Story 4: Picture Perfect Part I

A crystal ball, half the size of his fist fell from the shelf as he passed by an extension cord which was risen above the ground by nearly half a foot. Killua cursed. He managed to catch the fragile item before it shattered against the cement floor. It was only against the single light bulb hanging from the ceiling, he could recognize the patterns which zigzagged like cracks and formed a circle, inside a black pupil and around it, green. This wasn't any innocent glass sphere lying around like he originally thought.

"Eye obsessed freak this time, huh?" Without concern that he was holding a real eyeball, Killua snapped a flash less photo of it so not to draw attention. It was amazing yet grotesque at the same time. That was the timeline, the proof of life behind his device, filled to the brim with consequential beautiful things. He held the camera to his face to take one more of the submerged corpses before leaving that godforsaken place. Closing the entrance to the basement; it was more of a trap door hidden under bookshelves, he dusted himself off and walked back to the dining room, pocketing the camera in the process. It was only then he released his Zetsu.

The roast meat was still untouched. Now that Killua looked closer, he could make out the shape of a starved human shoulder and neck. Burnt past well done, the skin stuck to the bones with minimal flesh beneath. Is that what this family's been eating? The greens were undercooked. Everything else was age old. He eyed the utensils warily. Water was enough.

"I'm deeply sorry, Killua-kun."

The new voice made blue eyes look ahead. His girlfriend was just returning from the bathroom after her breakdown, tears still staining her endowed cheeks. Square glasses hid the blemishes on her face. Killua shifted to make room for her beside him. "This was supposed to be a nice dinner where you met my parents. Oh, everything always goes wrong! We probably won't be having dinner after all."

"Do they argue a lot?" She sat and blew her nose. Outside, the muffled sounds of the couple arguing reached his ears. They neglected to shut the sliding glass doors. Without so much as shifting his head, Killua dropped the tiniest recorder on the floor and kicked it into the yard with the back of his slippers. No one noticed.

"Y-Yes, every day…even though they promised to hold themselves back when you came over. They know how important you are to me." At this, Killua lifted an arm to rub comforting circles on her back. She leaned closer to which he smiled. The action had her melting. Eyes long ago dry of tears and cheeks red for attention, this was too easy. "I'm starting to think they don't care about me. They just want to fight all the time."

Allowing her to lay her forehead against his shoulder, Killua wiped her eyes with his own napkin. "Baby, I don't think that's the case. If they didn't care, they wouldn't be fighting. Do you trust your parents?"

She gasped. It never crossed her mind. "Of course…! They're the ones who-"

"Then believe in them more." She didn't reply, instead opting to cry on him until his shirt was wet with tears. When her mind calmed enough, the mild hyperventilating slowed to normal, and they finally separated, she gave him a light peck on the cheek.

"O-Okay. Thank you, Killua-kun."

"Don't mention it."

"I don't know what I'd do without you."

-H-H-H-H-H-H-

"-can't take this anymore! We can't keep living on human corpses. I'm breaking out in rashes!"

"This is all we can afford, dear. The eyes and hair don't bring in that much money when the people themselves aren't living. And those who are would just rat us out."

"Then do something about it! You're supposed to be the professional here. Get out there and kill more people."

"…It's not that easy. Why can't you just get a proper job-?!"

"That's not the point. We need more money to live in this house and you're not providing enough."

"There is a simple solution to this. We still have that obese pig-like daughter of ours."

"…"

"Look how much meat is on her. She'd make a wonderful slave to some merchant out there. The money we could sell her for would rake in enough to pay rent for a year!"

"Dear, you're a genius!"

The audio was on loop. A large, scaly fingernail tapped the keyboard in interest, evaluating the serviceability of the recorded evidence along with the photos. The men behind took notes, already filing the second hand witness report and preparing it for mailing out. While all were in a rush, one of them, the youngest and a mere 13 years old in age waited impatiently. They'd been sitting here for nearly an hour, listening and viewing the same thing over and over again.

Finally, he snapped. "Well?"

"Well…" The man beside him droned. "I think this is exceptional, Little Zoldyck."

"Don't call me that."

He snickered, taking a dab from his decaying cigarette. "A quick question. This time you discovered quite the criminals. Now that we've confirmed the evidence of these civilians being involved in such a thing, all three of them will be shipped out of the border and punished severely just like the rest. You have been dating that girl for a whole week, haven't you? That must be a record. Most would let you into their homes after three days but this one was a toughie, or are you just getting rusty? Aren't you the least bit concerned for her?"

Killua scoffed. "Suck it, old man."

This time, he burst into rowdy laughter. The booming resonated through the halls, complete with tears running down a well-kept face. Some officers ran in to check if their leader was alright only to be swatted away. "Now that's the demon we all know and love! What's the nickname you give all your targets again? Baby or something, that's a riot! It's convenient you have a pretty face. You sure you're not the devil trapped in an angel's body?"

"That's five questions now. Are you making fun of me?"

"Now, now…" He patted Killua's head as a silent apology. This only resulted in the boy nearly cutting his arm off with a blade hidden in his pockets if not for the man catching Killua's wrist in his own grip. "We know you're a vital part of this operation. If it wasn't for all the evidence of robberies, murders, cannibalism, and vandals you go around collecting, old man Netero would never let what we do go. My real question involves the photos themselves. Don't you think they're a little dark?"

Killua shook himself away from any reaching distance of the boss, standing near the opposite wall instead to grab a chocolate bar from his backpack. "I never use flash."

"Is that so?"

"Unwanted attention." Killua looked unimpressed. Gee, the country would be in disarray if they knew that this old fart was the one running everything. He took a bite of the treat, not caring if he spoke with his mouth full at all. "I'll have the report with this by tomorrow. Can I leave? I'm sick of being around all you smelly government people."

"Just one more thing…your new target." Killua groaned. There were usually periods in between successful missions that he was given a break. Away from all this courting, all the conquests of stupid girls involved with crooks and their selfish problems, being alone was not great but a hundred times more relaxing than any of that. He made his way to the screen but what greeted him was a blank page.

"Is this a joke?" He spat. "Where's the information? I need more than a name, old geezer! How am I supposed to meet this person without knowing anything?"

"That's three questions now." The man imitated him in a sing-song voice. "And I believe you've proven yourself talented enough to capture any crook or mastermind's heart, no matter the circumstances. Just pull the prince charade like you always do." He laughed. "I'd hate to be caught on your camera."

"I didn't say I can't do it." Killua snapped. A woman in uniform passed by, handing the older of them another cigarette. "Still, why is there so little data?"

The man took a drag. "Let's just say this little birdie has a troublesome father. You'll have to pay out of your own pockets if you want more information."

-H-H-H-H-H-H-

The bang of a ruler hitting the board jolted some of the students from their daydreams. The teacher with narrow eyes glared at all of them. Eventually, she approached one of the boys in the back and took out a protractor. For not sitting an exact 90 degrees with the chair, he was called to the front.

That same ruler who just mauled the board moments ago was now being lashed against his lower arm. He screeched. For that, he was hit harder. Everyone in the room watched with indifferent eyes. Only when his throat ran dry, they were let up the slightest bit. Killua eyed how the spot where wood contacted skin was bruising a putrid red and wondered how it'd look on camera.

After a full three minutes of this, he was finally called back to his seat, tears brimming near his eyes yet not enough to spill out in fear. His seat mate, another boy with glasses, handed him a textbook to lean against so it wouldn't happen again.

"Now, one more time!" She yelled at the class. "Why is sacrifice necessary?"

"For the greater good of the government." Everyone chanted.

A piece of chalk was thrown at the forehead of a girl who was slurring. The teacher hit the board once more. "What are they trying to achieve?"

"The ultimate ruling, the highest power, so we can all live in peace under the most powerful entity."

"So you must…?"

"If called by this ultimate ruling to sacrifice ourselves, give our lives without protest."

"Good, now we can finally start the lesson."

Killua rolled his eyes. This is called dictatorship, lady. Yet some kids in his class actually believed this boloney and talked of one day getting captured by the government so they could help in the wars across the world, either as soldiers, slaves, or fodder to be shot at in battle to distract enemies. Most of their takeovers were verbal. They convinced world powers like Netero that what they were doing was a form of disciplined punishment by lying that the only ones they sent were criminals and children of criminals. That was far from the truth, yet, it was working.

And the key to this whole plan…? That would be a certain 13 year old boy.

Killua couldn't bring himself to care.

He was only the journalist. He was provided the best cameras, recorders, stands, and programs without paying a penny. To see the highest definition of a murdered corpse to him was the same as a monarch butterfly. In the end, his getaway, his true love was photography. For someone like him who could do what he loved, be given everything he wanted, and live without fear, it was nothing short of a miracle. If everything else had to not matter to make this happen, he'd pour dirt over it in an instant.

By the end of the day, the woman at the front only went on about the same math problem that he had figured out five minutes into the lesson. When it was time to leave, he gathered his things, making sure to send a wonderfully forced smile at some of the girls in the class. At the sight, many of them fainted and half the boys glared at him. When no one was looking, Killua snickered.

At his locker, his mind wandered to his current mission. What a troublesome girl he was given this time. She was listed as a protected individual under a black market organization. He had to pay a whole month's worth of video game money all to gather that she normally entered a park downtown at a strange hour every day. What a rip off. Killua thanked all deities there were that he didn't have to go around asking girls his age what their name was without seeming like a stalker. He just had to visit each day and pinpoint the one who was constantly there. It seemed easy enough.

The walk itself took half an hour. He didn't bother to keep himself hidden. It was actually better to be seen on the first day to induce that love at first sight feeling people were into these days, or something. That's how Killua found himself munching on chocolate and drinking a can of orange juice under the monkey bars at 4:10pm like an idiot and surrounded by four year olds and their parents. No one else seemed to be around.

The first few minutes weren't so bad. A boy his age was there moments before him, entertaining the children so they didn't bother Killua at all. Then there was the fact that it wasn't too sunny out, a thin overcast keeping the metal from burning. At one instant, a shriek made Killua look up to the sight of the boy hanging from the swing, six toddlers latching off of him. The sunset hit them just the right way, the scene comical, the colors vibrant and the people in it…natural.

By instinct, Killua took out his cellphone and snatched a shot of it. He normally wasn't allowed cluttering the memory with such petty photos. But what the boss didn't know won't hurt him. Things were looking up.

It was all good until that same boy got up and started playing blindfold tag after deciding that his arms were starting to hurt. At the time, Killua's eyes were so focused on trying to find someone who wasn't a little kid or granny that the blindfolded moron crashed right into him, sending his dear chocolate into the sand.

"Sorry." Killua twitched. He breathed. No, he couldn't make a scene. Flashing a charming smile, Killua insisted it was alright before going back to his search, this time keeping an eye on that spikey haired kid who was probably mentally retarded. No one was showing up at all! Luckily, he had another chocolate stashed in his pockets.

Then, five minutes later, Killua inwardly yawned. He dared a look at that same boy to keep from falling asleep from boredom. To his horror, he was teaching the little kids how to juggle…with Chocorobo's. Seething, a half full can of orange juice was decked right into his spikey head. It made him fall on his face. All the wonderful chocolate robots landed on the sidewalk around him.

Apparently, the journalist hadn't been subtle enough in his revenge for a second later, he was up covered in mud and running towards Killua. "What did you do that for?!"

"What did I do that for?" Killua repeated in a shrill tone. He got right up in the other's face, nearly breathing fire. "How could you do such a HORRIFIC THING?! You haven't considered how the Chocorobo's feel at all! You wouldn't want to be thrown around like that!"

Brown eyes leaned back, thoughtful. "Actually, that sounds like fun."

"IT IS NOT-!" The wind beside him shifted. Killua stopped and felt around in his pockets, someone had stolen his chocolate and wallet just now. Blue eyes shot behind him to a man in a gray coat sprinting out of the park and over a fence. Damn, he was fast. Killua smirked, snapping a photo from the camera under his jacket in under a nanosecond. No one noticed. He was faster.

But alas, something else was ruined for him today. Before the journalist could even move, another breeze slapped him in the face. Guard down, it made him blink only half a second to protect his eyes from the uplifted sand.

When Killua opened them, that spikey haired boy was suddenly on the fence with the man. Unlike the latter though, he stood tall on the thin steel and balanced without a problem. That was all Killua could make out. They were at an angle where he couldn't see what was going on.

Suddenly, the kid jumped up. He stepped on the thief's head and landed gracefully on the grass beneath. The crook, confused by his actions, jumped to the other side and made off with Killua's wallet. Bewildered, Killua only realized he had let the man get away too late and was about to run after him, only to be stopped by a hand grabbing onto the sleeve of his uniform.

"Here." It was the same boy, grinning and waving his wallet and treat in the air like a magic trick. "I hope this is a way to make it up to you after I ruined your chocolate last time."

Shaking away the shock, Killua snatched the two away and checked them for anything out of place. It was definitely his wallet. Nothing was missing. He eyed the strange boy suspiciously. What he saw just now wasn't normal. Even in this town filled with half a population of criminals and the other half soulless adults who didn't care, this sort of thing was a rarity. The precision behind those moves, not even Killua could figure out what was going on, at least standing so far away.

"You…you're a thief, aren't you? A talented one."

The boy stared at him. "Yup! What about you?"

Killua narrowed his eyes and walked away without answering. Luckily, no one decided to follow him. This spiked terror even knew he wasn't just a dumb white-haired kid for recognizing his skill. He had to be careful around him or his cover would be blown. That meant he couldn't just hang around the park like he was planning to the next few days. He would have to hand over another fortune for more information since his target didn't show up. He ran a hand down his face in annoyance.

Ugh, I should've just kept myself hidden in the first place.

Eyeing the double-stolen chocolate, Killua threw it in the garbage.

-H-H-H-H-H-H-

"It's rare that you mess up."

"Shut up." Killua answered the replay of the boss's voice in his head. A middle-aged woman behind him at the bus stop looked at him strangely. Sensing the stare, Killua gave her a sweet smile. She blushed embarrassed and ran into the doors of the vehicle that had chosen that convenient moment to show up. Once away from prying eyes, he stared death needles at a passing robin. No video games for two months. Drop dead.

The new piece of information wasn't nearly as useful. He was merely given another meeting time. Now it was at a café two blocks from the park. He regarded the sign of the run down place where only old people visited. This was pathetic compared to the other ice cream shops he'd been to, but that wasn't the annoying part. Instead of visiting everyday, this girl was only supposed to show up once a week. At this rate, this would take forever. No money was coming in if he spent all his time on the same target. It was really starting to piss him off.

Maybe she's invisible? A mutant then…! So they existed; the daughter of some scientist obsessed with radioactive experiments and giant fro-

CRASH!

"I'm sorry! Do you need any help?"

Hey, since when was I on the ground?

Killua's mind hadn't caught up to what was going on. He took the offered hand and lifted himself from the sidewalk, letting his brain focus. When it did, he came to come face to face with the exact spikey retard he'd been trying to avoid. Violet shoes jumped back. "Y-YOU!"

He pointed at himself. "Me…?"

"YES, YOU! Why are you here? Is your sole existence for the objective of ruining all my hopes and dreams?!"

To his surprise, the boy laughed. People usually looked in disgust when Killua had his bouts of immaturity, opting to never speak to him again. That was his goal here but it clearly backfired. "You're funny! Oh, you're the same person from before um, what's your name?"

Killua threw his arms up. "Forget this!" He began accepting the idea of not having any new video games for 3 months and hiked out of there. For the second time, someone grabbed the fabric of his sleeve before he could do so.

"Wait!" The white-haired boy nearly tripped from the momentum. He turned to glare at those cheerful brown eyes wondering what he wanted. They only shone brighter. "Do you want me to buy you ice cream? I don't know how but I've been doing things to annoy you. I feel like you're someone I want to be friends with."

The action, so simple yet stupid, made Killua's face grow warm. He couldn't turn him down. This defied everything he was so resolved to say to this boy. It was the ice cream's fault, definitely. "F-Fine."

They entered the café. The interior was even worse than the outside, with one quarter of the lights not working and about five flickering offensively. At the counter, an old lady who seemed ready to drop on the ground from how frail she was, beamed. It was the first she had seen such an adorable kid other than Gon visit in a long while.

"Hello boys. What would you like?"

The albino didn't hesitate. "Chocolate Sundae Supreme triple stack with wafer sticks, chocolate chips, cookie dough and a cherry on top with that banana thing that makes it look like it's smiling at you; Italian style."

"That's the most expensive thing on the menu!" Killua looked beside him. Gon had his wallet out and was helplessly staring at the few coins he had, for once that dumb grin wiped off his face. The thought of being able to rattle him made the other smirk.

"What? And I thought you were paying for me? I'm shocked."

"N-No! Of course I'm paying! I said I would and that means I will!"

The journalist's sneer grew wider. So he's the stubborn type. It somehow amused him greatly. "Why, thank you. Of course, since your existence is what's ruining my plans, you'll have to buy me a lifetime's worth of Chocolate Sundae Supreme's."

"Urk, you're so MEAN!" Killua feigned an innocent look without realizing that he inadvertently signed up for his own doom. Gon seemed ready to lecture him about showing courtesy to others when their argument was interrupted by a soft chuckle. They both turned to the source dumbfounded. The old woman sent them a peace sign.

"Don't mind me. This young man here with black hair has been showing up alone for years now. I was simply grateful at first that he finally brought a friend over but it looks like he took an extra step and has his young lover out for a date. How sweet...and handsome too." Her smile softened as she noticed the slightest shade of red grow on both their faces.

Killua though, was appalled. "W-We are not…! Listen, we're both guys, lady!"

"He won't even tell me his name!" Gon pointed at him accusing which caused Killua to glare at him.

"Oh, none of that matters when the youth are so close and flirt in such a way." She gave a short and totally not creepy wink. "How about I sell the Chocolate Sundae to you half price? And you," she addressed Gon, "can take your time picking a flavor."

The grin was back on his face in an instant. He rushed to the window of flavors excited. "Thank you, Oba-san!"

Killua stared at the spot in front of him, dazed. He couldn't take his mind off of it. After years of so called flirting with girls, none of it was unintentional. He'd do it to reach a goal. What just happened was nothing like the kind of flirting he was used to. Wait, were they flirting at all? He never even noticed! What happened to the façade he'd have to put up first? It didn't make sense; of course not.

That settled it. They positively and absolutely one-hundred and twenty percent were not flirting. Killua nodded. As he snapped himself out of his stupor, satisfied with his conclusion, he turned to eye Gon hovering over the ice cream like an excited little kid. It was embarrassing. He looked half his age, school uniform tucked as an elementary student would and the incandescent light that radiated from the box hitting his childish face soothingly. The weird sight made him want to take another picture. It was impulse. Without realizing, his hand was halfway into reaching for his phone again when a crash interrupted them.

"A-Ah…" The whole café was staring at the two men seated in the corner. "Sorry. I dropped my plate."

"It's quite alright." The old woman behind the cashier nodded.

Realizing what he was about to do, Killua stuffed his hands in his pockets flustered. Instead his mind focused on the two men. They were shady, stood out like a sore thumb, maybe a bit too much. "A distraction…?"

Gon looked at him. "Pardon?"

"Nothing. It's n-nothing." Killua stared at the floor tiles, a tad disappointed that the portrait of Gon was broken. He would never admit that to himself. The slightly creepy lady from before had gone to the opposite side of the room to prepare the sundae so left the two with their privacy.

"That black thing wasn't there before."

His head shot up and followed the direction Gon was pointing at. A black device the size of a bug was under the table closest to the register, barely visible to anyone who was searching for it. Not getting an answer, Gon continued. "That couple by the window put it there."

"I see." Killua gave him a look of approval. His eyes are really sharp. "Well, let's get out of here."

"Wha-? But we didn't even get our ice cream yet!"

"That black thing…" Killua whispered. "…is a bomb. We're going to be in a hostage situation if we don't leave right now. I think how they set up the bomb has something to do with how to dismantle it, which is why they needed to distract everyone."

Once more, Gon tugged on his sleeve. "What about everyone else?"

"If we tell anyone else, the ones who put it there will notice and initiate the lockdown anyway, moron!" Killua snapped at him. He expected the idiot to get it and scamper out of there as quickly as possible. Instead, the force of his arm hitting his side made him blink. Gon had let go of him.

"You go ahead." A gaze on a person's face that Killua had never witnessed had its resolve nearly sending chills down his spine. "I'll help out Oba-san and everyone else."

Never had he met someone so pure and stupid in his whole life, at least not without it being some idealized film. And if he ever sat in his home one day watching TV and wished for it, assumed it would never happen as long as he was living in this back water place. He normally never cared for anyone else. No one could rattle him. But just the way this guy looked at him was enough. Suddenly he felt the obscene need to throw away all his life built values and help alongside him.

Killua scoffed. "Whatever."

His purple sneakers made their way to the door, shoulders slouched and this growing irritation at the back of his throat. This was for the better. Yet as the distance to the opening closed, hints of that fresh morning air reached his lungs from the poor insulation, the pain grew larger. It swelled at an incredible rate.

He stopped. Now it was just lingering there.

No. He shook it away and tread the rest of the route. His body leaned forward. But just as the pale hand reached for the handle, a gun fired. By reflex, he turned and a bullet whizzed right by his nose. The shell broke through the glass like a horror film, Killua almost dropping to his knees. Gon was by his side in a second, balancing him up with his own body as he felt the taller boy breathe harshly.

Killua held him tight, his heart violent. I almost died…

"ALRIGHT! Nobody move!" Sure enough, the woman of the couple stood on the table, a gun in her clutches. "Or my husband will set off the bomb we hid in this vicinity!"

Cries, full grown adults and even old men began wailing, begging for their life. Gon let Killua use him as a partial chair by leaning against the wall. He tried to calm, let the warmth of Gon's body null him into a deep sleep, but came up short when the yells jolted him awake. Every being in the restaurant excluding them and the woman from before behind the counter were in hysterics until the wife shot another bullet at the ceiling.

"I SAID QUIET!" She howled. The whole room was silent in an instant. "Let me tell you that the explosives, in addition to being able to go off whenever we want, was set to blow in thirty minutes. Whichever happens first is your choice. Now everyone hand over their money and my honey will dismantle the bomb."

She made rounds on the room as her husband sat against the ledge at the front, keeping a watchful eye on them to ensure no tricks were pulled. When that despicable lady reached Gon, he was about to pull out the money he was going to use for his ice cream until a hand stopped him.

"Here." Killua gave her his own wallet instead, probably filled with several hundreds of dollars more than the other ever had. Luckily, he never kept his ID in it. He flashed one of his charming looks. "I was going to treat this guy here to ice cream since he's a broke moron."

Given the excuse combined with Gon's ruffled state and Killua's charm, she seemed to accept the answer. Impressed with the amount inside, his story wasn't too far off. From the other side of the room, the old lady behind the counter couldn't help but smile at the two. Then, a horrible smash sounded.

The husband had kicked her square in the jaw. Gon flinched as he watched the man lift the frail body up by the seams of her hair. "No funny business."

"Don't react," Killua held Gon down. "I know you can kick his ass but you can't get rid of the bomb and the gun at the same time without the other going off, no matter how fast you are." Understanding the supreme hatred Gon felt for the couple at the moment, he positioned his hand the slightest bit. Killua snatched one of his smaller cameras from his bag, took a shot of the both of them, and had the device back in his pockets in an instant. No one else saw a thing. Gon nearly missed it by blinking.

"Wha-?" But he shushed him.

From their discrete spot beside the door, Killua let the most subtle sneer escape. Get ready for hell.

When the woman was done her rounds, satisfied with the money in her hands, she laughed. The sudden noise made everyone jump. "I suppose this is satisfactory for one trip. Now…" She held her gun up. That was it, all that could be heard next were screams.

Everyone aside the two boys were mortified as the husband's right leg came clean off below the knee, his other one gone in a close second. "I'm afraid your usefulness to me is void now, dear!"

Sweat, those sitting close to him had his ricocheted blood splattered on their faces. "Y-You've got to be kidding, Angela! It's m-me…! This is some kind of jo-" he threw up blood on the floor, half the people in the room fainted because they just had no more air to scream, "j-joke!"

"Oh, it's no joke." She grinned, freaking grinned. To cover her own tracks, she then made a dash for the door with all the money. Gon was about to trip her for comedic effect but Killua kicked him in the ankle for forgetting she still had a gun.

"I've made enough to leave this poor excuse of a country! Love you, dear!"

Just like that, she was gone. Everyone left conscious were essentially running in circles to get to any exit in the building. Killua was shaken out of his reverie of watching this chaos by Gon motioning him to the immobile customers.

"Come on. Let's get everyone out of here-"

"W-WAIT! HOLD ON!"

They both whipped around at the sound of the husband crawling on the counter in a bloody mess, reaching for the button that detonated the bomb and grasping it in his hands before Gon could stop him. He couldn't even walk anymore. It was pathetic.

By now, everyone but those unconscious, the frail woman, and the two boys had escaped. From her spot where she was thrown, she silently cried. The both of them alone couldn't get everyone out before something as simple as a button being pushed was executed. "I-I still have this! You all have to do what I say…a-all my power isn't gone!"

"Are you mental?" Killua interjected. "If you press that, you'll blow up too."

"I DON'T CARE! Y-YOU…! My wife- My wife was all I had! SHE LEFT ME HERE TO GET CAUGHT BY THE GOVERNMENT! I'd rather die! I need that money!" He screeched to the two kids.

"So in the end, it's about the money, huh?" Killua sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. Gon gave him an annoyed look, sick of sitting here doing nothing except being squashed under Killua's weight. The white-haired boy simply responded by nodding his head.

In an instant, the button was snatched and in the child thief's hands. He maneuvered to the other side of the room and handed it to Killua.

The journalist almost laughed. It's the first time someone's trusted me so much before.

"Wh-What? How did you-? B-But the bomb will go off in twenty minutes anyway! You don't know where it is!" They both ignored him in favor of walking towards the table where they saw the little black bug and looked underneath. Killua carefully swatted to try to detach it but the device was too small. Then Gon opted to lift the table and throw it away somewhere until they both found out it was built into the floors. "Ha! It's too late, and only I know how to dismantle the bomb-!"

Killua punched the man in the face, not enough for him to lose consciousness yet just enough to hurt like hell. "Would you SHUT UP?! I kind of want this bomb to go off just to escape your PATHETIC whining already!" The man whimpered.

"Maybe we should just carry everyone out." Gon suggested.

"Hey," Killua walked up to him and whispered. "Not everyone knows this, I doubt these amateurs who put the explosive there even did, but we're right beside a gunpowder and gasoline factory. That won't work."

"I thought that was a bakery."

He shook his head. "No, it's disguised as one. They make gunpowder which is delivered to the government for weapons. Don't tell anyone or I'll bust your head in."

Gon sweat dropped. "O-Okay."

"Fine then." Killua addressed the husband again. "What do you want us to do so you'll dismantle the bomb?"

For the first time, the man perked up, or as much as he could with a bruise forming in between his eyes. That sense of last hope completely filtered out the possibility that these two young boys would simply run away without looking back. "Th-The money! Get the money from that wretched woman back! I need it."

Killua was about to open his mouth when Gon answered for him. "Sure!"

Before he knew what was happening, the spiked boy grabbed his arm and dragged him out, running to the streets with his friend in tow. "Hey…" The taller of them started. "You know this is impossible, right? She's had probably a five minute head start and can be anywhere by now."

"We're going the right way. I can sniff her out." Killua twitched when the other stuck his tongue out at him. This was just getting weirder and weirder. "Once we catch her and save everyone, maybe we can finally get that chocolate sundae for you, too!"

The white-haired boy raised a brow. "You still want to be my friend, seriously?"

"Yup!"

"I abandoned you."

Gon slowed their pace ever so slightly. "No you didn't."

"I was going to let you and the whole neighborhood get blown up. I didn't care. Heck, I regret telling you about the gunpowder factory next door now because I know you won't just let everyone die."

"But you hesitated."

This made Killua stop. The movement caused the other's grip on him to break apart.

He had hesitated, stopped for that one measly moment before leaving everyone to their demise. It was one measly moment which was the difference between him escaping his life intact and nearly being shot in the head.

Gon waved a hand in front of his face. At the lack of response, his eyebrows knitted together. Of course, being Gon, he had a simple solution for everything. The boy shifted around Killua, circled his arms, and lifted the frail body in the air. He ran again, rubber boots hard against cement.

Well that caught his attention. "W-What the HELL?!"

"We don't have time for this, you know! We have to catch that lady." Gon ignored Killua's protests to put him down. The white-haired boy clung his backpack against his chest flustered; his last pathetic attempts were to beg Gon to at least not carry him bridal like some high school girl. He was sure his face was red. He buried it into the aforementioned bag. And the stares they received, oh god, the stares. Killua thanked whoever was watching over them that they were at least in a nearly deserted part of town where few people knew of him.

"Aha!"

The bold boy's cry above him made Killua snap out of it. Sure enough, the woman was by a cliff overlooking the lake, about to exchange bills with some shady fisherman who had undoubtedly agreed to smuggle her into a cruise ship away from here. It seems the two heard the outcry as well, for they both looked up and the woman instantly recognized them. Killua felt himself being placed on the ground as Gon dashed after her.

Giving himself a good slap to the face, Killua followed his companion right after. The last thing either hoped to happen did then. She pulled out that same gun and aimed to fire it at Killua. Seeing this, Gon felt a sudden spring in his step and tackled the woman. Another kick from him sent the rifle into the waters beneath. Killua snatched the bag filled with wallets from her while she was distracted, the three of them teetering over the edge. It seems the fisherman was on her side, leaping to sneak the bag from his arms, kicking Gon towards the ledge in the process.

FUCK THIS.

Killua smashed his foot into the ground, thrusting a clawed arm into the man's face with practiced precision. He hollered, the karate chop added to the sabre in full effect. As the woman sneaked behind to try to take the opportunity to steal the bag, he turned at the last second then uppercut her in the throat. The force of the strikes sent both of them flying in opposite directions. They landed ten feet into the grass beside them, completely unconscious.

The journalist wanted to spit at them for added effect. GOOD RIDDANCE.

But there was no time for celebration. Killua brought his attention away from them to do a once over of the black-haired boy, only for the sight of Gon plunging down the cliff to slap him in the face. Without thinking, he made a dive and grabbed his arm. The accident sent the both of them off the ledge.

Green, murky salty water that invaded his nose and hurt his ears, it sent his clothes in a dance of freedom despite how clingy it would become once out, his vision blurred. Through the vast horizon of green, there was a sliver of white, shining against the reflection of the sun like an angel's wing. It took a moment to register it was a fish of pure silver.

Suddenly, the weight on his lungs became too much. Swimming up, up to catch his breath, it baffled him why he hadn't done that sooner. Two heads bobbed out of the water just in time to cling onto a large rock embedded into the earth.

The sea shifted again, for a second causing the both of them to almost lose their grip. It was then the taller of them realized his desperate hold onto the other's arm had never ceased. He let go immediately, slightly abashed. The spiked boy didn't seem to notice, instead motioning towards the direction of the shore where they could climb to the top again. Luckily the bag of cash had been left on the cliff. When they made it, both dropped to the sand in exhaustion. Their breaths mingled in an ugly rhythm of self-exertion.

"That was a pretty koi fish."

Killua mustered all his remaining strength and decked him on the head.

"Ow!"

"Idiot." Killua was the first one up, crawling to the stairs which led to where they were before to retrieve the money. "Let's just hurry up and get the money before everything freaking explodes."

Within a minute, the bag was in Gon's tight grip as the two made the long run back. If people stared at them before, they definitely stared now. Bodies drenched in sea water and an abnormally large bag over one of their shoulders, it was a miracle they were still jogging as so. Halfway there, Killua checked his watch. They would make it with about five minutes to spare, plenty of time for that pansy to dismantle the bomb.

"You still haven't told me…" Gon said in between heavy intakes of air. "…your name."

Killua narrowed his eyes. He was soaked, missed the girl he was supposed to meet, was nearly shot in the head, and had to go through this whole Superman thing just to save one neighborhood. He already let this kid know way too much about him. "Why do you keep asking?"

"So we can be friends of course." They both jumped over a hoard of dogs in the way.

"We won't see each other again." He concluded quite bluntly. "Go find yourself another friend, because this one's off limits if you know what's good for you."

"But I don't have any other…" Gon trailed off and Killua found this hard to believe.

"What about those kids at the playground? That old lady in the café? You have plenty of friends. You're not alone."

At this, the look in those brown eyes hardened. "Neither are you. I want to be your friend."

Killua felt his breath hitch.

"Who said I was talking about me?!" He snapped. "I'm not alone you know. I have a girlfriend." Or at least he will, once his target grew the balls to actually show up.

"O-Oh." Gon looked away.

Somehow, whatever he said did the trick, for Gon seemed too disheartened to ask again. Killua should've been relieved, ecstatic beyond belief that he didn't have to worry about this kid sticking his nose where it didn't belong anymore. But that single syllable, the way it was uttered like he had just kicked a puppy, made that spot near his chest constrict painfully. He ignored it in favor of wishing death upon a group of birds flying by.

A block away from their destination, they came upon a line of train tracks. The flashing red lights above signalled that one was coming any moment. Killua skidded to a stop just before the red and white striped bar went down while Gon sprinted past the tracks. Realizing the lack of presence beside him, he halted to glance back in confusion.

"You go. Be the hero and save everyone." Killua looked at him bored. It was sunset, the sky mixed in a harmony of infinite colors. The serenity of it was broken as the bell in the distance was growing louder.

"I'm not cut out for receiving gratitude."

Gon seemed to want to protest but stopped midway. He knew they didn't have much time left. Sending a quick nod, he continued his jog. Killua watched that shrinking back for a few seconds and turned the opposite direction. He had to start his leisure walk home soon, or he'd miss his favorite cartoon.

Four steps in, the ground beneath was beginning to shake. That train was closing in like a beast of many legends. One none could tear just by standing in front of. One a warrior couldn't prevent even by swinging the greatest sword. It stopped for no one. The ferocity was almost an analogy of the force beginning to separate them. The long barrier as proof that they would never associate with each other again.

Just before that barrier passed, Gon looked back and yelled at the top of his lungs.

"I STILL WANT TO BE FRIENDS!"

Killua froze.

"…AND MY NAME IS GON FREECSS!"

The barrier closed before Killua could meet him halfway.

-H-H-H-H-H-H-

Bathing the room in darkness, the light switch flickered. Bag thrown on the closest chair, he opened the television and switched on a shooting game in the counsel at full volume. Opening the library of saved video play through's, he selected the longest one of 18 minutes. That meant he had 18 minutes for this phone call. Soon, the apartment was filled with noises of gunfire and grunts.

His bag was addressed once again to retrieve his earphones and cell. It was different from the one he used on a daily basis for this was given to him by the boss. The impressive machine changed his voice and prevented eavesdropping. Killua dialed the first number memorized in his head and waited. He tapped the mattress of his bed irritated. Eventually, after what seemed hours, the call was received.

"What's the password-"

"WHY THE HELL DIDN'T YOU TELL ME THAT GON FREECSS WAS A BOY?!"

"…Okay, I think you're the real Killua Zoldyck."

"Stop messing with me, old man!" He flicked a finger against the microphone. "You think I roll that way? Why would you give me such an imbecile as a target? I'm dropping this right now!"

"You're being quite hot-headed, aren't you? That's not like you."

Hearing this, Killua brought a hand over his eyes and breathed in. The boss was right. "Whatever. Just…I can't do this mission."

The man on the other end raised a brow, almost as if the other could see it. "Why's that? It would be quite a shame if your horizons were only limited to girls. That would speak volumes to the lack of your ability."

"It's not that." Killua sensed that the man could tell that he was hiding something from him and changed the topic. "I got a picture of two bombers in a café across town today. Is that enough to compensate me calling it quits on this one target?"

"Little Zoldyck," he flinched, "if all we needed was footage of petty street thieves, then anyone could do your job. Only you can get what we need, and what we need is evidence of the professionals; the big time organizations; the ones who don't reveal themselves to us so easily. Your skill is what keeps the world powers' trust in us. This one target in which you call Gon Freecss is indispensable."

He released a sharp intake of breath, about to answer, when the voice on the other line cut him off.

"Or would you rather we dispose of your nanny and brother right now?"

At this, every word hanging from Killua's mouth retreated in an instant. "No."

The grip on the bed sheets beneath him tightened, the phone willing to break in his hands as he listened to the boastful man erupt in laughter on the line. Just then, a scream pierced the room. It made Killua panic and look up, only to realize the sound had come from the flashing screen. There was a little girl, running from an alien-like beast, striving to hang on until the main character arrived.

Then, the real twister, she's trapped beneath a pile of car rubble. The hideous monster saves her life, trying to convey the message that he was there to save mankind, only to be shot by the player's own bloody hands. It turns out the game forces you to play as the villain from the very beginning. You had brought about the world's end. And all you could do was let it pass or face the constant game over screen again and again.

Killua sighed, ending the call without saying goodbye. He sometimes felt like that monster, other times the main character. Whichever side he was on, it regarded him as a demon. Whether he looked like one but wasn't underneath, destined to perish in a horrible death, or really was one, it didn't matter in this day and age. Gon Freecss had seen that side of him. And there was the true reason why he was against courting that boy with every fibre of his being.

No one could fall in love with a demon.

-H-H-H-H-H-H-

New story! After the last one, typing any chapter seems a lot easier now if only for being way shorter.

Also, I FINALLY added summaries of all the stories in the first chapter. I don't know why I didn't do that sooner.