Disclaimer: I do not own anything but my OC.

Warnings: Deaths. Violence.

CRYING WOLF
by: Riseha

Chapter 4

Job

I didn't know how long passed—there was no calendar in handy—but I measured time with my siblings' growth.

I estimated myself to be about six-years-old, and in accordance, Alluka was five and Noelle was younger than us by two, three years?

How old was I anyway? Illumi just said happy birthday, he said nothing about how old I was. In the series, there was just a year difference between Alluka and Killua, but my assumptions could be wrong.

Speaking of birthdays, I was worried that Noelle wouldn't make it to her first birthday. She could be one year old now, but she had made no attempt at walking or anything.

At least Alluka was active around her age, despite bearing Nanika's face. She didn't bother moving, just stared at the ceiling, blinking and eating whatever we gave her.

Her body was listless and limp, her temperature was always high, she was always running a fever.

I wanted Alluka to heal her, but I was too scared. I was the only one with him, now that Killua had been taken away for some personal training meant for heirs, and if I asked Alluka to heal Noelle, what might he ask of me?

To save the life of someone, to perhaps repair their spinal cord so that they might be able to walk; how heavy the price. What would he ask next time?

I was stressed out, so badly that I contemplated throwing Noelle away or giving her back to the main family. I couldn't care anymore, what was one life to me anyway?

Those thoughts constantly flitted across my mind when I was being terribly frustrated by Noelle's disabled state, or had just came back from a particularly painful torture session and no Killua in sight, I would, um, sort of lose it. Once I came down from berserk-mode though, I would feel guilty and start brooding.

I know I was worrying Alluka but there was little I could do. I was ill-equipped to take care of an infant all by myself, and dealing with Alluka's petty wishes all the same.

Where was Killua?

I growled, frustrated when I thought about my twin. Three days, it had been three painful and long days since I'd seen him and I was pissed. This was the longest time I had gone without seeing him. Millu-nii had no idea and he didn't care, Illu-nii was all but gone.

"Ne, Nee-chan?"

I glanced down at where Alluka was tugging on my sleeve worriedly, his brows furrowed into a frown.

"What's wrong?" I asked, frowning as well.

He bit his lip. "Something's wrong with Noelle, she won't wake."

My blood ran cold. "Get a maid," I ordered, rushing towards my baby sister while Alluka scrambled out of the door, hollering for help.

I grabbed the infant's wrist, checking for a pulse, cursing all the while. "Damn it, stop giving me shit to deal with," I grumbled, relieved that there was a pulse, very weak and faint, but there.

"Here, here, hurry!" I turned to see Alluka dragging in a very, very reluctant Yukiji. I could not see what help would a mute maid do, but then again, she was an ex-assassin, she might know something.

"She's running a very high fever," I told Yukiji who was feeling Noelle's forehead. "can you bring her to the hospital?"

Yukiji nodded, cradling the baby in her arms, and, with speed borne of years of training shot out of the room. I blinked. I thought she was going to take us with her, but apparently, not. My eyebrow twitched; knowing Yukiji's air-headed personality, I figure that she'd just run all the way to the hospital. Ugh.

"Will Noelle be okay?"

I shrugged. "Dunno," I said, too tired to care anymore and my back ached. It was Wednesday, which meant heat-resistant torture. Tomorrow, I have to spend time in the freezer, for cold-resistant training and sparring lessons. I slumped onto Alluka's futon, ready to snore away but sniffles stopped me from drifting away.

I frowned down at Alluka who had started crying.

I reached out a hand to pat his long dark hair. "Hey," I called quietly. "It's okay." Alluka sniffled, crawling towards me and snuggling against me. I wrinkled my nose wryly, what a baby. "She'll be fine."

I don't think she will though.

Kalluto had no twin.

The optimistic part of me which I thought had died back in my first life, murmured:Killua had no twin either, and yet here you are.

I closed my eyes.

Not for long.

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ

I blinked, unsure if I heard right.

I stared up in disbelief at my oldest brother. Probably about three months since I last saw him and here he was, about to take me out to my first-kill.

A mission. That had been what Killua was up to all this while.

I looked down, shuffling my feet. "Why can't I go together with Killua?"

"It's too easy a mission for two assassins," Illumi responded. "no matter how new and inexperienced they are. Have you chosen your attire?"

"Is there some sort of special suit?" I asked, frowning, unaware of such customs.

Illumi shook his head. "No," he said. "you're free to wear whatever you want."

I glanced down at what I was wearing. It had been very cold recently and from the glimpses I caught of the outside world, I knew it was winter. I was wearing a thin white shirt and ripped jeans and sneakers. Wasn't very impressive, but I was used to the cold (thanks, Millu-nii).

"Let's go," I murmured.

Illumi hummed in approval, but he tossed something at me. I peeled it off my face, glancing down at the winter coat. "I can't have you freezing on me now, could I?"

I grumbled, slightly embarrassed. "I thought those nights spent in the freezer was to train me for these?"

"Despite the continuous torture, we try to avoid frostbite as much as possible."

I bit my tongue, preventing myself from retorting. If we could wear cold-resistant clothes, then what was the point of tortures? I refrained from yelling it at him, just chose to shove my hands into the front pockets and follow him.

When we crossed the threshold of our home hidden within the forest, I actually felt excited. This was the first time I would be stepping out of the mansion and I couldn't wait.

"Ne, Aniki?" He hummed, glancing briefly down at me to show that he was listening. "Who's my target?" He didn't answer, merely passed me a photo.

I glanced at the fatty. He had oily, slick black hair combed back, his face was contorted into a perpetual scowl of arrogance. He had quite the sizable tummy. I stared at it as I descended the stairs, a little ways behind Illu-nii.

By the time Illu-nii hailed a cab, I already had the man's face memorized.

"Where to?"

I grinned slightly at the man who returned my smile with a hesitant one. Clearly, he was nervous of Illu-nii who was decked out in a blue qi-pao, a dragon pattern embroidered below, his pants plain white and blue shoes. If it wasn't for his muscles, I was sure he'd looked just like a girl.

A very pretty and dangerous girl.

I coughed, eliciting a strange stare from my older brother but he continued gazing out the window once he gave the man the designated place. I tried to ignore that, along with the picture I had kept in my pocket, and concentrated on gazing at the scenery outside.

I took in everything with wide eyes. It had been far too long since I last saw the outside world and I plan to salvage every moment.

My happy joy trip was cut short when the cab came to an abrupt halt. I nearly tumbled out of my seat since I didn't put on the seat belt—not that Illu-nii had on one either, but he remained seated with all his grace—but Illu-nii steadied me, keeping a firm grip on me as he paid the fee and opened the door.

The taxi-driver eyed me worriedly.

"Hey, kid?"

"Yeah?"

"Who's that lady?"

I choked back my laughter, especially when Illu-nii's grip on me tightened, glancing from the corner of my eye where he was nearly glaring.

"Haha—"

"Ria, out, now." He tugged forcefully on me for emphasis and I had no choice but to slid out of the cab, waving at the taxi-driver as Illu-nii dragged me into the closest alleyway. He peeked out, his silky long hair swaying in the breeze. "We're a tad early, but never mind, this will give you more time to prepare yourself." He glanced down at me. "Are you ready?"

I inhaled sharply, suddenly, painfully reminded that I wasn't here on a field trip. I was here to kill someone. I pulled timidly on my brother's sleeve.

"Ne, Aniki?"

"Hm?"

"How old am I?"

Illu-nii blinked languidly, turning away to keep an eye out on the road. "Does it matter?" he asked distractedly.

"It does to me," I responded lamely.

"Six years, three months and a few weeks old. Do I have to count out the hours and minutes you've been walking this mortal plane as well?"

I scowled, releasing his hand. "You don't have to be sarcastic."

"I was not aware, I apologize."

I didn't respond, shoving my hands into the pockets of my jeans. I couldn't read this guy, I didn't know if he was being sarcastic or he was being sincere. I suppose this was what made him such an accomplished assassin, the ability to stow away every emotion.

Abruptly, Illu-nii gripped my shoulders and pulled me out of the alleyway. I glanced up at the sky briefly, wincing at the bright sunlight and my stomach churned. I was going in for a kill in broad daylight, someone was bound to see me.

What if I was targeted? What if Illu-nii ditched me and expected me to make it out of here myself? I swallowed the painful lump in my throat, tempted to just stand there all day and argue with my brother.

Was there a way out of this family trade?

"He's here," Illu-nii announced unnecessarily, pointing into the direction of a sleek black Mercedes. "Trail after him. Don't leave any survivors now. And remember, do not show any sympathy." He gave me a gentle shove.

I stiffened when he didn't follow, turning back. I opened my mouth to speak but all that came out was a few nonsensical sounds.

"I'll be here," Illu-nii said, instantly soothing half of my fears as he nodded towards the hotel where the man and his wife and his son were going into. He had a few butlers and half a dozen bodyguards.

I hesitated, darting across the street, pulling up the hood to hide my face. When I reached the other side, I turned again, to make sure Illu-nii was still there but an obnoxiously loud truck blocked my view of him.

Hesitating more, I ran towards the hotel, diving in the doors when another couple entered, accidentally bumping into the woman who cried out.

"Hey!"

She was ignored as I skidded down the hallway, turning to where I saw the tailcoat of a butler. I was wheezing the moment I came to a stop before the elevators, not out of breath, but because of the adrenaline rushing in my veins.

I glanced down, noticing how shaky my hands were. I was trembling, from both fear and anticipation.

This was going against every moral drilled into my head in my past life, killing was a crime but—the cowardly girl from my memories wasn't me anymore -I hope because she could never survive in this world- and I was determined to make the people I have now accept me.

The past me was someone who wouldn't dirty her hands with anything, yes, she was similar to me—she was me—and, I knew as well as she did, that, more than one, she had contemplated murder of the people around her but she was too terrified and unsure to take out the person she hated (and, more than once, she had been intrigued by the prospect of killing).

I was different. The right side of the law in this world was different, killing was a profession and no one could arrest us for doing our jobs.

I could get away from killing easily, I knew this but that didn't mean that old habits will die so easily, there was always that niggling feeling of what if i got caught—

My palms were sweaty as my eyes remained fixated on the changing numbers. My nails sharpened; if I could cut the cables, I could kill all of them without being suspected. I glanced at the numbers, then at the advertisement board the hotel had posted out.

My target was a filthy rich man, he'd probably in the special suites which started at the thirtieth floor and the elevator was now at the tenth. I threw open the emergency stairs' door and scrambled up the stairs, my assassin training kicking in.

The landscape was a blur of grey and signs. By the time I pulled myself up the thirtieth floor, I was already wheezing, out of breath as I rushed out of the door and towards the elevator.

I grunted as I slid my nails in the small gap between the elevator doors, and started pulling.

The elevator doors creaked open with a reluctant groan. I knew my strength far surpassed men twice my size, this was because of the enhancing drugs I took since birth. I pulled, and kicked until the gap was large enough for my small body to slid through.

For good measure, I kicked the doors even harder open, uncaring of the dent I made.

I needed the hole to be large enough for me to jump through once I severed the cables. I glanced down, seeing the rising box. My heart momentarily flared in panic, before I jumped, my heart nearly leaping out of my throat as I clung onto the cables.

I steadied myself against the metal walls, my nails making quick work of the thick cables. It was slightly harder than I thought, but it was to be expected, my nails weren't as durable or sharp as Illu-nii.

Panic was a feeling I wasn't able to shove away completely. I sawed messily at the cables, my common sense which was still working amidst the panic telling me that if I sawed away messily, it'd look like a rat's work of art and murder would be out of the question when police investigated.

I squeezed my eyes shut as the box dropped down, the grinding sound nearly deafening me. Blindly, I hurled myself out of the place, diving into the inviting hotel hallway.

I laid on my back, breathing harshly. My rest was cut short when I heard footsteps approaching me. The elevator gave a very annoying ding! and I knew I was screwed if anyone comes out. I sprang to my feet, throwing the emergency door open and all but jumped down the stairs.

I hoped no one saw me.

I ran down the stairs, feeling a wave of deja vu. I took the steps by two and jumped when there was four steps from the landing.

I didn't know how long it took for me to reach the ground floor, but the moment I exited, I was careful to apply silence. I saw many people gathered before the elevators, many gasping in horror and murmuring to themselves.

I kept a wary lookout as I darted about, finally exiting the grand hotel (I don't think I want to see another one as long as I lived, ugh). I blinked, my head whipping about—shit, where was Illu-nii, which alleyway was it?

Shakily, I stumbled across the street, nearly tripping over my own feet as I crossed the road. I regulated my breathing, trying to calm myself. I didn't want my older brother to se me in such a wreck, once I could get my breathing to even out, I slowly made my way around the streets, the place actually seeming familiar now that I wasn't panicking like crazy.

Illu-nii didn't leave me, he was leaning against the concrete wall, eyes closed but still looking very much dangerous and on guard; I think his Nen aura was the one chasing away pickpockets and perverts.

Trembling, I tackled him into a hug, half-expecting him to push me away a second after but he didn't move. Then, slowly, I felt his muscles uncoil as his arms came around my small shoulders.

He sighed softly. "You're just like Kil, coming for a hug right after," I glanced up at him, trembling and I was sure I was starting to tear up. No matter how much I hardened my heart, my past life's teachings...

"You did well," Illu-nii murmured, stroking my hair. "for a first-timer."

I half-laughed, half-sobbed. "Way to pop my bubble, nii-san." I clutched onto his arms tightly.

This was the man I want to do proud, this brother of mine was the reason why I would kill. His acknowledgement and praise was what I wanted. I blushed slightly when I realized that my brother complex was seriously deep.

I hoped he didn't notice.

"Ria," he whispered. "play along." Someone's watching us.

I stiffened, before nodding almost imperceptibly. "Who're they?" I whispered back.

"Nen-users," Illu-nii muttered, his grip on me tightening momentarily.

I thrust my hands up, wrapping them around his neck. "I'll keep a lookout," I promised in a low voice. From the corner of my eyes, I saw black-suited men approaching us. Then, deliberately, very loudly, I laughed and grinned. "Carry me, Aniki!"

Illu-nii swept me into his arms and stepped out of the alleyway, his steps deliberately loud and careless so that he wouldn't be suspected as an assassin. His breath fanned against my neck. "How many?"

"Five or so," I murmured back, blinking and trying to look like an innocent kid out with her older brother. "Who's the fat guy?"

"He's a huge supplier of the Hunters," Illu-nii muttered. "My mistake," he said coolly. "I should've chose another mission for your first kill. We might be facing huge trouble here."

"Will we be calling for backup?" I inquired, shrinking when the men approached.

"Perhaps," Illu-nii replied vaguely. I frowned but not a moment too soon, hissed in discomfort, squirming when I felt something piercing my skull, ticking my sensitive skin.

"Wha—"

"Safety precautions, little sister," Illu-nii assured me, stroking my hair as his steps increased in pace, making an abrupt turn into a crowded street; I concluded that he wanted to throw off our attacker but I don't think it'd work with Illu-nii's eccentric taste of clothing. "Run when I say so. When a fight breaks out, don't get involved unless you're sure you could win against one of them."

"They're coming," I hissed, my grip on my brother tightening.

Illu-nii stopped, dumping me into an alleyway and turning swiftly, just as the black-suited men approached, surrounding my older brother.

I gulped, my instincts -all man for himself, own safety comes first- making me duck behind a trash can which hid me completely. Even though it stank, I was used to it (don't ask). I peered out at where Illu-nii was speaking to the men, seeming to be in a civilized conversation.

Hopefully, he could worm his way out of trouble...

I turned my head to stare at the newcomer when I heard footsteps. Silver hair adorned the lanky man's hair and his blue eyes twinkled dangerously. His most distinct trait was the ugly scar on his left cheek. His easy grin slid off his face when he saw my brother, and I didn't miss Illu-nii stiffening.

Those two had a history, I knew it on first glance. My muscles tensed.

"Do you know her, boss?"

I glared at the men, feeling extremely offended and protective of my oldest brother. What's with this sex-deprived men and their eyes? Could they not see my brother was a man through and through? I felt like punching them all on behalf of Illu-nii. Ugh.

"That's no chick, yo!" The silver-haired man yelled, drawing his nightstick, the weapon crackled with electricity. His body glowed, giving off wisps of smokey tendrils; I knew it was Nen on first glance.

I nearly whimpered at how hopelessly outnumbered my brother was.

"Illumi Zoldyck," the silver-haired man hissed venomously. "I'll pay you back for the scar on my face." And he lunged, his men joining the fray.

Illu-nii didn't even blink, merely cracked his neck challengingly, and the fight was on.

I watched on in admiration as my brother wiped the floor with the men, ignoring the screaming innocent citizens. I saw smokey tendrils emanating from every participant in the battle and I knew they were using Nen regardless of the citizens.

Despicable, I thought but I couldn't complain.

I was so absorbed by the battle I didn't see the man flying right in my direction.

I yelped unintentionally when the large man knocked me off my feet. I grimaced when I saw the squashed trashcan under the man's body.

"What's a little kid—" The man's eyes lit up cruelly. "A budding assassin in our midst, no, Illumi? As far as I was concerned, you don't bother with brats out of your immediate family, is she, like, you little sister?"

I wanted to run, like my brother told me to, but I couldn't move.

Something suffocated me, pressing me down, cutting off my will—a Manipulator, this man was a Manipulator. He was preventing me from moving.

"Ria," Aniki called and the pressure lessened; I wondered if he was fighting the man's control over my body. "Move."

I sprang to my feet, eyes wide and wild. I barely realized my nails had sharpened in response to the danger presented before me. I stumbled when Illu-nii's control over my body disappeared—the bald asshole hit him; Aniki's body convulsed.

I seethed, seeing red. Illu-nii was hit by a taser, the electric currents flowed through his body. He trembled and his movements were stiff but I knew he was in pain.

I have to do something.

But what? I was hopelessly outclassed. I could barely use Nen, I only know how to form a protective aura around myself. Times like these, I wish I had Maya's ability to kill by writing with her own blood, or maybe Zero's ability to change into an animal and surprise the enemy.

What was my Specialist ability again?

Some sort of cloud forming over the glass of water, something which exploded. How do I use such crap?

The silver haired man grinned as he approached Illu-nii who seemed to be struggling with the increasing number of opponents—all of them were proficient Nen users and my brother was but one man.

Wasn't he one of the strongest character in the series? Why wasn't he kicking their asses now?

Because, genius, this was before the series started, my common sense remarked cruelly.Illu-nii might not be as strong yet.

My fault. If I hadn't been there to distract him...

I have to do something.

-but what? there's nothing you can do, run, don't fight an opponent you know you can't beat-

The silver-haired man reached out to wrench Aniki's long black hair, harshly, painfully, his hand glowing with Nen poised at my brother's face and—

I-

-saw-

-b l o o d-

.

.

.

.

Get away from him!

Don't... touch my brother!

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ

I jerked awake, eyes wide and my heart fluttering with panic and fear.

"Aniki!"

Someone snatched my hands into a firm grip. I blinked rapidly, trying to clear my vision and mind. Once I was in the right mind, I saw Killua peering down at me, concerned. My eyes trailed to his side where Millu-nii had stopped typing away on his laptop and to the edge of the bed where Mother was carrying a baby Kalluto.

"Where's..." I glanced around. "Illu-nii?"

"He's in the torture room with papa," Millu-nii said, exhaling in relief as he reopened his laptop and typed in a few words. I blinked, letting out a very intelligent 'huh?' which prompted an impatient noise from him. "He's torturing himself over letting you get hurt on his behalf."

I raised a hand to my forehead, blinking rapidly in thought.

"Huh? Really? I don't remember fighting anyone," I slurred, suddenly dizzy and my throat was sore. It was painful but I had been starved and thirsted before as part of my resistance training so I didn't complain.

Nevertheless, Killua picked up on my discomfort and passed me a glass of water.

"What happened?" I asked once I gulped down the glass.

"You've been in coma for one week," Mother explained and I was puzzled to hear a note of relief in her voice. Unexpectedly, she reached out to smooth the bumps in my hair. I stiffened under her touch and hoped she didn't notice. "You overused your Nen, doll."

"I don't—" I stopped. Yes, I felt some sort of energy discharging from me when I recalled the silver-haired man wrenching brother's head back, about to kill him or mutilate him. "Uh, what happened to them?"

"Dead," Killua replied, fists clenched. "Serves them right, you killed them good, sis!"

I blinked. "I don't think... oh, they exploded?" I glanced at Mother for confirmation but she had her lips pursed, shaking her head, jostling Kalluto slightly who whined in protest and blinked.

Kalluto's red eyes sought out mine, giggling he reached out towards me. I leaned back and against my wishes, Killua took the baby and pushed him into my grasp. I glared but Mother's voice demanded my attention.

"Doll," she called, using the annoying nickname she had for me. "remember when we first tried out your Nen?"

I nodded. "The glass exploded, I got soaked, I know." And the rest were history that eventually led up to Kalluto and Noelle's birth. Hope Mother wouldn't bring that issue up.

"No," I blinked at Mother's grim response. "When you left, I saw the glass with the razor blade in it, on the table, in the same position, not a single speck out of place. It's as if you had never touched it and the clothes you left? It wasn't soaked."

Huh? It felt so real, the water seeping into my skin and the shock of seeing the glass explode.

"So the men didn't explode?"

"Do you know their cause of death?" I shook my head at Millu-nii's inquiry. He arched a brow. "Voodoo death, also known as psychogenic death or psychosomatic death, is the phenomenon of sudden death as brought about by a strong emotional shock, such as fear. The anomaly is recognized as "psychosomatic" in that death is caused by an emotional response—often fear—to some suggested outside force. Also—"

"Look, speaking Wikipedia, why can't you just tell Ria that those men died of shock and fear? That the pressure was too great for them, to cut a long story short?" Killua rolled his eyes, scoffing.

I agreed with my twin but from how Millu-nii's face was turning as red as blood, I decided to keep my mouth shut. I cherished our friendly relationship and the special privileges I got from it, and I didn't want to ruin it.

"So... my Nen caused it. What is my ability actually?"

Mother glanced at Millu-nii. "Well?"

Millu-nii shrugged. "It might have something to do with psychological torturing." At the blank stares he got, Millu-nii made a disgusted sound, elaborating. "Ria's Nen might be able to create illusions so horrifying, those men's brains melted like mush."

Killua's eyes lit up.

"That's awesome! I wish I had such ability too," he sighed wistfully, a playful grin still on his lips. He blinked. "Oh, hey, Ria's awake now, I think Illu-nii can stop his self-inflicted punishment now."

"I want to see him," I agreed.

Mother rose. "I'll go get my oldest son," she sighed, shaking her head, mumbling to herself and looking seriously stressed out. She couldn't be that worried about me could she?

"She hasn't left your side ever since you came in," Killua said, as if he could read my mind. He's my twin, I don't think I could expect anything less. "Millu-nii and I all but moved in."

"Where's Alluka?"

Millu-nii's face darkened. "The week you've been out, Alluka... he displayed something horrifying."

My heart leaped into my throat when I saw Killua's guilt-ridden face. "What happened?" I croaked, feeling like passing out all over again.

"I'm not sure about the details, but a maid wished on Alluka—he's a Specialist like you, by the way—and she became filthy rich when billions of dollars fell on her. Okay, that was a little odd but we experimented with his abilities. Alluka demanded the impossible, kidney, lungs, livers," Millu-nii shuddered, a grimace on his lips as he listed the requests.

"The requested couldn't fulfill his wish, right?"

Killua nodded.

"Yeah," he said, voice soft and subdued. "She died, right before our eyes. Her lover died too, and many other maids died. The people she spent the most time with, the people who died were her friends and family."

"Did any of the Zoldycks—"

"No, fortunately," Millu-nii grumbled. "she's a maid of the Branch House. Nothing to do with us."

"Oh... Yukiji—" Where's Noelle?

"The MIA maid," Millu-nii supplied dryly. "She resigned as a maid, and chose to work in an orphanage, for whatever goddamned reason."

Killua coughed. "Pig's very disappointed." He waggled his eyebrows down at me, a playful grin on his lips. "I snuck into his room to get your favorite teddy bear which you left there. I stumbled upon his diary and—"

"Shut up, Rat!" I chuckled at Millu-nii's red face.

My smile dropped when I sensed Illu-nii's approaching Nen, still a little ways. "I hear Aniki coming, can we prank him?"

We shared a glance; an unspoken agreement as Killua tackled me, slid the blanket up. "Close your eyes," he hissed, giggling. "pretend you're dead, you know how, right? From all those undercover training."

I giggled, biting the inside of my cheek as I suppressed my Nen and tried to play dead. I had learned that I didn't need to put much effort into it; I had the inability to have too red cheeks, and I can hold my breath and prevent my chest from rising. Sure, Illu-nii would be able to tell.

Usually anyways. Millu-nii said he'd been training non-stop for a week, hopefully, he'd be too dazed to notice.

"I hear him!" Killua hissed, rubbing his eyes furiously to redden them and make it seem as if he was crying. He placed baby Kalluto on the seat, the hard surface jostling the infant and making him bawl. "Hurry up, Pig! Get the machines crazy!"

Millu-nii sprang to his feet, his face contorted in horror as the machines went crazy, proclaiming me dead. I froze the muscles in my cheek, even though I was dying of laughter even as Killua threw himself over me and bawled. Kalluto's cries only heightened the exhilaration I felt.

Killua sobbed as Mother burst in. "M-mom! R-Ria, she's not breathing anymore," he choked out through sobs and had I not known any better, I would've thought the anguish in his voice was real.

"What?!" I almost felt bad when I heard the hysterical tinge in Mother's voice, and when she broke into sobs the moment later.

Almost.

I could sense more Nen-users bursting in, identifying them as Maha, Zeno and Father. Shit, I don't think any of them would be fooled. Unless they chose to indulge us—which was unlikely.

"It's all my fault," Killua sobbed, continuing the fib before any of our forefathers could say anything. "I- I wanted to see how she took out those guys and I told her to do it 'gain—"

Abruptly, Killua was wrenched away from me.

I barely stopped myself from stiffening when I felt Illu-nii's hands around my shoulders. He didn't do anything and I didn't do anything either, going limp in his tightening grip.

Owowowow—the hell he was doing to me?

Then, abruptly, I heard Killua burst out in laughter. Millu-nii joining a moment sooner. I cracked an eye open, wincing when I saw how furious Illu-nii looked as he dropped me.

I hissed, shifting and pushing myself into a sitting position, finding myself greeted to everyone's deadpanned stare (some, like Mother and Illu-nii were trembling with suppressed relief and rage). I ignored them but I caught Maha winking at me, mirth shining in his eyes.

I grinned at my brothers, flashing them a peace sign for a job well-done which Killua returned, tackling me into a hug.

Illu-nii and Mother were far from amused.

"It's hi-la-ri-ous!" Millu-nii roared with laughter, clutching his belly. "You should've seen Illu-nii's face, Ria," he wheezed. "he looked as if someone just stabbed him in the eye!" He held up his cellphone. "I caught it, I'll show it to you later."

Maha let out an amused chuckle. "Good nothing happened, eh?"

Zeno rolled his eyes, stalking out of the room and grumbling. Father hovered over us, merely watching as Mother started screeching at us.

Even though the velocity of the pain resistance training skyrocketed, knowing that Illu-nii cared made the pain worthwhile.

But one question nagged at me: Where was Alluka?

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ

REQUEST: I'm worried that the characters are OOC—but I'm not a good judge myself. Are they OOC, please tell me so I can take note and correct them.

QUESTION: Do you wish to see this story follow the series all the way to the end (which has yet to come)?

REVIEW

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