8: Experiment
Atsushi sneezes as they step outside. "Cold." He mumbles, the cold wind blowing against his hair.
"We can get you something from town. But before that, you want to fix what happened earlier, correct?"
Gray eyes light up. "Mhm!"
"Very well."
They walk through that desolate part of town for a while, Chrollo seemingly unbothered by the cold despite his simple shirt and pants, while Atsushi regularly sneezes.
"Chrollo... when are we gonna get there?" He tugs at his sleeve to get his attention.
"Soon."
Atsushi pouts but says nothing. A few minutes of walking later, they reach a crumbling building. Atsushi shrinks at the loud laughter coming from inside.
"I want you to kill all of them. Go." Chrollo calmly orders.
Atsushi's brain screeches to a halt. "Huh?"
Chrollo hands him the same knife as before. "You want to redeem yourself, don't you? There are three people inside. Don't come out before killing all of them."
Atsushi nods and runs into the building.
On the ground floor, two men sit around an unconscious boy tied to a chair. The boy can't be too older than him. Atsushi's hand trembles. They haven't spotted him yet but... if they do...
The men are still laughing and talking loudly. Atsushi tries to understand what they're saying, but realises that they're talking in a completely different language.
You want to redeem yourself, don't you?
Of course, I do! But how can I take on two people at once?!
A rush of adrenaline courses through his body and he rushes forward, knife in hand. He'll kill them no matter what it takes!
The two men, taken by surprise, freeze up. Not leaving the opportunity, Atsushi stabs one of the men's neck. The man shrieks in agony as he tries to pull out the knife. Before he can, however, he collapses to the floor in a pool of blood.
Meanwhile, Atsushi's eyes click to the other's. The man, now on his guard, takes out his own knife. Atsushi takes a step towards the dead man to get his own knife back. Unfortunately, the man takes a step forward too.
"Hehe! Unlucky little brat, aren't you." The man guffaws, showing off his missing teeth.
What do I do? What do I do? What do I do?
The man slowly starts walking forward, each step closing the gap between them. Atsushi can't outrun him, that he's sure about. Even if he does, there's only a disappointed Chrollo to meet outside. Better get in trouble here than there.
Before Atsushi can react, he has his back pressed to the floor, a knife stuck to his throat. No. No. No. No. No.
A stream of blood trickles down his neck. Tears cloud his eyes.
"Please die." And that he does, squashed along with his knife before his very eyes.
Atsushi stands up, a hand clutching the wound on his neck. Someone else killed his opponent again... no...
There are three people inside. Don't come out before killing all of them.
Before one problem gets resolved, another presents itself. Where's the third man?
"Wait..." Atsushi mumbles, turning to the unconscious boy. It's him?
He wrenches the knife from the first man's neck and carefully walks over to the boy.
Something makes his chest feel heavy. But what? I just have to kill him. He doesn't matter to me in any other way.
Atsushi shakes his head. Useless thoughts.
A new wound. Blood streaming down to the floor. A short gag. A tear down his face. And the boy's dead.
Atsushi looks down to his shaking hand, now covered with the other boy's blood. Why does he feel this feeling...
Ow! Atsushi falls to his knees. He clutches his neck tighter. Ow ow ow ow!
"Good job." Chrollo's soothing voice is the last thing he hears as he passes out.