Gon and Killua sat frozen for a moment, unsure of what to do. Killua glanced over at Gon a couple of times, but Gon was still unable to move. This was Ging. This was finally the man he'd been chasing after his entire life–
Hold on a second…
A figure with blonde hair and dressed in a hot pink blazer suddenly turned their head, meeting Gon's eyes. When Gon met their gaze… he got this weird feeling up his spine… Then person then tapped Ging on the shoulder–
"Shit!" Gon gasped.
Ging snapped his head in Gon and Killua's direction, and when he and Gon locked matching gazes of amber?
Time stopped for a moment.
But then–
"He's making a run for it!" Killua exclaimed, grabbing Gon under his shoulders and lugging him to his feet. Sure enough, Ging and his blonde companion were taking off through the crowd. They were running for the giant black ship!
"Gon! Come on!" Killua snarled, literally carrying the still-frozen Gon down from the shipping containers. Gon shook himself awake, damn it! Why was he so anxious about this?! He needed to move!
The two boys sprinted for the dock, needing to get on that damned ship right now!
"Hey! Look!" Killua exclaimed, gawking at the loading ramp of the enormous structure.
Sure enough, Ging popped his head back out of the boat and–
He was giving the guy at the door a whole bunch of money!
"He's paying them to leave early! Come on, he's trying to leave us behind! What the hell?!" Killua snarled, Valkyrie aura slipping out and startling the crowd.
Gon growled, a smokey gray aura seeping off of him and scaring the crown even more.
"Oh, that's not happening," he muttered through clenched teeth. Gon activated his biochemical, not enough to make his body bigger but definitely enough to catch that bastard. Gon scooped Killua off his feet and was gone in a flash, creating a sonic boom that made the crowd scream and dissolve into a panic. Killua clung to Gon's neck, squeezing himself close to eliminate any extra air resistance.
The ramp was about to be lifted all the way up, ready to seal the opening in the hull! And on top of that, the ship was already slipping off into the sea! How was it ready to go so fast?!
Damn it. That didn't matter right now!
Gon stormed across the dock, leaving footprints of fire wherever he stepped. The ship left the dock, moving unnaturally fast. It had just slipped two yards away - only a few feet of an opening left - when Gon reached the edge of the dock. He jumped from the wooden structure, flinging himself through the air and directly for that quickly closing opening.
Killua gasped and squeezed his tail painfully tight around Gon's waist–
It was about to close on them–
The two boys shot through the opening a split second before the door closed.
With twin yells of surprise, Gon and Killua tumbled to the floor in the boat. They rolled messily across the metal surface, making yet another scene. Once they finally stopped moving, the two of them just lay there for a second, panting.
That had been, the most stressful minute of Gon's entire fucking life!
He released the biochemical with a groan, just in time to be flooded by a group of security guards. Gon and Killua stumbled to their feet, still dizzy and using each other for balance.
"Hey! I'm afraid that stowaways are strictly forbidden on this fl–"
"Oh, shut up," Killua growled, shoving a pouch of gold coinage into the guy's chest. His counterparts hushed up, relaxing and watching greedily as their leader peeked inside the pouch.
"Ah! Well, uh–"
"Can it with the act, alright?" the Valkyrie snapped, giving them all the death stare. They quickly stepped back. "You already let that asshole pay you to leave early. We don't need the theatrics when we already know you're worth shit."
"Um, well, okay then," the man stuttered. He clearly hadn't seen that much gold ever in his life. It made sense. Outside of the Heaven's Arena, fortunes like Gon and Killua's were unheard of. "In any case, welcome to the Black Whale. Enjoy your–"
Killua pulled Gon away before the man could finish his speech. "Damn cops," the Valkyrie growled. "The least they could have done was close the door faster. No point in trying to apprehend us when we're already in the damn ship."
Gon sweatdropped, hurrying to follow Killua around.
He'd grabbed Gon's hand in the rush of the moment.
Even though they were both still wearing gloves… Gon's palm was tingling.
Once they'd gotten far enough for Killua's liking, the Valkyrie dropped Gon's hand. Unfortunately. "Now, where the hell are we?" Killua grumbled.
The two boys looked around… that was a wonderful question. The inside of this ship was… could this even be considered a ship? It was huge, with SUPER tall ceilings and giant crystal chandeliers. Every single surface was made of this pearly white stuff, just like the black on the outside. It wasn't wood, but it wasn't metal either. It couldn't possibly be stone or marble, then the ship wouldn't float. So what the hell was this stuff?
"It looks like a Yorknew modern designer threw up all over," Gon choked out, feeling like he'd get yelled at if he touched anything at all. It was like he was in Mito's "clean room." To pristine to even step foot in.
The interior looked like an eye-twister picture come to life, with a bunch of other floors jutting up, up, up. All of them with the walls completely open, baring their wares for all to see. What was this place?! And why was everything made of rounded rectangles? It felt like a hospital in here.
"What's an assbag like Ging doing in a place like this?" Killua muttered, turning in circles.
"Yeah… and where did he go?" Gon said, feeling defeated. This ship was enormous! How were they gonna find Ging in here?
"I've got no clue. But we'll find him, Gon."
A chill ran up Gon's spine as a violent cloud of Killua's aura raged around the two of them.
Well damn. Killua was pissed.
"I'm not a fucking professional assassin for nothing."
"Wait, you don't have to–"
"-I'm doing it, Gon. Just stay close to me. We'll turn this entire place upside down if we have to. But that's not gonna be necessary. I know exactly how to hunt them down."
"Really? How's that?"
"The blonde Ging was with?" Killua prompted, giving Gon an intense look.
"...Yeah?"
"He was a Demon."
"WHAT?!" Gon yelled, voice going all high and echoing off the walls.
"Yup," the Valkyrie sighed. "And that means, I just have to track down a Demonic presence. It'll stick out like a sore thumb. There's no hiding your Demon smell, especially not from someone like me. I've trained for this moment. My entire fucking life. Don't worry Gon, we're finding those bastards right now."
Killua really didn't like the Fae. But he hated Demons almost just as much.
Was that blonde guy… was he seriously a Demon?! What was Ging doing walking around with a Demon?!
Well… Gon supposed people could ask him the same thing. What was he doing walking around with a Dragonite Valkyrie Prince?
Killua took a deep breath, and then shifted fully into assassin mode. Gon's sixth sense went crazy, alarms screaming inside his mind. Killua released every single damper on his strength and senses, his body suddenly bending spacetime in a different way than before… if that even made sense. But it made sense to Gon, and literally everyone in the vicinity.
The people sprinkled about all turned stiff, fumbling to get away from Killua.
Oh, everyone knew he was a Valkyrie now.
There was no denying it.
When a Valkyrie was fully present, as in not concealing themselves, there was this certain feeling. Valkyrie's followed death, it was how they'd hunt down battlefields to terrorize. So, whenever a Valkyrie was fully present, there was this certain chill that came up off them. It wasn't just their aura, it was them. Killua's presence felt like death, like the cold grips of an eternal slumber.
His eyes had started glowing, the pupils nothing more than slits. Tiny sparks of electricity skittered across his skin every now and then, his Ten getting a little excited. Because of the way Godspeed converted Killua's Ten, sometimes it would convert on its own when he got really pissed. It wouldn't do much without his offered blood, but it sure made him a hell of a lot more intimidating.
And a whole lot hotter, if that was even possible.
Yup, this was the person Gon was in love with.
He felt oddly proud of himself in that moment. No one had a better love interest than Gon!
"I found him," Killua ground out.
"Already?" Gon asked, voice cracking. Damn it! Stop being awkward! Just because Killua was being all cool didn't mean Gon needed to start losing his cool!
"Yeah, follow me," Killua ordered, stalking off into the bowels of the ship.
Gon followed Killua for almost twenty entire minutes. They took turns, went up and down stairways, crossed through a bunch of different areas. This ship was… so fucking big.
And Killua's hunting down Ging with the power of big dick energy… I love him so much.
Killua suddenly stopped. "They're right around this corner. Are you ready?"
Gon stopped at Killua's side, suddenly starting to feel all anxious again.
Here they were.
It was finally time.
Gon was about… he was about to meet his father.
"Uh, yeah."
"You sure?" Killua asked, giving Gon a sympathetic look.
Gon's face flushed when Killua met his eyes. Something about having Killua fully here, completely unrestrained in his presence, was doing things to Gon's ability to act normal. It was like the amount of Killua had increased, like he was suddenly more potent.
"Yeah!" Gon choked out in a rush.
STOP BLUSHING STOP BLUSHING STOP BLUSHING
"Okay," Killua responded, if he noticed Gon's flustered state then he didn't show it. "I'm staying unglamored. That way they don't get any funny ideas. Even a Demon wouldn't be stupid enough to challenge me without good reason, not when I'm like this. Don't worry, he's not running away again."
Gon nodded, not trusting himself to say anything.
A glamor was a technique used by higher ranked beings to stifle their presence. Not just for remaining hidden, but to stop from making a scene. Aura was one thing, but instinctual fear was another. Species like the Fae, Valkyries, Shadow Creepers, and Blood Shadow Elves all gave off intense energies. It was almost like they gave off a wavelength that disturbed other humanoids.
When a Fae used a glamor, their skin would stop glowing and they'd be perceived as less of a threat. It was the same for Killua, when he went in and out of assassin mode. It wasn't just assassin mode, it was his natural presence. It was just too intense for most to handle all at once.
Gon's transformation was the release of a glamor. His true form was his second form, and the body he was in now was an extreme form of a glamor. Demons used glamors as well, to suppress the hellish feeling that they gave off, and in some cases to make them appear more humanesque. Natural instincts were a serious thing, and if a species naturally triggered the danger alarms of other species than they'd use glamors to prevent that from occurring.
"Gon, you're ready for this," Killua murmured, brushing his shoulder against the hybrid's.
A chill ran up Gon's entire arm, Killua was just so much right now, why'd he have to start acting all nice too?!
"Thanks," he whispered, unable to look Killua in the face. Gods, Gon was so awkward. Why was he so awkward? He took a deep breath, calming himself down. It was something Jade had taught him to do, actually.
In his line of work, it had been crucial to always stay calm and composed. Even when the person you were serving was wildly attractive, you couldn't lose your head. Not for a second.
"We give head, not lose ours," Jade would tell him. Gods… that had been so horribly cringey… but Jade had always possessed a certain talent for making even the stupidest of things seem cool…
As usual. Thinking about his time as a prostitute was more than enough to chill Gon out.
Well, it was just like Killua always said about his assassin training. If he was gonna have that training at his disposal - even if he hated it with a passion - then he might as well use it to his advantage, right? If it was gonna live in his mind, then it needed to pay rent.
"Okay. I'm ready," Gon sighed.
"Good. I'm with you, don't forget it."
Gon gave Killua a thankful smile, before stepping forward, and turning the corner.
Around the bend was a small-ish space. There were couches, a couple tables. It was completely vacant… save for Ging and the blonde Demon. They were sitting at a round table, Gin's back facing Gon, the Demon across from him. The wall was bordered with the first window Gon had seen on this ship, showing off a spectacular view of the icy ocean… which was moving by alarmingly fast? But Gon shoved those thoughts away. It didn't matter what was going on outside.
What mattered was what was happening right here. Right now.
Gon walked up to Ging, Killua close by his side.
The Demon's gaze slid up to meet his own. Gon felt that strange chill run up his spine again, only now it made sense. It was because this was a Demon. The creature was male, with pale skin and longish golden hair, lapping against the back of his neck in a tacky looking mullet. His eyes were a warm brown… and would have been welcoming if it weren't for the pitch black sclera. That and the sickeningly sweet light in them. This guy was trouble. Gon could feel it in his bones.
"Well, well. Isn't this fun?" the Demon asked cheerfully. He had an odd accent. It was almost… country? But dignified in a way? It had a definite twang to it, but at the same time it sounded almost like that of a practiced politician. The Demon was confusing. Gon didn't like him.
Ging's shoulders raised up. "Oh shut up, Pariston," he snapped.
Gon got a chill, but not from hearing the Demon's name. From hearing Ging's voice. It was rough… deep. Incredibly petulant, but at the same time commanding. Ging had a cloth tied around his forehead and around his ears. Damn. The ears were a crucial factor to determining species.
Gon and Killua stopped a couple feet behind Ging.
The Demon - Pariston - wiggled his fingers at them in greeting, a sticky sweet grin on his face.
Gon wanted to be the first to break the silence… but he had no idea what to say. And even if he did, the words would have gotten caught in his throat. This was Ging. Ging. The reason Gon was even alive. The man who held the secret to Gon's blood, the mystery behind his pain.
"So," the man said gruffly, making Gon startle. "Gon."
The hybrid opened his mouth, but no words came out.
Ging shifted in his chair, switching his position. He leaned back against the chair, spreading his legs and slouching comfortably. "You can tell your friend to put the damn glamor back, we know he's a Dragonite Valkyrie, damn it. For Gods' sake, you got me, okay? I'm not gonna bolt."
That was so… rude.
Killua scoffed, slipping out of assassin mode. A tension in Gon's shoulders relaxed, Killua was back to being a cuddly little baby kitten. It was so much easier to pretend like he wasn't head over heels when Killua wasn't being the hottest thing to walk the planet…
"Well don't just stand there," Ging snapped, turning in his chair to face his son. "Sit down! There's chairs. Take 'em."
Oh, Killua really wanted to rip Ging's head off. Gon could taste it.
Biting back a smile, Gon walked up to one of the chairs, brushing his arm against Killua's on the way.
I know, the touch said.
Killua flicked his tail, I fucking hate this guy.
Once Gon and Killua had sat down, they all just kinda… stared at each other. There were four chairs at the round table, Ging across from Pariston and Gon across from Killua. Leaving each with the opposite pair on either side, and their companion directly in front of them.
Gon couldn't bring himself to look away from Ging, who was pouting with his eyes shut. Pariston was staring down Killua with that stupid smile, and Killua was alternating between murdering each of the troublesome men with his eyes.
Ging sighed dramatically, cracking one eye open to glare at Killua. "If looks could kill, huh?"
The Valkyrie flipped him off.
Ging cracked a laugh, sitting up and leaning his elbows on the table. He wasn't one for sitting still, apparently. "I already know him, obviously," Ging said, pointing messily at Gon with his thumb. "But who're you?"
"Wouldn't you like to know?"
Killua's voice was pure acid.
This is… really awkward.
Gon couldn't stop thinking about how he was essentially introducing his lover to his dad… Well, that wasn't the situation, obviously, but the differences between what this would be if his life was normal and what it was now were… amusing to say the least.
"You're grown quite a bit," Pariston chirped, talking to Gon.
"Uh…" Gon really didn't know how to respond to that.
The Demon cracked a spout of musical laughter. It was so… perfect. So… what was the word, jolly. It was so obviously fake. He was so obviously fake. "Oh, pardon me! You don't remember, do you? See, I knew you when you were just a wee thing!"
"Can it, Paris," Ging ground out, eyebrow twitching.
…What was that about? Had Ging really known this Demon for that long?! But, the only reason a person would know a Demon was if they'd summoned one. So… why had Pariston been with Ging for at least 19 years?! And he had a nickname for him?! Gon was confused. So VERY confused.
But above all else… he was pretty freaking frustrated.
Why was Ging acting like such an asshole?! He'd abandoned Gon years ago! Did he seriously not hold a single ounce of remorse?!
"You're Ging," Gon said, finally saying something.
"The one and only," the man sighed, absentmindedly picking his nose with his little finger.
…No class. This man had… no class whatsoever. And here Pariston was - a DEMON - wearing a suit and tie. The irony was physically painful.
Gon bit his tongue, doing all in his power not to jump across the table and scream in his face. "Who… are you?" Gon finally asked, voice sounding calm. Impressive, for the raging storm of emotions in his mind.
Ging sighed again, once again shifting his position. He leaned against the back of the chair, crossing his arms over his chest. "A loaded question. But the right one. My name is Ging Freecss, as you're already aware, considering the fact that you've found me. And I'm a Zodiac, meaning I work to keep the peace in this world. I had you 19 years ago. It had never been my intention to have a kid, and I didn't want one. So I left you with my cousin, Mito."
So he is part human. Illumi was just trying to mess with me. Mito is still my blood.
Whale Island is still my home.
If Gon hadn't been sitting next to Ging, then he would have broken down into sobs of relief. He'd been so unsure these past six months… thinking that his one tiny drop of insight to his blood had been wrong, but now he was reassured of who he was.
But he kept those feelings to himself.
Killua, however, knew exactly what he was thinking, and gently wrapped his tail around Gon's ankle under the table.
Killua. You're a blessing from the Gods above.
"I never wanted you, and I never wanted to meet you," Ging continued. The unrestrained honestly… burned. "I'm not a decent guy. I walked out of being a parent for purely selfish reasons. Back then, I wasn't even a Zodiac. I wouldn't meet Kite until a couple months after I got you out of my hair."
Gon stiffened at that. Kite… he knew about Kite.
He didn't… he didn't know how to feel about that.
"I wanted to be free, I wanted to live my own life and pursue my own goals," Ging declared. "That's still what I'm doing to this day. As a Sorcerer, it is my duty to defend this world from Blood Magic and the influence of Demons like this bastard across from me. I took up the mantle of a Zodiac because it would allow me to get into a lifetime of trouble and adventure. I'm not in it for the money, I'm not even in it for the safety of our world. Not really. I'm in it for me, and everything I do is purely for myself."
Gon stared at Ging for a second. This guy was…
A complete total dick.
Killua was clearly thinking the same thing… if not a little more accusatory.
Pariston just seemed amused.
"What do you… want?" Gon asked slowly. The only thing he'd known about Ging throughout his childhood, was that there was something he wanted. Something he chased with all his heart and soul. It's the reason he'd left Whale Island.
"There's something I want."
That's what he'd told Mito.
Ging groaned, and rolled his head to each side. Popping it. "That's a really loaded question, kid. I suppose…" he paused to think. "What I want… is anything I don't have. In this case, anything I haven't seen. Anything I haven't done. I'm only mortal, and my goal is to live my life to the fullest, and never to slow down. If I die, it won't be in my sleep of old age or sickness. It'll be on a mission, in a blaze of glory. So you see, the reason I left you and that funeral home of an island was because you were holding me back."
"That's your reason?" Killua muttered through gritted teeth. "That's why you abandoned your own kid? The hell is wrong with you?!"
"I'm not gonna say what I did was okay," Ging shot back, glaring Killua down with just as much ferocity. "But yeah, that's my reason. You got a problem with that, slick-blood?"
Killua growled low in his throat.
That was a slur, accusing the pure-blooded humanoid of having thin blood (consisting of only one gene pool). It also insinuated that the pure-blood was a slut, because it was common knowledge that hybrids only existed because pure-bloods couldn't keep their pants zipped. It was a nasty thing to say… just as bad as dirty-blood or mixed-blood.
Fuck was a bad word, sure. But someone's blood was their pride. In this world, blood reigned supreme. Insulting someone's blood was the highest of insults as well as the lowest of blows. Gon was used to the slurs and the harassment… but generally blood-directed insults from a hybrid to a pure-blood were perceived as more aggressive.
It was an ingrained perception that hybrid's deserved to be harassed while pure-bloods had done nothing wrong, but it was there nonetheless.
And hearing such vicious insults slung at Killua… it grated Gon's skull.
"Yeah, I got a problem," the assassin snarled, voice rising in volume. "I've got a few problems! In fact, I could draft a whole fucking list!"
"Oh? I wasn't aware that you were literate," Ging retorted. "Don't Valkyrie Princes get their asses wiped for them?"
"Don't insult my stature, you're no better than the filth beneath my boots!" Killua barked. "Sit here and insult me all damn day if you want to, but don't just brush Gon off like he's trash! He's you son, for fuck's sake! Are you really that fucking shallow?! Do you have any idea the shit he's gone through just to get to see your sorry ass?! Leave him the fuck alone, you son of a whore!"
Ging and Killua jerked into action, Ging pulling a knife out of his boot and Killua sharpening his claws. They lurched across the table–
For Gon to jump up and shove them apart.
"Don't talk to Killua that way," Gon snapped at Ging, arms straining as he held the two of them apart. Pariston was concealing his grin with a hand, just watching the chaos unfold.
"Oh, so his name's Killua?" the man said with a smirk.
Killua spat on the table before Ging, a spark of electricity dancing through his fluffy hair.
"Nice to meet you, Killua," he chuckled, slipping the knife in its place as he sat back down. He held his hand out across the table, but Killua slapped it away. Ging frowned, but didn't make a move.
"I suppose we got off on the wrong foot," Ging grumbled, flopping his hand in the air. "You're Silva's kid?"
Killua just flicked his tail threateningly behind him, he wasn't restraining his aura at all.
The hybrid was surprised that Ging was standing up against it so well… even Gon had an uncomfortable prickly up his neck.
"Right," Ging mumbled, moving on. "Yeah, I know the guy. Total piece of work, I see you're no different."
Gon prickled. "Stop it."
"Stop what?" Ging asked, playing innocent.
"Stop insulting Killua!"
"It really matters that much to you?"
Gon and Ging had a staring contest.
Gods… Gon really hadn't expected this meeting to go down this way.
"Killua's my best friend," Gon declared. "We've been through a lot together, and he's my Partner in Sorcery. I won't have you talk to him like he's some elitist trash. Killua's not like that."
"Fine, fine," Ging sighed. "If you really think he's the real deal then I'll lay off. I trust your judgment. You are my kid, after all."
The table was silent for a couple of minutes. Killua's eyes didn't leave Ging, and Pariston's eyes didn't leave Killua. Gon and Ging stared each other down.
"I'm here for a reason, not just to meet you," Gon spoke up. "My goal's been to find you, and now I've done that. But there's something I need to ask. I want you to tell me something."
"Yeah, yeah. I know what you're gonna say, but what is it?" Ging drawled.
Gon clenched his fists under the table.
This was it.
The entire reason he'd left Whale Island in the first place.
"Tell me what my species is. What's in your blood, and what was in my mom's."
Ging rubbed a food stain off the table with his thumb, not answering for a moment.
"I expected this, you know?" Ging mused. "Since the day you were born, I knew you'd chase me down and ask about what's inside your veins. I don't blame you. Being a hybrid is a tough life, I should know. And not having any idea what species you're made up of is even worse. At least if you know the mother species' will look on you a little lighter… depending on that species, anyway."
"Yeah. Then why'd you make Gon live like that?" Killua growled.
"Because I believe in earning what you have," Ging answered, fire in his eyes as he stared Killua down. And then Gon. "What would I be teaching you if I just left you with that information? What good would that do you at all?"
"...There would have been no reason for me to leave Whale Island."
"Bingo. You could have left to see me, but without a good excuse Mito would have talked you out of it the second the thought crossed your mind. A nice kid like you doesn't belong in a world like this. You should have stayed on Whale Island, that would have been the best thing for you."
Gon should have stayed on Whale Island? Did Ging have any idea what he was saying?!
"The fuck?" Killua hissed, once again stepping in to say the words Gon couldn't bring himself to. "Have you been on that island?! You grew up there! You've gotta know what those humans did to Gon all his life!"
"Believe me. I do. But even still. This world isn't a place you wanna be. I'm sure if you ask Gon, he'd agree that living a life surrounded by bigoted humans is a much better alternative to what this cruel place has to offer."
Gon stiffened. A million little memories dancing across the back of his mind. Killua's eyebrows drew together. He knew exactly what Gon was thinking. What Ging said was the truth.
"But that's not the point here," Ging continued. "I didn't tell you, so that you could come out here and see it all for yourself. So you could see why I'm unhappy with what I have before me. This world is a far cry from perfect. And there is always something to strive for. If I was going to teach Gon one thing as his father, I wanted it to be that. So, do you see it?"
"...Yeah," Gon ground out. "I see it. I understand why you never settle for what you have."
But not for the reasons he's thinking.
You don't keep searching just for the sake of adventure, but to find the good in the world. To find what's out there waiting for you. For me, that thing was Killua.
If I had never left the Island, I never would have met Killua.
And without him, my life holds no meaning.
So… I'm glad he left me in the dark all these years.
It's because of Ging that I have this incredible person across from me today.
Ging grinned. "You always keep going for something more," he added, nodding.
"Now that I've learned your lesson, will you tell me who I am?" Gon asked.
Ging shifted his position, leaning sideways against the table. Pariston gave a chuckle.
Suddenly Gon had a bad feeling.
"You know how I work, kid. Always keep grasping for more. So, with that in mind, yes. I'll tell you the components of your blood. But only if you do something for me in return."
"What?!" Killua yelled, standing up and slamming his palms on the table. "That's bullshit! Why should he ever owe you anything, you bastard?!"
"True," Ging mused. "He doesn't. If anything I'm the one who owes him. But I do hold all the cards here, don't I? What type of guy would I be if I just tossed this opportunity aside?"
"I dunno, a decent one?" Killua snarled.
Ging barked a laugh. "Exactly!"
"What do you want, Ging?" Gon asked. He didn't like this. But he'd do anything he was asked to do. He needed to know this. He'd come too far to give up now. But Ging knew that… and that's what was giving Gon a bad feeling. Ging knew that Gon would do literally anything he asked… So what the hell was he gonna ask for?!
"At the moment, I happen to be on a Zodiac's mission. I want you and your little Dragonite friend here to help me see it through."
Killua growled.
"But I'll be nice," Ging continued. "I'll tell you half your blood now, and half once we're through. But only if you accept my deal. If not, then I guess we're done here."
Gon shared a long look with Ging, and then with Killua.
I have to do this. At least it's just a job. If it's for the Zodiacs, then how bad could it be?
It'll be for world peace. Even if it's difficult, it'll all end up for the greater good in the end.
"Okay. Deal," Gon said.
"Haha! Awesome! I knew you were my kid!" Ging cheered.
…Gon still had a bad feeling.
Ging was acting a little too happy considering the situation.
"Shake on it?" Ging said, offering one hand to Gon and one to Killua. The Valkyrie and the hybrid reluctantly took each of his hands, where Ging shook them once up and down. "There. It's a deal now. You can't break it, it would be a breach of honor. But I can tell that you guys aren't the type to break a deal."
"Yeah. You're lucky in that regard," Killua snapped, shaking his hand off like it was covered in some disgusting slime.
"What's the job?" Gon asked.
What did we just agree to do?
"Oh! It's nothing much," Ging said, waving his hand dismissively.
Suddenly, the entire ship began to shudder. It was trembling, and an awfully loud roaring sound was bubbling up from the depths of the ocean. Gon and Killua startled, jumping from their chairs and darting to each other's side. The floor shook and lurched, enormous waves thrashing against the sides of the ship.
"What the fuck is going on?!" Killua yelled over the noise, back pressed against Gon's as they turned in circles, searching for whatever attackers were doing this.
Ging and Pariston just stayed in their seats, watching in amusement as the two boys freaked the fuck out. "Relax, it's just the ship," Ging called out over the deafening noise.
"How is this just the ship?!" Killua yelled back, then cried out in surprise when the entire ship lurched… upwards?!
Gon gasped, locking his arms in Killua's as the ship shot up into the sky, he watched in horror from the window as they flew up, up, up–
One moment they were surrounded by the frigid Arctic Sea, and the next they were suspended in an endless expanse of inky darkness.
Gon and Killua were frozen on the spot, shaking in their boots as they watched–
Their–
Their–
The entire fucking planet getting smaller… smaller… becoming nothing more than a tiny marble hanging in an inky black tapestry of distant stars and the endless expanse of space.
"Didn't you know?" Ging said, playing innocent once again, acting all oblivious. "You did follow us onto a spaceship."
Gon was pretty sure he'd forgotten how to breathe–
"What?" Killua murmured, voice deadly calm.
Ging fixed Killua with a wild grin. "My current Zodiac mission is off-planet. We're traveling to the Moon of Chimera. Homeland… of the Chimera Ants."
AN: aaaaaaahhhhhHHHHHHHHH CUE KINGDOM OF PREDATORS, I THINK YOU KNOW WHERE I'M GOING WITH THIS
