Story 4: Picture Perfect Part II
Crashes could be heard on the other side of the wall, an upturned table, his games scattered, and two broken vases were the least of the damage. Of course, the hideous vases didn't belong to him. It was a regulation that every tenant in the city has two in their room when they move in. They were some sort of gimmick to attract tourists. Any record of the past mentioned being fined for even chipping the edge. He didn't care though; this only began to express the extreme frustration he was feeling.
"UGGGHH! WHERE IS IT?!"
Killua had lost his phone. It wasn't the shining first class professional contraption he used to talk to his boss just a week ago. But the cheap dark purple device he had taken out to snap a photo of he-with-retarded-hair-who-shall-not-be-named in front of the ice cream stall. And now it was gone. Countless of his prized photography were gone just like that. In another bout of anger, an old box was chucked aside, a small portable radio hitting the floor and fizzling on in the process. Killua seethed. Come on, it's got to be here. Think-
"Yes I know, but listen…!" He nearly fell off his chair. It was that voice, one in which his ears hoped to never hear again. "He wasn't in the right state of mind when he assaulted me, my poor husband…" Then sobs were heard through the black speaker. It was that woman's damn persistence. Out of curiosity, Killua sat to listen as a pathetic story resonated through the room. The police who found her unconscious on the road believed it easily.
Apparently, her husband was the one who abandoned her in the café to flee the country, but not before raping and stripping her of all her hard earned money. The woman cried again. What idiocy. All good lawyers knew that as long as you committed the crime, the reason behind it had almost no effect on the verdict. The radio went on to accuse the husband who, out of urgency when the 'unknown heroes' caught him, planted a bomb in the river to gain some form of upper hand. The white haired boy rolled his eyes. You did no such thing, lady. Though, he had no way of knowing for sure. She had plenty of time before they arrived at the river to do something fishy.
Halfway through picking himself off the floor, Killua froze. The river…no way.
"As a precaution, police are searching the river for the detonator which is set to go off sometime before the next two days."
It all made sense. He last had it when he was jogging out of the café, calmly picking it out of his pockets to check the time. He remembered it loosely hanging at his sides from that point on, shaking off the slight difference in weight when he emerged from the water.
"Counting on the dimensions of the design, it is quite possible that the bomb is hidden in a very obscure spot or was eaten by a sea critter. The action we have decided to take is-"
Killua was already out of the room.
When he arrived the area was covered in neon yellow police tape, contrasting drastically with the dark dreary roads tattered from years of neglect. Despite the urgent claims they made to the world, a mere two men were guarding this side of the stairs. They looked to be the type who'd let a seventh grader such as himself through if he handed over twenty bucks. But no, Killua was in no mood for that.
The two patrols never saw anything coming but a kid casually walking in the distance, cavity-sweet smile plastered on his face. Later they would laugh if anyone even suggested that the reason they blacked out was said kid had disappeared when they blinked, karate chopping both their necks before they could react.
Sure enough, the law suits had only put up a front to calm the public. There wasn't a single interference after that. No sign that they were actually doing anything to find the bomb. Blue eyes traced the riverside; the only difference he spotted was that the place was deserted. He redirected himself towards the spot he knew they fell in, expecting a quiet afternoon drenched in murky water. Once determined legs stilled when a figure across from him gushed onto the shores, gasping for air. Killua immediately hid behind a rock, cursing.
Shit, fuck, no. What is he doing here…? The short figure limped the slightest, cheeks flushed from the cold of the chilly river. There was no way it was that cold. Even soaked to the bone, he could tell the boy was sweating for whatever reason. Then, clouds high in the sky and a storm brewing, a realization hit Killua just as he-with-retarded-hair-who-shall-not-be-named collapsed. He's sick.
Without thinking, white hair and purple shoes bolted out from the hiding spot to join the damaged boy on the riverside. In some burst of desperation he didn't know he had, Killua grabbed on to him. Pale hands shook the shivering body. It didn't work. He pushed harder until his wrists bruised and still, he didn't stop. He needed to know Gon was okay. And he had no idea why.
In hindsight, it was stupid of him. People with fevers obviously wouldn't want to be shaken, but it had been so long…so long since he experienced this feeling that it made him forget common sense. The feeling that if this person was harmed, it wouldn't be the same as all those others he saw die in the past. He knew when it was over, whether this ended well or badly, Killua would deny what he felt this moment with every cell in his brain.
Finally, the spiked hair boy cracked open an eye. Like someone who was coming out from a drug withdrawal, relief flooded his veins. They stared at each other, bewildered, until the now sobered Killua scoffed and dropped him into the sand. The photographer stood and prepared to walk away, not quite sure what just happened. He just knew he had to leave.
"K-Koi!" Oh how the mighty have fallen. Killua's resolve cracked at just that single line. "Where are you going? I…" Here, dried coughs interrupted the silence between them. For once, Gon was rendered speechless. It was then Killua put two and two together and realized he must've caught the delayed bug from falling in the river the other day.
Ocean eyes narrowed at the pathetic figure. He couldn't help his curiosity. "Koi…?"
"Oh, um…I don't know your name."
For a second, one measly second, Killua thought to have the urge to snap at the poor boy, demanding he cut it out and that never, in a million years, would Killua Zoldyck allow someone to call him love of all things. Only, that would defeat the purpose by revealing his name. And instead, the albino found his cheeks burning brightly in embarrassment, red coloring his face; he only managed to choke out one word. "…why?"
What the heck is happening to me?
"Because you remind me of the Koi fish we saw!"
Killua suddenly wanted to fall over, an unbearable disappointment coloring his chest. Only, he shook it off. Never, in a million years, would Killua Zoldyck allow someone to call him a fish of all things. It was even stupider. Yeah, that's where the disappointment was coming from, nothing else. In his haste, he barely caught Gon when the later tried trekking a path towards him, a sweaty hot mess in his arms. "H-Hey, what on earth were you doing swimming anyway?! You thought cold water would make the fever go away or something, idiot!"
He wasn't supposed to care but, "just go home."
To his shock, Gon shoved him away with a burst of energy, enough that Killua nearly fell against a vending machine behind him. "No!" He could only watch as the fatigued boy staggered back towards the shore littered with rocks and sticks. All thoughts that Gon finally realized how much of a disgusting, heartless manipulator he was were pushed aside in favor of chasing after him. He latched onto the other's stomach, a stubbornness Killua didn't know he had surfacing at an alarming speed.
"You're such a pain in the ass! What's with you?"
"Let g-go, Koi!" The redness of once tan skin was making even Killua scared. The slightly shorter boy's struggling caused them to fall into the sand, minerals decorating their hair. The frame under him shook, emitted a storm of coughs. How did he not notice before? Gon's voice had been off since the beginning of their conversation. It had gotten to the point that the young thief was unable to form coherent sentences. "I-I…find that fish-other day…or-or he'll be killed!"
"THAT'S WHY…?" Oh if only the situation was reversed, Killua would punch himself in the face for winning the biggest loaf of the season in a mere 5 seconds. But still, what does Gon mean? Killed…? He'd have to ask around properly later. "It's just a stupid fish!"
"A st-stupid fish that saved us!" Killua's mouth snapped shut at this. "C-…Can talk to animals. I…Koi…"
He froze. Gon leaned up, arms tangled around the albino's neck and breath hot on his ear. His hazy vision caused swollen lips to ghost on the shell of his pale skin. It made Killua shiver. Then, Gon whispered into Killua's own flushed ear. "…love."
He wanted to throw the intoxicating boy away, demanding answers, jump off a cliff; maybe buy a couple copies of some of the worst video games in history, anything to get rid of the red on his cheeks. But then, he realized Gon had lost consciousness. Yet, he could not get himself to move.
Chancing one last peek at the body beneath him, his will crumbled. Completely limp, eyes squinted shut as the fever took over, and he knew, just knew that there was no way he would leave Gon abandoned by the riverside. The rustled white-haired boy carefully sat up.
Had he had everything backwards? Did he have his target right where he wanted him the whole time? It seemed so. That was definitely…a confession. By the book, it meant the retard was not any different than the others. Those people who fell for him so easily. Killua was only a step away from gaining the knowledge he needed. The client would be happy, and Gon would most likely end up enslaved or dead in some dark alley. It was perfect. He lifted the still body in his arms and again, snuck the smallest glance at that childish face. But still…
…why would anyone want you dead?
-H-H-H-H-H-H-
It was after sprinting two kilometers that he realized he really didn't have any idea where he was headed. His own place was out of the question. He still didn't know where Gon lived, not because he couldn't get the information but more…that he had given up until now. As proof he had taken two extra assignments while claiming to be on hiatus with this until further notice.
The first girl was a plumber's young wife. He had courted her easily in the time between his 'talk' with the boss and now. It turns out the couple had been selling ecstasy by mixing it in the tap water of the clients. It was like heaven, to have that addicting drug come out of your sink so conveniently. Only normal people would find it disgusting. The second…was more challenging. Rich and well known, Killua had no doubt she knew about Nen one way or another.
A small mumble behind him made Killua snap his thoughts back into focus. The only place he could think of was the crowded hotel down the street. No one would pay him any mind as long as he had money. He just needed to get Gon somewhere warm quick. Letting the slightest crack slip in his defense as the building came into view, Killua turned to direct a relieved smile at Gon's motionless boy.
"Everything going well?"
Caught off guard, Killua jolted only to curse as Gon nearly slipped off his back. Collecting his bearings, he glared into the cold eyes of his boss who for once decided to see the light of day.
"Can you make this quick, old man?" He snapped. " I-I'm in a hurry." Shit. Don't stutter. Stupid Gon and his stupid purity and retarded hair throwing me off. The man smirked, deciding not to call out on the unusually jittery boy. The action only made Killua more nerved. Something was off.
"Such a shame. Just as you found the resolve to continue on this cute birdie, it's too late."
Killua held his ground. "What are you talking about?"
"Little Zoldyck," he chuckled. "I told you, I'm a generous guy. When someone's on the brink of death, led by a false hope that the ones they love will come to their rescue, you know what I do? I shoot them first. They're the most pathetic."
"And what does this have to do with me?" He didn't know when his breathing suddenly grew heavy, the sun setting in the horizon blared into his eyes as his senses flew into high alert. Something in his gut, a feeling that rarely materialized before him, was suddenly so prominent he felt he would throw up. Only a thread kept the contents in. His whole body flinched as the man produced a bag from behind his back in one hand and a gun in the other. Killua could only fall, let his knees scrap against the pebbles beneath him, wanted them to penetrate into his heart so he too could die some quick death, as he watched the boss throw the bag towards him and aim the nuzzle at its highest point.
Immediately, the brown clothe exploded into a firework of blood. Limbs flew in parabolic arcs, the one headed for him adorning hair as grey as the moon. It landed at his feet, the lifeless head of his nanny rolled until it hit his legs, facing up as if to scream 'WHY' a million times over.
By impulse, the rest of him dropped. Killua threw up against the sidewalk. Gon's body was burning against his back, arms from that same hug on the shore still tight on his collar. The smell mixed with blood, organs, and dead skin was sickening.
When the sounds of retching finally subsided, Killua didn't back away. He couldn't, not with Gon holding up his entire soul without even knowing it. It was indeed…pathetic.
Above him, the amused clanking of footsteps, a lighter, and the man wiping something with a handkerchief passed by. Not sparing a glance, he only stopped to give one final disgusting wave.
"Now I believe you said you were in a hurry? Run along before I start feeling generous again."
-H-H-H-H-H-H-
"Come on and open your present. I have been waiting all day."
The young boy no older than eight pranced around the Christmas tree, purposely dodging the last unopened box in the center. "Ha…sorry, sorry. It's just that your's is the biggest so I wanted to open it last!" He made of show of bouncing over the container this time, missing the tree by an inch. "This better not be something like the dress mother made for me…or 'world peace' like grandpa gives me every year."
"World peace is important. It's what keeps us safe and together."
"What do you mean?"
"It means you are here and well, Killu. We can all be here to enjoy it as well." As a short silence reined them, the rest of the family was either out shovelling the last of the icicles left in the driveway or upstairs around the fireplace. "And if anything ever happens to you nothing can stop me from rescuing you."
To most little kids, a speech such as this would repel their enthusiasm away as effortlessly as a math lesson on fractions. To great surprise, Killua beamed.
"I'll rescue you if something happens to you too!"
The other stopped to stare at him a full minute, soon a slight smile forming. Then a long finger wrapped around pale chin as an idea came to mind, coffee steaming on the table in front of them. "As for the dress, I'm sure I'll figure out some way to 'accidentally' burn it if you promise to like my present."
"Okay!" Possessing one of the shortest attention spans at the time, the young Zoldyck finally gave in and dived for the gift. It was covered in a dark red wrapping paper and green bow, possibly the blandest work of art anyone would see on Christmas day. Killua ripped it apart instantly, oblivious to just how much effort went into this plain design. Wide blue eyes stared at the contents. "…What is this?"
"You don't know what a camera is, Killu? Oh, this cannot be. I must teach you right away!"
"…"
"…What's wrong? Killu…?"
"N-Nothing. It's just strange as hell to see you showing emotion, Illu-ni."
"Don't curse. Your tongue will burn off."
"Ah! Shit-I mean sugar!"
Illumi sighed. "Merry Christmas."
-H-H-H-H-H-H-
The seabed was as dark as mud. Corral and small fish scratched or nibbled at his legs to create horrible miniature gashes around his ankles. That same school of clown fish appearing over and over was almost mocking him for how incompetent he was. Just as he spotted a clam in the distance, lungs scorched in pain, tired arms raced back to the surface. When his head emerged to gasp for well needed oxygen, it was pitch black outside. He had already been out here for hours, skin numb against frozen blood on one side and nasty rainwater on the other.
But, he couldn't stop. The final puzzle piece, the key to winning Gon's heart was in this river. Half of him labelled his intentions as heartless, drowning itself in the content of the person he had become. Messing with others' feelings, he didn't care about that. Illumi was still alive. There was still a chance of saving him.
The other half only hurt more.
It was a losing battle for that side. Killua was quickly throwing out any attachment he felt for the boy, any possibility that maybe, just maybe, he was here looking for the koi fish and not just buying another one from a store because he wanted to.
The fishing rod he had stolen from Gon was deemed useless an hour in. There was no way he was going anywhere catching one fish at a time. Not that this method was much better. Anything that bumped that dumb zero percent possibility of spotting the same fish twice to maybe a 0.01 percent would do. Before he knew it, the sun was peeking out from the horizon. Around seven in the morning, he collapsed on the shore, breathing erratic. A silhouette in the corner of his stinging eyes was ignored in favor of closing them. Just a little nap, that wouldn't hurt.
"MISTER!" Killua would've shrieked and jumped ten feet in the air if he were any less manly. Poking him in the side with a stick was a small boy, perhaps around six years old with brown hair and in a police officer's uniform. "You should get out of here right away! My father's the head of the police department and he says they'll be pouring something in the river soon."
The older of the two sat up. He felt like crap. "Why would he do that?"
"It's to kill all the fishes. I think he said the ch-cheeamecals in them will disable the big bad bomb too! It was on the news, you know."
Killua widened his eyes. So that's what Gon meant. "When…?"
"An hour from now." The little policeman fell on his back when the white haired boy suddenly stood up and yelled 'fudge' into the heavens, whatever that meant. Then, he could only watch as Killua dived back into the river once more. "H-Hey, wait! The cheeamecals kill humans too! U-Uh, do y-you want me to sing?!"
Despite his previous decision to ignore him, Killua resurfaced bewildered. "Do you have A.D.D.?! Just run back to your father and don't you DARE tell anyone I was here!"
"No, seriously!" He stomped his foot indignantly. Killua felt irritated. This nuisance was reminding him of a certain someone. "You're looking for something. All the fishes always gather when I sing. Will that help? I-I hate it when Master kills people when they can be saved…"
"Well then you'll grow up to be an adult filled with hate, huh?"
Soon a light tune filled the shoreline. Killua didn't think he'd actually sing but it was happening. Some notes were off by a flat, perhaps even completely missed, but the range in octaves of the tune considering the vocalist's still prepubescent voice was impressive. Sure enough, crabs and small guppies gathered near the sand. Two seagulls stopped to listen, a large group of shrimp, but still no Koi. It was like watching some twisted version of a Disney movie.
Halfway between searching from a small underwater air pocket and a forest of seaweed, Killua had chanced an accidental look at the midget and noticed something strange. Akin to winter when a white fog forms when humans breathe, a mist was emitting from him. Only, this mist was red in color and almost glowed faintly against the sunlight. Killua shook it off as something to be concerned with later. Forty minutes passed when the albino finally spotted a gleam of silver in between two pieces of kelp nearly a kilometer off the shoreline.
"Lucky!" He wasn't sure if the little boy was still there but mentally thanked him before quietly swimming towards the shape in graceful strokes. Most creatures wouldn't even be able to sense him in predator mode but somehow, the Koi jerked up and made a break for it to the East side. Killua followed without a missed step. He weaved through a trench, missed the sharp edges of a coral reef by mere inches, and slowed when the currents suddenly grew stronger.
Forcing his head out of the water for a breath of air, Killua realized the river was getting shallower. He followed the path until a mini waterfall came into sight. Here, many baby koi fish of different colors swam freely by the weeds. The liquid was so clear, filled with life. It almost made him depressed that all of it would be gone in a mere fifteen minutes. Almost; he had no time to be worrying for anyone's life but his and his brother's alone. Distracted, Killua tripped on the wet rocks and smashed his head against the water. He was up again in a second, seething. "STUPID FISH…!"
Only to stop when he spotted said fish circling around a wedge in a boulder. Covered in moss, was his old waterproof cell phone. The purple of its protector and undamaged wallpaper finally convinced him as Killua lifted it up to wipe on his shirt. Through everything, he forgot that this was what he was looking for originally.
"How did it get washed away so far?" The silver of the fish and its babies swam by his feet. Killua could only stare, the double meaning behind its actions slowly moulding into his head. "So, you want me to rescue your children too in exchange?"
Thankfully, he had brought a large bag.
-H-H-H-H-H-H-
It had become some kind of tradition in this country to have all wealthy children or potential heirs gather at the same mansion for an annual meeting. The reason behind it he did not know since the event had only started happening three years ago. Thankfully he couldn't care less. What really complicated things was that the host of said party was the father of the second target he was having trouble meeting, a girl by the name of Neon Nostrade.
The boss had allowed Killua to borrow the identity of a co-worker's foreign nephew who lived across the sea in order to get in. The other boy also had white hair and was around the same age as him, though his eyes were a darkened maroon instead. It was good enough to fool meddlesome guests. As expected, the entrance was packed like a can of sardines. One old lady's purse nearly dented his nose, toddlers whined by his feet, and he was sure his toes had been stepped on at least thirty times. After an hour of wanting to kill himself, the bright entrance finally came in view. At the front was a young dark haired girl in a uniform so tight he was surprised her chest didn't explode out of it.
"This can't be right." She stared inquisitively at the ID. Well, he supposed a security personnel working for Nostrade wouldn't be any normal meddlesome guest. In a rush to let so many people in, one couldn't spend too much time staring at a given picture. It was hard to notice the fraud unless they had very good sight. "You're not the one in this photo, sir."
He sent a good-willed smile. It made him sick. "Have you ever heard of a diffuser and red eye?"
"I've heard of red eye but…"
"Red eye is caused by the light of the flash entering the target's retina, diffracting, and bouncing back as crimson back into the lens. Direct flashes also produce harsh highlights which accentuate the forehead and nose, sometimes distorting how the subject's face appears on camera." Most of the crowd around them grew tired of the winded conversation and redirected their focus to another secretary. "The way to solve this problem is by using a diffuser but, as you can see, the amateur who took this photo for me did not have one."
"Th-That's very interesting and I see your point but I-I don't have the authority if the higher ups don't hear it…" Thinking fast, Killua grasped her chin with his forefinger so she faced him directly, leaning forward to trace her jawline gently. Despite her so-called perfect vision, it seemed as if she was looking at him for the first time. A blush rapidly crept onto her cheeks. The last of her resolve broke when he whispered in her ear, breath tickling her collar, a trick he learned from Gon.
"I'll take full responsibility for whatever happens to you…"
Dazed, she nodded dreamily. So caught up in her fantasies, she didn't notice the newfound object of her affections shrug and casually sneak in. When he finally got past the sign in sheet at the front, Killua slithered to the furthest corner away from all the people. Ugh, socializing.
"Excuse me, would you care for a dance?" He inwardly groaned. Sending a sugary-sweet smile at the woman who was probably his senior by twenty years, Killua lent out his hand to clasp her gloved ones in his grip. He had only just noticed the soothing music in the background which was completely cluttered by the chatter around them. Even so, he stepped gracefully around the passing kids to lead her to the dance floor where the violin was the loudest. Most people would've been pushed aside by the maze added to his brisk walk. She only clutched onto his arm tighter.
Damn, what a persistent woman. It looks like he couldn't lose her in the crowd. There was always plan B. Killua purposely tripped a passing waiter carrying a tray of drinks. Sure enough, the brunette beside him shrieked and let go of his shoulder. It wasn't the most elegant, but he took the chance to duck under the closest table. There was no way he was dancing unless absolutely necessary.
"Ow-!" His master plan didn't count on someone else being here already. The white-haired boy gaped at the other clutching his head in front of him, both their bodies barely fitting under the table cloth, before pointing an accusing finger at him. "You…!"
The other recovered just in time to beam at him. "Oh, mister!"
Killua couldn't believe it. That girly singing sage boy was here, of all places. Expertly, his shock changed into a threatening tone. "You…you better not have told the police what I was doing in the river."
"Of course not, I promised mister. Unless I was sleep talking again…"
He chose to ignore that one. "Then what are you doing here if not to arrest me or something stupid like that?"
"My name is Zushi by the way, nice to meet you-"
"Just answer the question, please."
"Oh right! You know, I come here every year. It's really fun. All my friends and I get to have our fortunes told by the really pretty lady at the front. She's Mr. Nostrade's daughter!" Killua raised an eyebrow disinterested. That meant this party was just some joke to laugh about between grownups. His thoughts came to a halt when small boy suddenly sobered, glancing at him seriously. "They always come true."
"…That's impossible."
"Six years ago, there was a girl living across the street from me. It was predicted that she would grow up into a mur-muurd…" he paused, sounding out the word on his tongue. "Murderer. No one took it seriously until two years later; she killed her own parents with thread she found in a sewing kit. It only took her a few months to become one of the most wanted criminals in the world. That's when Netero-sama decided to start holding these parties.
…But, it's great because I've been getting fortunes saying I'll be a singer when I grow up for two years straight! It's been my dream." Killua settled down into a sitting position as the boy continued rambling. It was the exact opposite. This party appeared to be an excuse to joke around when in reality, the children with bad fortunes would be taken away to work as slaves. It didn't matter if they'd never seen the red of blood or the silver of a gun. This Neon Nostrade had the last word and her father the riches to show for it.
Slumped against a darkened room days ago, his introduction to Neon had been akin to being shown a picture and nothing else. It was more information than what happened with Gon, but now that he knew of Neon's occupation as a sniffing dog for the government, why would the boss let her be a target? Heck, he still didn't understand why Gon was one.
Then, there was something else. Nen. Zushi's and Neon's abnormal abilities were definitely the work of Nen. The problem was Killua was taught that Nen could only be used to conceal one's presence from a young age by his family. There was no other trick to it. Now the threads of their fib came undone. Immediately, thoughts flew around the perceptive photographer's mind. Were they lying to me this whole time? Why would father do that? No, I can't just be noticing this now. There must be a trigger in order to see it. Was it planned? But, the scariest thought of them all.
What else can Nen do?
He didn't like it; this premonition of not knowing anything at all.
It was like drowning in his own doubt. Realizations that half the life he was living now could be a complete deception fabricated by the puppeteers in the shadows and brought to life with Nen. Giving a flamethrower to a toddler, a nuclear bomb to your eternal rival, it was all suddenly reality. Killua wanted to leave. He needed more time to sort things out alone. He needed to prepare his own weapon to fight back. He needed…someone to trust in all of this.
He lifted the table cloth and stepped out, unaware Zushi had left minutes ago and the rest of the party had gathered near the other side of the room to start the ceremony. Skillfully tuning out all the noise around him, Killua quietly snuck to the exit in a blank trance. It was only a few feet away from the shining red sign did he acknowledge the air tight doors, bars preventing his escape. A lanky man guarding the door spared him a glance.
"Sorry kid. No one gets in or out until the fortunes are over." They were being treated as criminals.
In a lapse of judgement, the quivering teen only stepped closer. He didn't care if he killed someone in broad daylight. Arm in a pristine suit lifted. If he drew attention, he would get away somehow. Nails glinted dangerously. Even if he couldn't cut through the doors and would be trapped in here, as long as he didn't need a gun to kill, everything would be fine. A self-satisfied grimace sprouted on his face. He would just kill everyone here, like a desperate prey just before getting caught. Killua didn't notice something in his eyes sparked.
"STOP! NO, DON'T TAKE HIM AWAY!"
The albino jumped in surprise. The scream cut through his subconscious. Someone yelled. No, it wasn't at him. He stared at sharpened claws stunned. What was I going to do?
"W-Why? Why…!?" Finally recognizing the voice, Killua's heartbeat skipped. Gon…? "He never did anything wrong! What changed it? At least tell me that!" Slowly, he felt legs that were shaking only moments before tread curiously to the other end of the room where the crowd was gathered. The people were slowly dispersing around him as predictions continued despite the black-haired boy's desperate pleas.
"Stupid kid, just give up. You're annoying the other guests." It was a female's voice, that same woman who tried to dance with Killua earlier was isolated from the crowd and next to Gon, punishing him with a slap on his bare wrists. Taking a boy away in chains, his skin was burnt, shirt ripped apart to reveal lashings given out right in front of the audience. Diagnosing the tattered fake police badge, the photographer's eyes widened a margin. They fell back on Gon, the only pair still watching the exchange.
"I'M annoying the guests?! Zushi is your son and you're going to believe a fortune over him? H-He was going to be a singer, remember? W-We…" There it was; that feeling again. That urge to just jump up there and support Gon with everything he had. It was becoming harder to supress the longer he stood there. "We're brothers-"
"SHUT UP!" No one in the room flinched as the woman slapped the boy hard across the cheek. The force was enough that Gon hit the floor from the impact. He was neither fragile nor sensitive, yet the strike was great enough to bruise his skin. Suddenly Killua wished he made that tray of glasses fall on her instead. "You should be grateful wench that your fortune wasn't worse. And ha! His voice was terrible. You seriously thought that would work out?" The normally calm photographer was quickly losing his patience with the woman. As if she could do any better! And now when sending Zushi away wasn't enough, she was exposing Gon in front of everyone.
Killua stilled. …Isn't that what I wanted? This was information he needed, right?
"Miss Neon must've had a miscalculation the two years prior because I certainly don't see how the one you got this time could be any different! You're nothing but a petty thief with no friends." That's…not true.
"And any time you make friends they all die anyway! Isn't that right, bastard child?" A chill went up his spine. …What?
"Or how about I talk about the time you-"
"THAT'S ENOUGH!"
Everyone turned to the voice only to find an empty space, and indeed the owner had already fled into the crowd at inhuman speed, disappearing without a trace. They later resumed their activities as if nothing happened, only one certain brunette woman with a sharp tongue turned back to embarrass her son further, mouth gaping when she realized Gon had vanished as well.
-H-H-H-H-H-H-
Footsteps echoed in the empty hall as shoes clanked against marble. There were surprisingly no guards around. Eventually when he ran for what felt like hours, Killua nearly collapsed on the floor. He usually had better stamina than this but it seemed as if the whole day just drained him through. It was now dark out, the full moon shining bright on him and his struggling captive. Eventually tired of the squirming, he brought down one angry fist against the other's head, generating a well-articulated 'ow'.
"What were you thinking, you idiot?!" For the third time that night, Killua lost his cool and nearly screamed in frustration as Gon attempted to bite into his arm to escape instead of answering. "It's me, Kil-uh, Koi!"
Finally the movements stopped long enough for Gon to lean and stare back at the familiar face. "Koi…? You're here!" And, un-expectantly, envelope the later in a bone crushing hug worthy of a viper's.
Killua decked him again. "Cut it out!"
"Wait…" Gon held his head slowly in thought. He bolted to his feet in panic. "I have to rescue Zushi!"
"You can't." The sudden abrupt line cut even Gon off mid-run. To his surprise, the spikey haired boy was in his face in seconds, grabbing the collar of his shirt to glare at him full force.
"And why not?!" Something about Killua giving up so easily pissed him off.
"He's already out of the building, Gon. They won't listen to anyone, no matter how powerful or treasured or trusted in the country. You're just a dirty thief and disgrace of a son to the police head, am I right?" Gon looked away as Killua's eyes distanced. Neither could see the other's expression anymore. "They'll shoot you down. They shoot everyone down…even the heir to the throne of this dumb government…"
"That woman isn't my mother."
This made Killua look up, feeling the grip on his shirt loosen until those tan blood-stained, Gon's blood, hands hugged nothing but air.
"I don't have any parents, just a step-brother who means the world to me." Blue eyes twitched upward at the revelation. Zushi and Gon were step brothers who only shared the same father, someone who Gon for some reason didn't acknowledge. "I only ever got to see Zushi twice a year. It was always at a really formal supervised event like this where we never got to do much but enjoy each other's presence, because everyone was watching. Even so, I was happy. I looked forward to meeting him all the time and now he's gone."
For a moment, Killua mistook his voice as a dejected tone, taking in the sight of slumped shoulders. Bowtie half undone, the jacket of his suit missing, he realized this was the first time he'd seen Gon in something decent. And he didn't look half bad. At the same time, he seemed like the most pathetic creature on the earth.
All hope is lost. It's pointless to fight it. Over the bodies of his dead parents, he was so scarily calm.
It reminded Killua of his younger self when this whole thing first started.
It's acceptance. Nothing will change it. Illu-nii will never be freed. Not really.
The albino didn't know what took over but he reached out to comfort him.
Gon suddenly bolted up, shocking the other still. "AS IF I'd accept that! I'm saving him."
…Huh?
"And whoever you are, Koi…" Killua paled slightly, so he had been listening. The black-haired boy let the slightest smile slip. "You shouldn't accept it either."
And suddenly, instead of drowning in doubt, he felt himself float to the surface to see the sun again. The water beneath him was alive, waves mixed with certainty quickly taking over until he realized, it wasn't so scary after all. The shadows were merely there to keep him on his feet. One day killing him, the others keeping him sane as the excitement, the challenge of overcoming them somehow would uplift his spirits as long as this very person was standing next to him.
Without thinking, Killua seized Gon by the wrists, turning the shorter body just enough to crash frozen lips against his own.
-H-H-H-H-H-H-
Look who's updating after four months. That's right, ME!
I swore to myself I'd update during Christmas break since university's been tiring me out, but I think I won't rely on that anymore. This Christmas was seriously one of the worst I've had. First my sister got in a car accident (thankfully she's okay) that literally ruined the car. Then while trying to trade a foreign ditto in Pokémon X it said I needed to download an update, so I tried just to find out the Nintendo eShop wasn't working for me. The problem was apparently fixed for everyone but me. Pokémon X is pretty much unusable without it.
Then, and I swear this all happened in the span of a week, we had a blackout for the three days prior to Christmas so there was no heating either. That is not pleasant if you live in Canada. The new car we rented was frozen in ice the next day so we were stuck in the house. Later I cracked a window while helping my mom thaw it out so I offered not to get any Christmas presents as compensation to fix it.
Actually, I think this was the worst Christmas for the car. I've had a pretty pleasant one in comparison. Sorry for the long wait. I will definitely work on chapters while in school from now on and uh…GON KILLUA FOREVA.