New World
Gon woke up to a headache. He sat up and gently cradled his head in his hand to find it wet and warm. He looked at his hand after pulling it away and saw warm sticky liquid covering his dirty fingertips. He looked around himself to try to recognize where he was. He was in some kind of forest. He looked up at the sky and determined that it was in the afternoon. He was sitting in a clearing and noticed a few birds fly overhead. Unable to find familiarity in his surroundings, he looked back down at himself. He was wearing knee high hiking boots, green denim shorts, and a green jacket.
His mind went back to the wound on his forehead. His first priority should be to stop the bleeding. He sat cross-legged and slid his jacket off his body to find his muscles sore. Under the jacket was a dark grey cotton T that he proceeded to take off. Folding the T into a ball of fabric, he placed it over his forehead and held it there to stop the bleeding. He stood up and looked around, still confused. He squinted his eyes in concentration and he tried to remember how he ended up where he was in the first place. He stood there for several minutes, but failed to remember anything other than his own name.
"Gon," he muttered to himself as if to clarify that was indeed his name. It sounded correct. He bent down to grab his jacket and looked towards the trees. In the distance, he could hear running water. It was then that he felt as if he hadn't drinken in days. His lips were parched and his throat was dry. He nodded to himself again before he walked in the direction of the water.
He got to the riverside and sat down on his knees. He put his jacket down and lowered the T from his head. It was dark from blood and Gon lowered it into the cold water that rushed by him, rubbing the T against itself. Fresh blood floated down the river. Once he cleaned out as much blood as he could, he raised the shirt to wash his face and clean his wound. The water was cold, but refreshing, as Gon gently scrubbed the dirt and blood off his body. Once he was satisfied with how clean the wound was, he allowed himself to cup his hands in the river to drink. The cold spread through his body as he swallowed, sending a shiver down his spine.
~ 0 0 0 ~
Further down the river, Josh was pulling his boat back to shore. He was sixteen and his height was average. His dark brown hair came to his ears, and his hazel eyes cleared in concentration. His rough hands finished tying the boat to the dock behind the cabin his family was staying at. He had scoffed when his mother had insisted on sleeping in a cabin; he claimed that then they wouldn't have been actually camping if they weren't directly under the stars. He was about to turn in for a snack when he noticed something red out of the corner of his eye. Turning back around, he saw a cloud of blood coming from further up the river. Worried it might be a hurt animal, he called to his mother to let her know he was going to stay out for a bit longer before untying his boat and sailing against the current to find the source of the blood.
About fifteen minutes passed, and the blood had stopped pouring downstream. He was about to turn back when he heard someone groan on the riverside. Josh secured the boat to a nearby tree and stepped out, deciding to continue on foot. He hiked silently through the trees for a few minutes before he froze mid step. In front of him was a boy about his age. The first thing Josh noticed was the large gash above the boy's left eye. His black hair had clumped together from dried blood. He was inspecting a shirt above him and he was laying down on what looked like a jacket. His skin was stained with dirt and grime, and his eyes wore a focused yet confused expression. Josh lowered his foot clumsily, causing the boy to turn his head in his direction. Josh froze and the boy's eyes lit up and smiled before he pushed himself off the ground into a sitting position.
"Hi!" the boy waved over at Josh. Josh raised his hand in greeting awkwardly before walking slowly towards him.
"Hi," he said. He squatted by the boy to be at the same eye-level. "I'm Josh. Who are you?"
"... Gon. Yeah. My name is Gon," the boy hesitantly said, putting a finger to his chin and looking up before looking back at Josh with a smile. "Nice to meet you, Josh."
"Can you tell me what happened to you, Gon?" Josh asked. The boy in front of him frowned and looked back up to the sky.
"Actually, I can't remember," he said before another smile appeared on his face. "But I do remember my name."
"Okay," Josh said, processing this information. He thought for a moment. He needed to get back to the cabin where his parents were before they worried about him staying out longer than he said he would, but he couldn't leave Gon alone. He nodded and stood back up. "Okay. Gon, can you walk?" Gon sprung to his feet in a jump, surprising Josh with how much energy the kid had, despite his injury.
"Yep!" he said excitedly.
"Er - follow me. I'll get some help," Josh said. Gon picked up the green jacket from the forest floor and held both articles of clothing in his hands. Josh was surprised with how willing Gon was to follow him as he led him back to the boat since they had never met before. When they came up to the boat, Gon's face lit up in excitement.
"Is this yours?" he asked. Josh nodded. "That's so cool!"
"Not really. It's barely stable," Josh said, untying the boat from the tree after they both got in.
"But it is stable," Gon persisted. "It's like we're swimming, but we're staying dry!"
Gon leaned over the side of the boat and watched as a few fish swam by. Josh only shook his head and smiled. There was something about Gon that made people happy just by being around him. The cabin came into view, and Josh heard another awed gasp from him. He secured the boat again and got off first.
"Is this where you live?" Gon asked.
"No. It's Labor Day Weekend, and my family is camping, well, kinda. It's not really camping if you're not sleeping under the stars." Gon nodded, not knowing what Labor Day Weekend was, but agreed with Josh about needing to sleep under the stars if they were camping. Josh looked Gon over as if trying to decide what to do. He eventually just shrugged and told Gon to follow him up the small hill towards the cabin. "They wouldn't turn you away," he said more to himself.
Josh knocked before walking in to meet his parents at the table. "Hi. Sorry I'm late," he apologized.
"It's okay, Josh," his mother said. "Can you shut the -" She stopped mid-sentence as she spotted the shirtless boy waiting on the other side of the door. She looked over at the large cut on his head and turned back to her son questioningly. Josh took that as permission and turned towards Gon.
"You can come in," he said. Gon smiled and took his shoes off by the door as he entered the cabin. Josh's mother turned to Gon and stood up, placing her hands on his shoulders caringly.
"Are you ok?" she asked with concern. He looked back at her confused and then shrugged his shoulders.
"Um… My head hurts," he said.
"What happened?" she asked both boys in front of her. Josh shrugged and Gon tried to explain.
"I can't remember," he said, earning a look of worry from the mother. "B-but I managed to clean myself in the river somewhat so it doesn't get infected," he quickly added. He didn't want this woman to worry about him. It turns out he might've said something wrong because she only appeared to be more worried.
"Do you remember your name, sweetie?" she asked.
"Gon," he said with a smile. She looked over at Josh for a while, having a silent conversation with him, before turning back to the injured boy.
"I want you to take a shower real quick. Josh can lend you some clothes for today," she said. Gon nodded and she led him to the bathroom. He closed the door and soon she heard the water running on the other side. She turned back to Josh. "Is this why you wanted to stay out a little longer before coming back?" she asked. He nodded.
"I saw blood coming from upstream and thought it might've been an animal. I never expected it to be a human." He looked around for the first time. "Where'd Dad go?" he asked.
"You were gone long enough for him to start looking for you," she said.
"Shit," he cursed under his breath. His mother gave him a warning glare before shaking her head and faced the bathroom door.
"Poor boy," she mumbled and she walked back over to the kitchen to collect the first aid kit. Josh nodded and went into his room to grab a set of clothes and a towel for Gon to use after his shower. He knocked on the bathroom door and set the stuff inside before walking over to the cabin's front door to close it.
"We'll have to wait until your dad comes back before we can leave," his mom said. He nodded. A few minutes later, Gon came out of the bathroom wearing a white and green plaid shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows and blue jeans. Josh's mom - Katherin - sat Gon down at the table and wrapped his head and disinfected the cut. After she was done, Gon followed Josh into his room where they played video games until Josh's dad came back.
A few hours later, a large man came into the cabin. He sat his rifle down by the door and walked sadly over to his wife. He opened his mouth to tell her how he couldn't find their son when he heard Josh's voice cheering in his room along with another voice he did not recognize. He looked at his wife confused and saw her smile. He was disbelieving and got up to walk over to the door. He opened the door to find his son and another boy his age holding controllers towards the TV screen, each with earbuds in their ears as they cheered each other on. Josh glanced over to the opening door before quickly taking out his earbuds. Confused, Gon did the same and faced the muscular man who stood in the doorway.
"Dad," Josh said nervously. "Um, sorry. I didn't mean to stay out long enough to make you worry about me, but, er… ThisisGon." He rushed the introduction. Gon smiled and waved at the man in greeting.
"Hello," he said with a bright smile. "I'm Gon. Are you Josh's dad? This place is amazing!"
The man only nodded in surprise before he found his voice. He noticed the bandages on Gon's head and opened his mouth to ask about them when Josh beat him to it.
"He doesn't remember," Josh said, knowing full and well what his dad was going to ask. "In fact, I found him by the river. That's why I was late getting back." Gon reached up to touch his bandages as if he had forgotten they were even there in the first place.
"My name is Mathew," the man said in a deep voice. "Is there anything you do remember?" Gon shook his head sadly before looking back up full of energy. Mathew turned to face his family. "Well, I know it's a day early, but let's head back home. We'll go to the police station there and see if anyone recognizes him, okay?" Everyone in the cabin nodded. They were in the family vehicle within the next two hours and began the long drive back home to the police station with Gon excitedly humming to the songs on the radio along the way and talking animatedly with Josh.
~ 0 0 0 ~
Killua woke up to the traffic noise. His body ached all over and he looked around. He was laying underneath a stone bridge with unfamiliar markings. Foul smelling liquid ran by his feet. Unable to recognize, or remember, anything, he quickly jumped to his feet in a defensive position. He could see the sun setting to the west and determined the time of day. Looking around, he determined he was in a city of some type, and the liquid at the bottom of the tunnel-like passage must've been the sewers. He heard metal against stone and jumped, startled, at the sound. He faced an older male as he stood from a metal chair.
"Where the hell am I?" Killua demanded. The man looked frail, but Killua's instinct told him to stay on alert anyway.
"Now, is that how you talk to the person who just saved your life?" the old man retorted. The boy spared one glance at the spot where he had woken up, seeing a wrinkled blanket. He looked the man over. He was wearing large, faded clothing and fingerless gloves. His dark skin was worn with age and exposure to the elements for too long. When the man saw that the child wouldn't back down, or simply may not remember, he sighed.
"I saw you unconscious in the sewer water there," he explained, pointing over to the running liquid. "This leads to the main sewage system. You could've drowned or faced something far worse. You can at least say 'thank you'."
Killua lowered his defensive position a bit after the explanation, and looked down at his clothes. They were still damp, and OMG they smelled so bad he wanted to gag. He saw he was wearing pale purple gym shorts and a dark grey T. His feet were bare, but then he saw a pair of dark purple shoes over by the blanket. He looked up into his silvery bangs that covered his eyes and saw them stained and clumped together from the 'water'. He shook his head and looked back to the old man in front of him.
"Thank you," he said curtly. "Now, where am I?" he repeated. The old man scoffed and mumbled something about 'kids these days'.
"You're in the city," he said. "What's your name?"
"Tell me who you are first, geezer," Killua said. The man laughed heartily before bending down, having a coughing fit that shook his entire body.
"Geezer, huh?" he asked in a hoarse voice after a minute. "How about you call me that, pretty boy?"
Killua's face warmed and he shook his head furiously. "My name's Killua," he said, frustrated with the man in front of him. The man looked him in the eye curiously.
"I wasn't exactly expecting you to say it," he muttered under his breath, but Killua heard it.
"Then why the hell did you ask?" he challenged. The man fumbled a bit and sat back down in his chair.
"Well, Killua," the man began, ignoring the teenager's question. "You ought to be heading home by now. The city gets more dangerous after dark, and I doubt you can defend yourself well."
"What makes you say that, Geezer?" Killua asked, stalling for time before he had to admit that he had nowhere else to go.
"You're too skinny," he said and looked back over to the boy. "And you're already injured. At least go to the hospital or something 'fore it gets infected." Killua, surprised, looked down at his right arm and saw an uneven gash that spread from the inside of his elbow down to his wrist. The dried blood appeared to have clogged up the wound not too long ago. He bent his elbow a few times and flexed his fingers to test his movement.
"Hurts, but I can move it alright," he said. The old man looked back at him in surprise.
"You used to those kinds of injuries, boy?" he asked.
"I guess," Killua replied truthfully, shrugging his shoulders. He must have won some of the old man's respect with that.
"Well now, I do suppose you could stay a little longer then," he said. "The name's David." Killua relaxed a bit more.
"What would you have done if I had refused to leave in the first place?"
"I guess I couldn't have forced you," David chuckled. Killua walked over and sat down on the rugged blanket that was still out. They sat together in silence as the sun finished setting, and it became harder to see before a white light in the wall directly under the bridge automatically turned on.
"Where do you live?" Killua asked after noting how David hadn't gone home yet even though he had been the one to tell Killua to do so over an hour ago.
"This is my home, kid," he said. Killua looked at him in shock and he just nodded. "I ain't got a roof with four walls. The bridge keeps me relatively dry from the rain, but that's just 'bout it."
Killua thought about this information. So this guy didn't have a home either. He wondered who, exactly, the man was in this place. Did anyone know he was living under the bridge? He looked over at David and noticed how skinny he was as well. Was anyone even feeding this man? He looked back at the markings under the bridge. He was about to ask what the markings could mean, if anything, when he heard David snoring in his chair.
Killua smiled crookedly to himself and got up from his sitting position. He decided it was best to put his shoes on since he wasn't familiar with this area and didn't know where he might cut himself if he stepped wrong. The shoes fit him comfortingly, as he knew they would. He leaned down and picked up the blanket. The night chilled his bare arms, but Killua thought the old man would be better off with the blanket than without it. The man instinctively buried himself deeper into it.
Unable to sleep, Killua looked back to the markings under the bridge and studied them. Some seemed to be just silly pictures, but some also seemed to be a part of a language. He climbed up and around under the bridge, his feet landing silently on the metal frames and his hands grabbed the cracks in the stone easily. He felt like he should stay close to David, if only to protect him, so he competed against himself on how fast he could weave through the complex bridge, or on how many tricks he could make up to pass the time. After a few hours, he heard a group of people not far from their little campsite. Killua watched as two teenagers older than himself and one around his age walked towards them by the sewage. He could hear the two older of them snickering while the younger appeared nervous.
"The old man's always here, Carl," the largest one said to his comrade.
"Wonder what he has for us tonight," the other - Carl - said.
"Do we really have to do this?" the youngest one asked Carl nervously. The larger teenager snapped.
"Yo! Keep that brother o' your's mouth's shut," he barked. Carl sent a glare over at his brother and the brother cowered away, mumbling something about just wanting to go home. The largest appeared to be the leader, and the three of them were heading straight towards David's sleeping body. Killua felt a growl come out of his throat. The three teens looked up at the bridge.
"Who's there?" the leader demanded. Killua jumped down from the bridge, effectively startling the three of them.
"Who are you?" Carl asked.
"What do you want with the old man?" Killua countered. Both tried to subdue the other, and the leader let out a chuckle.
"He's got a bodyguard, now?" he asked no one in particular. He came over to Killua and lowered his face to meet his eyes. "Unless you want a beating, I suggest you move outta our way," he threatened. Killua smiled before his body started shaking slightly from uncontainable laughter. Carl and his brother were taken aback from his reaction.
"O-one moment," Killua stuttered as he held up one finger. His laughter rang out for a few more seconds before he was able to get it under control. He looked at the teenager over him. "Did you just try to threaten me? Cause it sure didn't sound like it. Were you even trying to be intimidating?" The leader straightened up and looked down on Killua.
"You must be new here if you haven't heard about me. I'm The Dragon, and I run these here streets, so I'll give ya one more warning. Leave," he demanded. Killua straightened and looked directly into the other's eye.
"No," he said evenly. The older one had a gleam in his eye and smirked.
"Another fight on the list tonight, then," he said and swung his right hand to punch Killua's nose. Killua caught the punch quickly in his hand before bringing it down to the side for an opening. He kneed The Dragon in the stomach hard enough to make the older bend forward in pain. Killua twisted the teenager's wrist and yanked inward, causing the elbow of his opponent to bend inwards. He screamed and bent forward.
Killua leaned into his ear and whispered, "You're lucky I don't kill you. I don't ever want to see your filthy face again. If I do, I won't be so lenient."
"You little bastard!" The Dragon yelled and went for another attack. Instinctively, Killua's nails grew longer and sharp right before he slit the teenager's throat. The whole exchange lasted no more than a minute. Killua fixed his cold gaze on the other two, his hand still dripping with dark liquid. The younger had looked away and was crying while the older looked too stunned to move. Killua stepped forward and the older picked up his younger brother before darting away as fast as he could. Killua spit on the ground in disgust and retracted his nails when he heard loud sirens coming closer from above.
David stirred under the blanket to the sirens. Killua heard the movement in the blanket and walked over to him. David first noticed how one of the boy's hands were stained with fresh blood before he noticed the body of someone laying facedown in a puddle of blood not too far away. He recognized the body as the kid who always gave him a run for his life. He turned to Killua, the boy that had looked innocent, now had the look of a murderer in his eyes. It went away, however, as Killua saw that the teenagers didn't have a fourth person to attack David from behind.
"Your welcome," Killua said. David nodded, still a little fearful of the child that he had so greatly under-estimated. The sirens stopped right above them, making both of them look up towards the sound.
"Run," David whispered to the boy. Killua looked at him confused. "Run," he repeated as men started shouting above the bridge.
"There's a body!" one shouted.
"Show yourself," the second demanded. "Go down there and see if you can find anything," he told his partner. Soon, David and Killua could hear footsteps leaving the bridge. Suddenly, David got up and pushed Killua away as hard as he could, making his chair clang against the ground clumsily. Time seemed to stop as Killua jumped up and back into the complex support of the bridge. The man who had come down sprinted into the light with a handgun pointed directly at David.
"Put your hands up," he demanded. Anger uncoiled out of Killua and he launched himself from the bridge to land in front of the uniformed man. His nails extended once his feet touched the ground. He glared up at the man in a challenge and growled.
"Not another step," Killua threatened. The man in front of him froze, startled by the boy that landed in front of him that poured out a bloodlust anyone could feel for a mile. The man's gaze went from the boy's cold eyes to his right hand that dripped with blood. He also noticed the gash in the child's arm. The man's partner ran down from the bridge and placed a hand on his shaking partner's shoulder. The one with the gun gulped before lowering it. The man beside him spoke.
"We want no trouble," he said calmly to the boy in front of him. "We want to know what happened down here."
"Put the guns down," Killua demanded, nodding to the gun in the first man's hand. The first man raised his gun and Killua let out a low growl. The second man took the initiative and grabbed his arm, lowering the other guy's gun to the ground. He kicked the gun away with his foot.
"Yours too," Killua told the second man. He cautiously pulled his gun out from its place and set it on the ground before also kicking it out of reach. Killua retracted his nails, but didn't relax.
"What happened down here?" the second man asked.
"I killed him," Killua said matter-of-factly. The first man stepped toward him suddenly and Killua's nails lengthened again. "I said. Not. Another. Step."
"Can you tell us why you killed him?" the second man asked. Killua moved his eyes from the first man to the second.
"Cause he was gonna kill the geezer," he said flatly.
"Did the boy attack you first?" he asked, motioning to the cut on Killua's arm.
"Is this an interrogation?" Killua growled. The man shook his head.
"No, but can you come with us to the station?" he asked.
"Why?" Killua demanded.
"We want to ask you a few questions so we know exactly what happened down here," he answered calmly and watched as Killua's nails retracted again.
"I already told you," he said.
"Unfortunately we need more information, and we would like it if both of you would come with us," he said as he glanced back at David who only stared at the boy in between him and the police. Killua's nails grew.
"You leave the geezer out of this," he growled. The man nodded slowly, looking back at the boy.
"We can leave him here if you willingly come with us and promise not to attack anyone else." Killua retracted his nails and placed his hands in his pockets.
"Deal," he said. The man he was talking to turned to his partner and told him to collect the guns and meet them in the car. Killua tensed up, and the man noticed.
"We need our guns back," he explained calmly. "We promise not to shoot them."
Killua nodded and followed the man to the top of the bridge. He opened the car's back door and slid himself into it and looked out the window. The man sat in the driver's seat of the car and waited for his partner, sensing that the teenager in the back would not be talking until they got to the station. Just as he thought, Killua stayed quiet during the ten minute car ride. He studied the buildings as they sped by them, and memorized the street signs. The man pulled into a parking spot and parked the car. He opened Killua's door to let him out and they walked into the bright, bustling police station.
Killua followed him into one of the back rooms where there was a table and two chairs facing each other. Killua walked in wordlessly and sat in the farthest chair. The officer who had driven him there came in and closed the door and sat in the other chair.
"I don't want you to be scared," the officer started. Killua's cold gaze never wavered, and the officer cleared his throat. "My name is Tyler, and I just want to understand the situation better. Can you tell me your name?"
"Killua," he answered.
"Can you tell me your last name, Killua?" he asked. Tyler noticed a slight change in the child's demeanor in front of him before Killua was able to cover it back up.
"Why is my name important?" he asked instead. "Next question."
"Do you remember your last name?" Tyler asked cautiously. Killua growled.
"I said, next question." Tyler sighed.
"Okay. What happened to your arm? Did it happen during the fight?" Tyler watched as Killua's eyes betrayed him for the second time unknowingly, proclaiming his lost memory.
"No," Killua answered the second question, choosing to ignore the first.
"Why were you protecting the old man?"
"Why wouldn't I?!" Killua shouted, standing up and leaning over the table, his hands back out of his pockets. When he saw the officer was unphased, he slowly sat back down with his hands in his shorts. "He saved my life earlier today," he mumbled, looking down at the floor, feeling embarrassed to admit it.
"How did he save your life?" Tyler asked. Killua glanced up into his eyes before looking at the floor again. He summarized the evening from when he had woken up on David's blanket to after killing The Dragon. When Tyler asked him about what may have happened to him before he woke up, Killua glared into his eyes and kept his mouth shut, growling his frustration to his memory. Tyler stood up and faced the teen.
"You can follow me back out to the main room," he said and Killua stood. "I'll send someone over to you to help disinfect and wrap your arm." He opened the door to walk out when Killua asked a question.
"What are you going to do to the old man?" he asked. Tyler turned around.
"We'll give David the option to choose whether he wants to be put in a homeless program." At Killua's raised eyebrow, he explained. "It will give him a roof, a bed, and three meals a day." Killua seemed pleased and nodded. He followed Tyler back out to the main room in the front of the station and sat down in one of the chairs. Tyler turned to one of his co-workers.
"Have you found any records on the kid yet?" he asked. The person behind the desk shook his head.
"It's like this kid didn't even exist before today. I can't find a birth certificate or anything." Tyler hummed to himself and looked the silver haired boy over. Someone with the police first aid kit had come over and started talking with him.
"Have you contacted child services yet?" he asked.
"No, but I was just about to." He reached for the phone, but stopped when he looked at Tyler's face. "What are you thinking about?"
"He doesn't remember anything before tonight," Tyler said. "He doesn't even know his last name." He sighed and faced his friend behind the desk. "Do me a favor and don't contact child services. I have a feeling he'll get worse if we put him into the system like that."
"Who's going to take care of him, then?" he asked.
At the sound of the station doors opening, Killua looked up from his arm and saw what looked to be a family of four enter the station. His eyes moved over them, taking little notice of their appearance, until he saw the fourth member. There were two boys his age, but the one in the plaid shirt kept his eye. There was something about the kid whose head was wrapped up that made Killua study him. Killua felt his stomach turn as he focused on the boy, unable to shake the hint of familiarity with him. He searched his mind and tried to remember as he took in the boy's features.
Gon followed Josh into the police station and they both followed Katherin and Mathew to the desk. Josh was talking to him and smiling, but Gon was unable to keep pace with Josh's conversion. As soon as he walked into the station with him, he felt someone else's eyes on him. He glanced around warily until he found who was studying him. It was a boy his age who was sitting against the far wall. He had someone tending to his arm. Gon let his eyes roam over him and took in his silver hair and piercing blue eyes. Gon subconsciously raised his hand over to his head as he looked into the eyes of the other boy. Something seemed familiar about the boy, but try as he might, Gon simply couldn't remember. His gut told him he was missing some important detail, but what was it?
Josh noticed Gon space out and turned to ask about it, but instead chose to follow his new friend's gaze over to the silver haired boy in the back. Josh got a bad feeling from the boy, but the look both he and Gon had on their faces were identical to the expression Gon had worn when Josh first found him. He went to pat Gon on the shoulder to get his attention, but froze when he felt the other boy's glare on him. It took Josh one look in those hard eyes for him to put his hand back down. When he did, the boy went back to studying Gon, and Gon did the same.
"Hello. We need some help," Katherine said as she and her husband walked over to the desk where Tyler and his friend were. The two officers stopped their conversation and the one behind the desk turned to the couple.
"What can we help you with?" he asked.
"Our son Josh found this boy in the woods near our campsite earlier today," she gestured to Gon before she continued. "He had this large cut above his eye and he can't seem to remember anything except his name." The officer behind the desk turned to Tyler.
"Does this kid know anything other than his first name? What about his last name?" Tyler asked, looking over at the teenager with his head wrapped. He noticed the gaze he held between himself and Killua.
"We haven't thought to ask," Mathew said.
Tyler nodded in their direction and walked up to the teenager. Josh saw the police officer walk towards them and stepped back, thankful to be out of the other boy's line of sight. The officer put his hand on Gon's shoulder. Gon jumped, startled by the weight, and tore his eyes away from the other boy to the officer beside him.
"Hello," the officer greeted as he squatted down to be eye-level with the boy. "What's your name?"
"My name's Gon," he said with a smile. "Who are you?"
"My name is Tyler. I have a few questions for you. Is that alright?" Tyler asked.
"Yeah. I don't see why not," Gon said. Tyler smiled at him appreciatively.
"Gon, can you tell me your last name?" he asked. Gon opened his mouth to respond only to close it a moment later. He sighed as he put his finger up to his chin and looked up at the ceiling in a focused gaze.
"I can't remember my last name," he said after a while before he smiled back at the officer. "But I can remember my first name!" he pointed out. Tyler chuckled at the teenager's enthusiasm.
"Yes, you can," he said before sighing. Gon looked at him confused. Did he say something wrong? "That boy, over there," he said, pointing to the silver haired teen that Gon was just looking at. Gon nodded, and Tyler continued. "Do you know him?"
Gon thought about it again before answering. "I feel like I should. He seems familiar somehow. What's his name?"
"His name is Killua. He can't remember anything either," Tyler explained. "Do you want to go talk to him?"
"... Yeah," Gon nodded. Tyler stood back up to his full height and patted Gon's back in the direction of the other boy. Once the boy was heading over to Killua, Tyler walked back over to the couple that were watching his interaction with the teenager.
"I would rather not contact child services on Gon," he said.
"Why not?" Mathew asked.
"The other kid I talked with him about was Killua. What concerns me is what may happen to these boys if they were put into the system. Killua is a dangerous child, and the problem is he cannot remember anything since before today either. We found him protecting an old man under one of the bridges in the city, the blood of someone else on his hands." The couple he was talking to grew concerned and turned their attention to the two boys laughing at the back of the room. "I worry that putting him in such an unstable environment as the system may cause more harm than good. And seeing as how Gon is experiencing the same memory problems as Killua, as well as sharing similar injuries, I worry the same for him."
"What do you think we should do, then?" Katherin asked.
"If it's not too much trouble, I would appreciate it if you could take Gon home and care for him at least until he gets his memories back. I know I'm asking a lot from you to take care of a possibly troubled teen, but I think that would be the best course of action. The way Killua and Gon were studying each other makes me believe that they know each other somehow, and without knowing what happened, we don't have a clear idea of what to do other than to take it one step at a time."
"We can take care of Gon, but what about Killua?" Mathew asked.
"Thank you. Killua will go home with me. He really is a good kid, but we need to keep in touch. What are your phone numbers?"
"Hi," Gon greeted when he walked up to Killua. Killua's eyes didn't relax as he continued to study this seemingly stranger's face for any hope of recognizing him.
"Who are you?" he asked.
"My name is Gon," the tan boy said. The name felt familiar to him, but he still couldn't place how he knew this kid. "Nice you to meet you, Killua."
Killua pulled back slightly and was confused. "How do you know my name?"
"Officer Tyler told me," Gon said with a smile. The happiness that surrounded Gon felt familiar and warm to Killua. "You can smile," Gon said as he saw the other teen's lips curve.
"Baka. Of course I can smile," he retorted without thinking, frowning at being accused otherwise. Gon laughed as though Killua just shared some kind of inside joke. The sound of Gon's laugh made Killua's heart flip and soon he was laughing along with him.
"Yeah. I have a feeling I'm an idiot," Gon said.
"Good. At least you already know," Killua chuckled.
"Your eyes are very pretty," Gon complimented. Killua stopped laughing and looked at Gon before narrowing his eyes as his cheeks reddened.
"B-baka! Y-you're embarrassing!" Killua cried as he looked away, using his good hand to try to cover his face.
"What? It's true," Gon said earnestly and lowered his head where Killua was hiding his face deeper beneath his bangs and in his hand. There was something about this situation that was very familiar, like they've been doing this for years.
"You don't just say stuff like that," Killua mumbled into his hand. Gon laughed again. He decided he liked it when Killua got all worked up.
~ 14 ~