Okay, forgive how OOC Illumi is. I can't write for him, at all, and forgive me for that.
I put more effort into this chapter than the last and I hope you enjoy it.
'River Gate Pub' was not exactly what Kurapika had expected.
The Kurtian had expected a very run down place where shady people went to have shady discussions; a bored fat bar-maid and the place to feel quiet as people tried to listen in to others conversations. Maybe it was Kurapika stereotyping from the movies Neon Nostrade sometimes forced the bodyguards to watch that gave him this impression? The teen didn't know, but whatever gave him this mental image of the pub was wrong indeed.
The pub was bustling and filled with the sound of talking, laughter, chiming of drinks and cutlery clashing on plates. The people behind the counter who served the many people were very much happy and cheery; talking to their customers and occasionally laughing as they filled drinks. One thing that the pub definitely wasn't was quiet! Kurapika would have to scream if he would want to get heard in the place.
Pocketing the map he'd used to find his way to the building; Kurapika checked his watch:
11:59PM
He was a minute early.
According to Hisoka, he was supposed to meet Illumi at the pub at midnight and apparently, the assassin was expecting him. Kurapika hoped that the truth would be recovered after the meeting; so the Kurtian could know whether to forget about the entire incident or begin a personal hate against Killua.
However, if Illumi did say Killua killed his mother he was going to need proof. A lot of proof. The Kurtian didn't trust his friend's older brother at all after the incident at the Hunter Exams and he wasn't going to believe anything that spouted from the man's lips immediately. The teen was also aware that the Zoldyck family wished for Killua to return home and the blonde knew that if he turned against the ex-assassin it could result in him rushing back to his family's mountain. So, it was likely Illumi would lie; hence why the man was going to need proof for Kurapika to believe him.
Kurapika checked his watch for a second time as he sat down at one of the free empty tables:
12:01PM
Illumi was a minute late.
Kurapika had checked the entire pub to see if the man was anywhere before he'd sat down but all the boy found were drunk fishermen; flirty women (he got that from the revealing clothes they all were wearing which made the teen uncomfortable) and men which picked fights with each other before breaking out into drunken laughter. No sign of the person he was looking for.
Maybe Hisoka was trying to trick the Kurtian into doubting Killua for a joke? Even though that wasn't really his humour, there was a possibility the joker found tricking people amusing; though Kurapika highly doubted it….
It was at that moment the Kurtian saw something, a hand, try to grab hold of his arm. Alarmed and horrified; the scarlet-eyed boy twisted quickly and grabbed the pale hand before it could touch him.
The hand belonged to a man with needles imbedded into his face. Gittarackur! It was Illumi! He'd disguised himself to come here and meet him in the same disguise he'd used for the Hunter Exam. However, Illumi wasn't alone. Besides him was another figure clad in a black, long leather jacket with the Holy Cross on the back; black hair and a cheerful expression.
The person caused Kurapika's eyes to turn scarlet and his hand to grip tightly on Illumi's arm. It was Kuroro Lucifer.
X-X-X
If glares were daggers and anger was what caused them to fly towards a target; then Kuroro Lucifer would be laying butchered, dead and bloody on the floor from the look Kurapika gave him. With complete and utter hatred in his eyes and heart; the Kurtian seemed ready to rip the Spider's head from his shoulder and dance on the man's grave for good measure. It was only because Illumi grabbed his free arm before the teen had the chance to move that he actually didn't do just that.
"What the Hell are you doing here!?" Kurapika exclaimed angrily. If the pub wasn't so busy probably everybody would have turned to look at him.
Illumi blinked once at the fuming chain-user before he spoke. "I take it you are, Kurapika? Kuroro said you wouldn't be happy to see him." The man spoke in a monotone voice and tilted his head slightly; not averting his gaze from the Kurtian boy. "Seems you were right, Kuroro."
Kuroro snorted quietly and then turned to meet his foe's gaze which he had been averting the entire time. "Have you been well, Kurapika? Been a year since I have seen you last. What have you been up to?"
The look that returned those questions was that of surprise and confusion, with a hint of anger still in those scarlet eyes. "What the Hell…" The Kurata boy mumbled. Kurapika was slowly calming down but he was still very angry. "…are you doing here?!"
"May we sit?"
Kurapika nodded with his eyes narrowed as Illumi sat opposite him and Kuroro sat to the man's right. Why was Kuroro here? Was he going to prove what Illumi was going to say was true? That seemed like a likely reason for him being here. However; again, Kuroro was going to need proof. Kurapika trusted Kuroro even less than Illumi for obvious reasons.
There was an awkward silence as the assassin and the Spider stared at Kurapika expectantly, and then the teen directed the same stare back at them. After a little while, Kurapika grew tired of the silence and spoke up.
"Did Killua kill my mother?" The question was blunt and to the point and the answer Illumi gave was the exact same.
"Yes," Kurapika felt uneasy but he continued.
"Was he a member of the Phantom Brigade?"
This time it was Kuroro who answered, "Yes."
"Why for both answers?"
Illumi straightened up. "He was under orders."
"From who?"
"Me," Illumi replied again. Kurapika narrowed his eyes at the man. "I don't know if you are aware, Kurapika, but the Phantom Brigade and the Zoldyck family are close acquaintances. There was a time the Phantom Brigade wanted a member of the Zoldyck Family to join them after it began to become powerful. That was right before the attack of the Kurata clan." The Kurtian closed his eyes in mourning as he remembered the aftermath of the Kurata clan attack. How horrible the sight of his dead family and friends had been with them lying sprawled on the ground with their eyes gouged out.
"At the time; Killua, who is the heir to the family business, was killing people in his prime. Back then, he was heartless and killed without barely any hesitation. Barely any. I felt that Killua helping to kill an entire clan was a good way to get rid of that remaining hesitation and so he was part of the Phantom Troupe for a brief time. To help get rid of even more hesitation, I ordered him to kill children and mothers. One of the mothers he happened to kill was yours."
Kurapika clenched his fists tightly as his eyes turned an even deeper shade of red. The way Illumi spoke about sensitive matters such as the death of his mother and clan annoyed the chain-user. He spoke so emotionlessly and unsympathetically that Kurapika had a strong urge to punch the man.
Illumi's explanation about how Killua killed his mother was very much believable. The thought burned his mind but the Kurtian found himself believing what Illumi was saying; especially since Illumi was making an enemy out of himself in the teen's eyes by saying he was the one - at the bottom of it all - responsible for his mother's death. Most people tried to avoid making themselves look bad in lying but Illumi wasn't doing that at all. He was doing the opposite.
But Illumi still had no proof. "How can I be sure you are telling the truth? You said the Zoldyck family and the Phantom Brigade are acquaintances so I am not going to believe anything Kuroro says on the matter!"
Kuroro laughed, "I am just here as a witness as you may call it, Kurapika! Besides, you wouldn't believe anything I would say to you anyway. I remember when you held me hostage in a car and only believed me when the music hunter confirmed I spoke the truth."
Kurapika's eyes burned a brighter scarlet as the Spider spoke. Just the sound of the man's voice caused anger to boil through the Kurtian and there was little doubt in the teen's mind that if Illumi wasn't there or if this meeting wasn't about Killua; he'd be fighting the Spider.
"So, how are you going to prove what you are telling me is right?"
Illumi stared at Kurapika blankly. "I have come to believe you have a dowsing chain from what Kuroro has told me. Use that to see if I speak the truth. This way you can't question the method used."
The Kurtian teen widened his eyes. The man seemed confident in himself that he spoke the truth… but did Illumi really speak the truth? Did Killua kill his mother?
Summoning his chains on to his hand and then summoning his dowsing chain; the teen held up his hand and hovered it in front of the assassin. "Did Killua kill my mother, Illumi?"
"Yes."
Shock and dread filled Kurapika when the chain remained still.
12:13PM
The time Kurapika would never forget. The time he'd learnt of what Killua had done.
Killua had killed his mother.
Now things get interesting ;)
Hope you enjoyed this chapter and please could you take a minute of your time to leave a review? I really love them and I am always so happy whenever I see I have gotten one.
P.S. Does anybody want to make a cover for this story? I would be greatful if somebody did as I can't think of anything which would make into a good cover. Please let me know.
