A/N: Collab story with Madin456. This chapter is written by Madin and the next one will be by EmberSkies, then we'll continue alternating.

Basically what would've happened if Killua ran away from home at the age of fifteen instead of twelve. His meeting with Gon would've been a lot different—maybe something like this…

Disclaimer: We do not own Hunter X Hunter.

Prologue: Runaways

Receive orders. Follow through. No questions asked.

It takes Killua fifteen long years to realize that there is more to life than simply submitting himself to those three rules listed above. Ever since his younger years, it's always been "Yes, father" or "Yes, mother" or "Yes, big brother"—but he is done being the good, submissive, thoughtless machine; a child obeying authority blindly for lack of a better choice.

Killua Zoldyck is many things, but a child is not one of them.

With Alluka held tightly in his arms, he races down the side of Kukuroo Mountain, barely a blur to the human eye as he whispers reassuring nothings to his sister. Moonlight casts just the right amount of shadows to allow Killua to camouflage himself under the safety of the trees as he maneuvers through the forest unseen. The cold, crisp air is his reminder that he is actually doing this—he is running away from home with his sister is his arms—and after this, there is no going back.

And as he skirts the depthless shadows in the empty, inky blackness of night, bound for a land he has never truly seen before, it finally sinks in: Killua is abandoning his home, and strangely, he is okay with that.

Kikyo isn't.

"KILLUA! Come back here!" The woman's shrill voice shrieks from behind him, echoing all throughout Zoldyck grounds, but the while-haired boy pays her no mind. He can imagine her devastated look because he is gifted and talented and my baby Killua, you're going to be the next heir—but he has slipped through her fingers and none of that matters anymore. It all ends tonight.

Sparks flashing around him dangerously, the bright haze of light that is Killua comes to a halt at the Testing Gate. He rests his hands on the cool metal doors, but spares one final glance at the Zoldyck mansion before pushing. "No!" He yells back, for the first time in his life. His hair spikes up due to the veil of electricity that surrounds him, and it feels good, he realizes, so he says it again: "No! I'm not going back!"

The wind sings in synchronization with his voice. The world is silent after that, just for a moment as the stars twinkle in the night sky just above him.

And then he is gone.

There's something special—something amazing—about witnessing the world for the first time. Although Killua has left Zoldyck grounds before on assassination missions, stepping out here by himself without the worry of being watched and assessed for every action he takes is an entirely different experience. Somewhere beneath the wonder and excitement that is swelling up inside the white-haired boy comes a rare feeling of belonging because here, Killua isn't a tool used merely to progress the family business; there are no expectations constantly being placed on him, no orders to obey.

Here, Killua is just a boy taking his younger sister out to see the city in a world that is much more accepting than what he had imagined.

"Onii-chan!" Alluka tugs at her brother's sleeve and points to nowhere in particular. "Look! There are so many people!"

And it's true. Once they passed the sign that read YORKNEW CITY, there seemed to be even more people out on the streets than before. The city itself seems to bristle with vibrant energy as goods are exchanged in the open market, and Killua can only pause to take in it all.

It's unbelievable. They are finally free.

"Come on, Alluka, let's go," the former assassin says excitedly. He begins walking until he realizes that his sister isn't following him. "Alluka—?"

Panic. Killua spins around. There is a man reaching into Alluka's pockets.

Killua is behind the man in an instant, claws extended at his throat. "Step away from my sister," he growls.

Shocked hazel eyes widen at the feeling of sharp nails against his skin. The man with untrimmed facial hair takes a tentative step back, hands held up in surrender. He tilts down his turban-hat and looks at the boy who interrupted his pickpocketing through strands of black hair. It's not every day that someone catches me by surprise, he muses.

The man apologizes profoundly and he leaves quickly to avoid the intimidating look from the boy's cold, teal eyes.

Killua grabs Alluka's hand and they walk into the city, the white-haired boy muttering curses at the thief.

Gon will forever be grateful to Wing for opening up the world of Nen to him. Training at Heaven's Arena was one of the best choices he's made after taking the Hunter Exam because otherwise, how would he have gotten from the docks of Whale Island all the way to his house on the other side of the landmass in only five minutes?

Life is infinitely easier with the knowledge of Nen.

He speeds through the forests without breaking a sweat. The aura he sends to his feet help to give him a boost in agility that allows him to swiftly move around stray branches and camouflaged tree roots. When he sees his house up ahead, Gon almost forgets to slow down to a normal jogging pace, and it's a miracle he doesn't crash through the door.

Gon knocks on the hard wood and waits, civilized but not close to being calm at all; he's a ball of energy with many, many stories inside him that he needs to let out. After all, a few months have passed since he first left Whale Island and his adventures have only grown since then.

Mito is tackled into a hug before she even fully opens the door. "Gon, you should've told me that you were coming back!" She looks up at the space behind her nephew and smiles despite the uneasy feeling that suddenly settles in her stomach. "And I see you've brought a friend too… who is this?"

Gon freezes and loosens his grip on his aunt. He wasn't aware that someone had come home with him. After the Exam, he had separated from Kurapika and Leorio, each of them leaving to do their own thing, to fulfil their own goals. Then who—?

"Nice to meet you, Mito-san," a velvety smooth voice calls out from behind Gon as the man bows. The half-slurred syllables and those sickeningly sweet vibrations is distinct, a sound engraved into Gon's memory, making him shiver. "I'm honoured to have Gon bring me to his home," the man continues, "You may call me—"

"—Hisoka." Gon looks at him through narrowed eyes, all but ready to attack. He's angry at himself for not noticing the unwelcomed presence earlier, and he definitely won't let anyone hurt Mito. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm only visiting," Hisoka gives Mito a wave and receives a hesitant one in return. "Plus, I have a message for you, Gon. I think you'll be quite interested in the information I managed to gain." He glances up at the boy's aunt again and smiles oh-so-innocently. "You wouldn't mind if I talk privately with nephew, would you?"

Mito nods her permission, but somewhere deep down, she knows that this man dressed in a clown costume only asked for her consent to be polite. He's dangerous, she thinks. She can feel a dark presence within him and her motherly instinct tells her to prevent her nephew from following this stranger and pull him back inside the safety of their house now.

Instead, she sends him off with a warning. "Be careful, Gon."

Hisoka only smiles.

"Why are you here?" Gon demands once the two of them are a good distance away from his house. Hisoka is unpredictable; Gon is cautious. He can't let anything happen to his aunt. Whatever the older hunter wants will be settled right here.

"Oh, I don't want anything, my dear," Hisoka's lips curl up as he pulls out two playing cards from his pocket and holds them up to show the young hunter. "It's more about what you want, Gon."

Gon has no time to be going along with Hisoka's games. "I want you to leave Whale Island."

The magician ignores the boy's remark. "You have two choices, Gon." He flips one of the cards, revealing an Ace of Hearts [1]. "I can either tell you about where Ging was last spotted, or…" He displays the other card, a Jack of Clubs [2], "I can tell you what he said to me when we chatted earlier this week. Which one will it be?"

Gon immediately jumps up. "You've heard about my dad? You talked to him?"

Hisoka grins. "Two options, my love. Choose wisely," he says, refusing to give out any more information.

With his teeth gritted, Gon takes a deep breath. He hasn't spoken to Ging in years, doesn't even remember the last time he stood face-to-face with the man in the photo album back at Mito's house. But hearing what he said to Hisoka wouldn't be the same as talking to him directly, and so, Gon reminds himself of his initial goal: to catch up with his father, to actually meet the hunter known as Ging. "I choose… I choose to know about where he was last seen."

Tucking the Jack of Clubs back into his pocket, Hisoka flicks the Ace of Hearts up into the air. "Yorknew City," he says. "I hope you find what you're looking for there~"

By the time the Ace of Hearts lands gently on the ground in front of Gon, Hisoka is already long gone.

The next day, Gon leaves Mito with a hug and catches the first faerie for Yorknew City.

A/N: That's the prologue! Here are the footnotes:

[1] The Ace of Hearts represents desire and want and the vulnerability that comes with it. Choosing this option, to gain the knowledge of where Ging was last seen, Gon would be vulnerable to a completely unknown place, driven by his sole desire to find his father.

[2]The Jack of Clubs represents the mind, communication, and mental inspiration. Hearing what Ging said to Hisoka provides more of a mental stability for Gon rather than actual clues to finding out Ging's whereabouts.

Look forward to the next chapter by EmberSkies! Thanks for reading and leave us a review. :)