"…I have grown to respect Killua..."
Killua was seated upon an upside down crate, using the heels of his shoes against the wooden corners to keep his legs from dangling off the edge. His arms enveloped his bent knees, causing his back to arch forward slightly. His eyes wandered just below his makeshift chair to Gon, who was snoozing with his head partially bowed and arms folded while leaning back in a position that was just off from being upright.
Taking refuge after operating hours in a warehouse was hardly preferable, but at least it felt safer than either hanging around Haku's place or relying on hotel rooms to shelter them. After all, he knew that Illumi would likely look for him in those sorts of places first, and this way at least he could buy some time until a better solution presented itself.
Rather, he wanted to find a better solution, but Misaki had once again served only to distract him. She had betrayed him, and yet she was unaware of his presence she had told Illumi… she had said…
"…I have grown to respect Killua..."
A disgruntled sigh escaped him, and he narrowed his eyes at nothing in particular. He was at a crossroad now; stuck between his rational side deliberating that Misaki was a danger to him and a liability, and his instincts torn over the need to escape from both the girl and Illumi while his desire to understand her constantly arose to complicate matters.
Respect…? How could it be that she could respect him and meanwhile have taken part in his humiliation? For that matter, what was respect, anyway?
He glanced over Gon once more. Gon was his friend, but did that mean that he respected him? He had saved him and brought him into a world he never would have been permitted to touch otherwise, always lighting the way with his determined optimism… did that mean he respected him?
In truth he used to equate respect with physical strength and power, but now that he was no longer dwelling at home, he supposed he could question the idea. He had always translated his fear of Illumi as "respect" when he was younger, and that was as good a reason as any to challenge it, was it not?
Moreover, he wondered whether he particularly wanted Misaki's respect, and if not then why had he…
He and Gon had been hiding in the bushes, having unintentionally run across Illumi and Misaki amidst Gon's outburst and subsequent running off. Killua was as stupefied upon first hearing Misaki's claim as he was currently considering it, and he simply watched in silence with his mind seemingly still and rushing all at once.
Her hands were palm-down in the dirt before Illumi's feet. Killua noticed the slight tension that was not typically apparent from his brother show itself elusively and then disappear beneath the ever-present mask. The older boy frowned and tilted his head downwards, capturing his chin in his own hand in thought.
"Well, that's no good," he announced, his eyelids half closing. "I hired you to kill Gon, not to waste time fraternizing with Kil'."
Unconsciously, Killua leaned closer to his friend, clasping his tanned wrist in his hand. Gon would react, and this was not the time to act impulsively. Even so, the paler boy clenched his teeth at the realization of Misaki's intended purpose amongst them.
"If someone like you spent enough time with Kil' to think that you have respect for him now, then maybe Kil' thinks the same thing about you and that means that you're another 'friend' that will distract him…which means you have to be destroyed, too."
The girl's eyes were low and dull. She said nothing, only filled her fists with soil, bowing her head in defeat and leaving herself vulnerable to attack.
'Idiot, don't let your guard down.'
Illumi glanced up and snapped his fingers suddenly, lifting his index finger as though to illustrate his sudden "epiphany".
"Ah! But if Gon is destroyed and you're willing to follow my conditions regarding Kil', then maybe we can reach an agreement."
At first the girl did not budge, though after a few long, drawn out moments she slowly shifted and raised herself to her feet. She kept her face turned low.
"Then you're saying," she said tonelessly, "that I wouldn't have to die?"
Illumi waited until she angled her stare toward him and then smiled slightly, despite speaking no words. Misaki glanced quietly back at the ground.
"I see…" she murmured, drawing a single step toward him. "So then I would kill Gon and obey your rules… and everything would be as it was before?"
This time she did not look to him for any response before advancing nearer.
"You and I could more or less come and go as we pleased and cross paths here and there..." The girl paused as she stood toe to toe with him, looking him in the eye. "All would be forgiven and we could…"
She slipped her fingers through his hair and without warning grasped a fistful and yanked his face to her level, arching in her spine towards him.
"…do as we did before?"
Despite seemingly motioning to kiss him, Misaki savagely pinched his bottom lip between her teeth until the flesh was successfully punctured, pulling away from the flow of blood only to thrust forth the tip of her umbrella, which she had summoned to her during the act, at his abdomen.
Unfortunately this cheap shot was apparently expected more or less, and before the weapon could make contact with him, Illumi retaliated by tossing two pins her way; one into either of her wrists. Misaki immediately lost her grip on the umbrella as she withdrew a few steps, grimacing noticeably.
She was done for, and Killua very well recognized the fact. Illumi was already drawing more needles and she was virtually defenseless. He was closing in again, unfazed by the seeping wound on his lower lip.
"Misaki…" He was as composed as always as he stood before the girl. "Is this your way of telling me that you disagree with my offer?"
"It's my way of telling you that I think you're the most despicable human being I've ever known," she hissed, violently wrenching the pins from her wrists and throwing them into the dirt.
Killua shifted onto the ball of his foot. He was stunned at this change in position, as it suggested that he was preparing to suddenly intervene… That wasn't possible, was it?
He watched his brother reach out with speed that Misaki was unable to match in defense and take her jaw into his hand and secure it firmly, whispering something to her that Killua could not hear but that made the girl's eyes widen uncharacteristically.
"Gon… meet me back at Haku's place," he insisted in a hoarse whisper.
Before he could account for his actions or give his friend a chance to object, Killua pushed off his back foot and positioned himself behind the girl, slamming his palm down on her vertebrae and collecting her subsequently unconscious body in single swoop. For a small fraction of a second, his eyes met Illumi's, and a chill ran through him straight to the core as he sprinted away with Misaki's sleep-weighted body in tow.
The consequences for this would be dire, he knew. Although the fact that he was capable of such defiance was news even to himself, and he tried to keep from feeling prideful for the act that essentially spelled out his own demise.
