hand. He knew from the beginning the life of an assassin was not in his future. He strived for something better than just murder people for the sake of losing a life, even if that person may or may not deserve. It was his decision to participate in the 287th Hunter Exam. However, there were oppositions standing in his way. Much to his chagrin and regret, he got rid of the opposition by putting them in their place.
He let out a smile as he, himself, was put in the position in which one of most powerful members of the Zoldyck family would return with a comeback. Separating him from his friends and even attack his servant and friend, Canary, would be a pivotal force to avenge themselves for his actions.
He tilted his head back, gathering whatever strength he had. The torture chamber, he admit, was a nice touch. He had been worse situations, but for now, he knew he was dealing with some family matters. He futilely thought his mother and his brother were forgiving about the stab wounds he gave them before running away.
He received a slap to the face. The slap was teeth-rattling, making him shut his eyes from the contact. More saliva came from his mouth. He spat more blood, then return to his post at his angry mother.
"You have always displayed that classical smirk of yours when you think your plans work," she said with a smug look. She dust herself off on her dress. She return a fierce glare when seeing some of his spit landed on her dress. Kikyo took pride in her appearance. Not only she was a cruel, cold assassin, but she still had her womanly charms, or whatever word Killua could best create at this moment in time. She took off her gloves and placed them on the table across from Killua. She found a chair and gave herself a seat while keeping her sights on her son. "Tsk, tsk, tsk. Milluki should have beaten you hard enough. The cheekiness is still present on your cute face."
"To think, you still have some kind of maternal instinct within you," answered Killua.
"You are clever I am not in the mood right now, or else, I would come to remind you of your place," she responded with absoluteness. Killua knew his limits of his quips, but his mind focused on the insults. He knew that their abuse was minute and he knew that was making them upset. Killua kept this appearance for he was thinking how to gain the upper hand to escape.
His mind quickly returned to his friends. They were last spotted at Kukuroo Mountain. Knowing of them, Gon and the others were conspiring a plan for an escape. Unlike the quick thinking Killua, he prayed to the gods that Gon was solution oriented when they have a rescue plan. Gon, Kirapiku, and the others are resourceful, but he knew there were many levels to pass before getting to him.
"So, mommy dearest, what is the plan with me now," asked Killua. He watched as she kept her arms crossed. Her visor reflected the light from the growing sun. She let out a small smirk.
"For starters, to keep up down here until you are rehabilitated to my choosing," she told him with venom from her tongue. "Next, I am going to make sure your friends don't make it to here." She stood up. "Then, I will make sure to take care of that treacherous Canary for spitting on our family name."
Canary. Killua quickly remembered when the brown-skinned butler and friend attacked Gon before being knocked down by his mother. He knew that incident with her and Gon was an accident, but he was fearful because his mother was absolute when saying her words. He thought about his younger sister and the people who died on her duress of her mother's careless bidding.
"You went quiet," she told Killua, which gave her a wave of a haughty laugh. "Where is your snappy comebacks now, huh?" She stood up and walked closer to the distress Killua. "Huh? Speak to your mother when I am talking to…."
Killua spat in his mother's face. "If you want my answer, then there it is." He looked down. "If you were going to be this cold. If I would have known how hurtful you can be. Using violence as a wave of control. Using your words to threaten others because you couldn't have your way." He raised his voice. "If I would've known that this world of mine was going to bring me chaos, then I should have ended it a long time ago. No, no, better yet, I should have been a stain on the bathroom floor when you and father were making sex with each other."
He was welcome with a punch to the stomach. The impact made him lose his breath. She returned with another punch. Then another punch before slapping him on both sides of his face. "Don't you ever in your fucking life ever give me orders. My plans for you are my fucking plans, you spoiled little brat! How dare you challenge me, question me, on the plans I made for you. The sacrifice, the treatment I give to you than you other siblings." She gave him another punch. "You should be eternally grateful to me for all of the things I have provided for you. And this is the thanks I get, just words of you being non-existent." She gave him another punch. "I am your mother. I own you. You are my property until the day I am done with you. If I say, leap, you will jump. If I make you kill your own pets, I will. If I command you to kill Canary." She stopped, releasing a cynical, devilish smile. "If I told you to kill your sister, you will do it."
He was out of breath, coughing loudly. But hearing the name of his sister coming from his mother's mouth enraged the young Zoldyck. He extended his arms to grab his mother. He was failing in frustration. "Take that back, you bitch! Take that back. You wouldn't have the guts to do that do your own daughter?"
"Do I," she retorted. "Listen, Killua." She took his twitching, feeble hands and put it around her chest. Killua felt the warmth around her dress and the softness of her breast. "There is warmth coming from my body, but do you sense a heartbeat?"
He was silent, looking away until she grabbed his chin to look at her. "Answer the question."
"No."
"Say it again, precious Killua?"
"There is none."
"Exactly," she sneered. "A heartbeat signifies a presence. It means that I should be alive. Correct?"
She squeezed his chin harshly when he didn't quickly respond.
"No," he managed to say while straining.
"So, if I don't have a heartbeat, it means I am cold and ruthless. Right?"
"Yes."
"Concludes that I don't care how you feel or how your friends," she continued saying as she took her hand and squeezed Killua's hand tightly. She applied pressure on his middle finger. He winced, gnashing with his teeth as she pushed back his finger. "If I don't have a heartbeat, then I don't care what happens to you, or to your friends, or to Canary." He yelped when he felt the crack from his finger. "Or to your sister. All of them are expendable. Love is a chemistry, Killua. It is useful until its half-life is worn out. If you want a feeling, then I recommend power."
She released his finger. She turned around while murmuring something under her breath. Killua fought the tears. He disguised by saying expletives.
"Understand, Killua, son, if you want to make it in this world, then you must show no love," she told him with sternness in her voice. "You were born to do a job and that is to serve under me as the heir of the assassin clan." She rubbed the soles of her feet. "Now, unless, you want to challenge me, then be my guest. But this time." She punched him in the stomach. "Make sure you make the first one count."
He coughed loudly, feeling the sores of the punches from his mother. Kikyo communicated on her microphone.
I am going to stay down here for awhile. Make sure no one disturbs me.
Don't worry about joining me. He is in my control. He is going to shake back to us.
Listen, you don't worry about your father. He will understand. If he doesn't, it matters not.
We need Killua. He is useful and a likely source of power and energy. We have to get this independence out of him. I have something I am going to do. That is why it requires you and anyone else not to disturb me.
Gon and the others? If you see them, delete them.
Canary? Save the girl for later. I have other selections for her.
Those are my orders and I expect you to follow them. Or, do you want to be in Killua's place?
That is what I thought. I am cutting off communication. Please do not bother me from this point on.
Kikyo returned to her wailing son. He was breathing loudly. She tilted his head, making him look at his mother. "I believe to remedy this rebellion is for mother-son training." She reached for the keys in her pocket. She unlocked the chains from his foot and then her hands. Killua dropped to the ground. Kikyo didn't care or bother to ask if her son was okay. Kikyo believed in order. She knew she was overprotective, cruel, excessive, and unbalanced, but that was the way to display her somewhat affection for her son. Kikyo knew the destiny that was in store for her son. However, she was too prideful to admit that. Instead, she knew there were other ways to steer control.
"Killua, from the point on, until you show me you are worthy of being my son, you are now just property."
Killua looked at his mother with confusion on his face. "Like what, I am your prisoner," he asked.
"If you choose to look at it as a prisoner, then yes you are a prisoner," she snapped back. "But in my words, you are nothing more than property. As if you were an accessory, a servant, a pet." She finished the sentence, putting heavy emphasis on the latter of the word.
"A pet," retorted Killua. "Like I am one of your precious toys you are will eventually discard?"
"Don't put words in my mouth," she answered matter-of-factly. "You being with those friends distract you from our vision. So, therefore, you are going to be punished. I think this is going to mess with your pride than anything."
Killua watched as his mother took off her sunhat. It was rare to ever see her mother without it. She disassembled her microphone. She took it off and tossed it on the floor. "I won't be needing this for awhile." She continued unrolling her bandages around her face. Killua watched it drop to the floor. Killua's mouth went agape when he saw her take off her visor.
"You act like you have just seen a ghost," she said.
Kikyo's hair was nestled in a bun. She took off her hairclip to allow it to drop. Killua saw her eyes for the first time. It displayed the same thing like her personality-darkness.
"Now, I can breathe," she spoke to herself as she played with her hair. She then turned to Killua. She let out a smirk. She began slowly slipping out of her clothing. Killua felt his cheeks reddened with embarrassment as he watched his mother disrobe. She removed her dress, displaying her corset and her underwear. Her underwear was a purple-laced lingerie that was strapped to her black corset. She threw her dress to where her other accessories were located. "Now, I can definitely breathe."
"Mom...Mom...what is going on," questioned Killua as he attempt to back away from his mother.
"So, I am now your mother," she said. "Whatever happened to that cheeky bastard who wanted to a stain on the bathroom floor?" She walked forward. "Since you feel that way, I will show you what it means to feel like you are nothing but trash. A throwaway accessory. A expendable servant." She kneeled, displaying her Cheshire Cat smile. "A pet."
Killua got up and attempted to run. Kikyo, quick-handedly, used one of his accessories against him, his yo-yo. Killua landed on his face. With the yo-yo tightly wrapped around his ankle. She pulled him back. "I think this is going to be more fun. You will cure my boredness. But only for a moment. For a moment."
She came toward him and reached for a knife. She came on top of him and pulled it to his neck. "Doesn't this blade look familiar," she asked. "It is the very one that you used against me when you ran away from home." She pressed further into his neck. "Any hints? Memories?"
"Please, Mom," he said hesitantly. "Don't do this."
"Wow, you are not making this fun," she said half-jokingly. "What happened to all of that spunk from earlier? Is that a wet spot around your boxers?" She tsked. "You are nothing more than a little boy. Nothing but talk. You see what happens when you dart away from me?" She released the knife from his neck. "In time, you will return to my good graces. But, not today." She used the knife to tear the his shorts, only exposing his penis. "I must say. I am proud of what you did that day to take me on. I am also surprised of your penis. You aren't even aroused and it is very nice girth."
She chuckled. "I think I am going to tear down your pride by messing with each other with our affection."
