Prompt

Crying

It hasn't even been two days yet, and he already has felt more comfortable with the situation than he has ever felt in his entire life. Sure, he experienced the same things with Gon's aunt, Mito, but this…

This was just the right move. From the moment he reminisced alongside Daniel over his boyfriend's past, to the moment Alluka ran into his arm, giggling and laughing over how much fun she had, and all the cute things Nathaniel brought at her request. This all proved that this was the right move. He couldn't thank Daniel's family enough, smiling the whole way through when Alluka showed him item after item.

He hugged her close once she was finished, crying internally about how lucky they were. Now that he pushed her away, sure, he noticed the wardrobe malfunction with Alluka, but she seemed to be happy sporting her sky-blue plaid shirt with the strawberry-pink frilly skirt, and a creamy brown short-sleeve jacket or vest going by the design. And to top it off, she also had a little pink and red glitter butterfly pinned between her fringe and right ear, meshing well with the emotional cartoon faces hair bands.

She was his cute little sister, and seeing her this happy, could only make him happier. It took him a while to notice it, too drawn in by his sister's charm. Nathaniel behind her was waving a finger at him. He was calling him for a private talk.

He continued to smile before looking back at Alluka, never once letting his worries show "Alluka, go play with Daniel. He's got some wonderful photos to show you."

She ran after the boy, eager to see the photos Daniel was showing. Once she disappeared out of his sight, he turned to Nathaniel "You wanted to talk?"

"Yes, but first follow me." The boy was lead into the study, the man closing the door behind him.

"So, what did you want to talk about?"

"Alluka wasn't born a girl, was she…"

Killua bit his lip, he swears to god, Daniel's dad better not be biased like his family, the whole lot of them always calling her a he when Alluka was, in fact, a she. He was about to abuse the man, but Nathaniel stopped him "I'm worried about her because she broke down in the change room when I noticed a… tent. This is awkward…"

Killua ignored the second half of the sentence about a 'tent', more worried about his sister's health and safety "Wait, what you mean she broke down in the change room?"

Nathan leaned down to Killua, looking the boy in the eyes "She thought, and I quote Am I disgusting to you… Because I have that… unquote, which is why I'm speaking to you in quiet. Does she have acceptance issues? Is there anything I can help with? Anything at all…? Doctors, people I can point you towards that can help you, help her?"

"I…" Killua hid his face, he couldn't believe that his mind originally thought Nathaniel was the judgmental type. If anything, the way the man carried himself, he was more like Daniel… open and willing to talk things over. He's been on edge for so long about Alluka's misgendering that as soon as they find out that she has male genitals, they'll automatically start referring to as a 'he'.

Nathaniel raised an eyebrow, resting his hands on both of Killua's shoulders "Something you don't like to talk about?"

Killua's eyes snapped wide open "No, it's just…"

"You what…?"

"Jumped to conclusions…"

Nathaniel ruffled the boy's hair as he stood up "Well, when you want to talk about it, you can come to approach me. Not Vastorie, just me…"

"I wouldn't even approach that man if he was the last information broker on the planet."

"Right…" Nathaniel awkwardly scratched the back of his head, worried about souring the boy's mood.

"There is something…"

"Anything you want, just ask…"

"Thanks, for taking her out. She's really happy about the things you did for her. Sure, it hurts to know that she still has that resentment towards her body… but little things really do help her."

"Then, would you like to know about tucking?"

"Tucking…?"

Nathaniel nodded once "Yes, I… hold on." The man got up, flipping through a series of cards, grunting in annoyance before pulling a drawer open next, picking through pages "I know it's here some- found it." He flicked the card out, showing it to Killua.

"Ashton Nieves? Whose-"

"She is someone who may be able to help Alluka. She lives in Yorknew, as a… drag producer. But ignore that for now. Ashton lived in a similar position to Alluka, feeling not right with the body she was born with. So, I thought, maybe-"

He didn't have time to think before arms were wrapped around him, surprising him for the second time that day "Thank you…"

A crooked smile, inched across the man's lips, a single hand resting on the boy's shoulder "Anything, for the boy who helped my son."

"I- I didn't do anything like that." Killua huffed in annoyance, which only made Nathaniel burst out in laughter. To see him rubber band from affectionate in a caring way, to absolutely denying something he believes he hasn't done was funny. But he still wanted to thank Killua, even if the boy believed didn't he deserved it.

"I had my suspicions, as would any parent after being told about their son's partner was an Ex-Assassin."

Killua looked up annoyed, find that offensive to be lumped in with the rest of his family of aggressive killers. He's not like them, able to show his feelings, just like Alluka.

"HOWEVER," The man objected with a lob-sided grin "you were a positive influence on my son, which is why I'm thanking you in the first place. I don't know what exactly you've done to Daniel, but when Alluka mentioned he reminded her of me, I felt like you had a part to play in that…"

"But… I didn't really do anything. He… was always like that. From the moment I met him, to now…"

The man shook his head. He never remembered Daniel being this loving, this caring towards anyone, so maybe Killua couldn't see it just yet. Although, he wasn't going to give up yet "Killua, thank you for being a part of my son's life. You have my blessings."

Killua flushed from those words "Everyone I know has weird families."

The man broke out into laughter "Well, I can't vouch for anyone else, but I can tell you one thing for certain. Daniel was definitely… never like this." Ruffling Killua's already messy hair, he walked off, leaving Killua alone to his own thoughts. Daniel was never like this… what makes me so different? I've done nothing to Daniel… Only…

Killua closed his thoughts off before looking back at the closed door. I only wanted to protect him… that's all…

"~"

It was a while before Vastorie got back after Killua had his discussion with Nathaniel. He held the card in his hand, looking it over once more. It was just a name and a number, no details, other than what Nathaniel told him she does for a living.

He still can't believe it, how helpful his boyfriend's parents are being, even with the threat of who his family is, lingering in the background. What do they hope to achieve through him? He can't offer them free kills…

And he's not about to offer them a discount voucher either. He left that life behind, wanting to instead take care of his little sister. Yet, what Nathaniel has done for him over the past few days, is more than what his family have done for him.

Sure, they trained him into this emotionless killing machine, which in its hindsight, helped him become strong enough to fight. However, what he learnt from Bisky and Wing helped him push through the barriers placed upon him, and his fight with the Knuckle, Shoot and the Chimera Ants helped him grow even further.

What his family asked for, was for him to take over the family business…

What Nathaniel has asked for so far, was for him to continue loving Daniel. Cheesy as it may be, it was a weird request. And he has yet to hear what Vastorie asks of him…

And Zaikaria, well… he doesn't know how she'll react to the news. She was hostile at the start, and hostile when they met once more. How will she be now if Vastorie and Nathaniel both agree that he is a positive influence?

He couldn't figure it out, and frankly, he didn't want to see her right now.

"Killua…"

The boy snapped out of his thoughts, drawn to the man in the middle of the room, aura wavering like a river between his fingertips. He briefly forgot he was in the middle of a special training regime, a basic test to see what he and Daniel could do so far.

Yet, amongst all the requests, not once, did the man ask to see their specialised Hatsu.

"I understand that card between your fingertips is important but focus on reality."

"Right, old man…" Killua flashed the man a smirk, which did nothing to Vastorie, not even irritate him in the slightest. If anything, he only doubled down on the joke, carrying it further than it needed to be "That's Ancient to you, lost child. I'm merely imparting wisdom, but your eyes stare off into the distance, like your trying to decipher what two plus two is…"

"Four…"

"Is it really…? Or is it, two items of two different categories?"

"Huh…?"

"Exactly! You heard… but didn't think about what I was really asking. What was I saying exactly?"

Killua thumbed his chin at the question "You were talking about Nen exercises. But never once asked about what our Hatsu is."

"Why do you think that is, Killua…?" Vastorie showed off a toothy grin, revelling in the boy's confusion. He wanted to see what conclusions he jumped to, to see if he could trip the boy through his own confusion on the matter.

"No clue! All I know, what you're doing now, is wasting our time."

Daniel remained in the dark, not wanting to step on either one's foot. He could see his father's childish games coming from a mile away, but he knows failing to play the game, only makes the man step up his game, seeing how far he could push them before they snap, and are forced to play by his rules.

"Not even a guess… a protégé and not even he with his so-called genius levels of intellect couldn't figure out such a simplistic goal."

Killua's eye twitched, now he was annoyed. What exactly was this man hiding up his sleeves?

"You're wondering what I'm hiding?" When Killua's face widened in confusion for a moment, Vastorie could only laugh "It's plastered all across your face. I'm playing a game, now it up to you to decide where it leads…"

"Fine, I demand to know why you're wasting our time. You were intrigued when Daniel mentioned how you wished to test our Nen abilities, both of ours. You also gathered that Daniel was a Manipulator, from his explanation on how he willed Wolfbane to move around using nothing but his shadow. And you have no clue on what category I belong to as of yet… So, no I will not dance in this game with you!"

Shifting his posture, the man smiled, such a calm, angry response from the young boy. The polar opposite of his son whom yet to join in their argument "Fair response, but… I could narrow down your category with a simple game of expressions. But that wouldn't be fun… SO, instead, I'm going to ask you a thought provoking question."

Twisting his wrist, the man pulled out his phone, typing something on the phone "If my son is a Manipulator, what're the chances of him meeting a Manipulator like himself? Doesn't matter what aspect, just that he meets someone, whom shares something in common with him…"

"High…"

"Go ahead, explain your reasoning…" Vastorie egged him on, never once looking up from his phone.

"People share similarities with everyone, so the chances of someone running into Daniel with something in common is very likely."

Snapping his phone closed, Vastorie looked up "You have much to learn. Everyone is different in one way or another, but the similarities is what could scare you. Take Zaikaria for example. Like me, she's a Specialist. Yet our goals contradict each other. We share the same roof, I helped her discover and cultivate her ability, and to this day, she still dislikes you… why do you think that is?"

Daniel focused on the conversation, now intrigued by the conversation. Sure, he knew Zaikaria didn't like Killua, but he was hinting at something, something hidden at the tip of his tongue.

"Because I'm an Ex-Assassin, because in her deluded world, once a killer, always a bloodthirsty killer."

"Are you sure…? Would it have to do with something on the boy's back? A certain mark long forgotten…?"

Daniel unconsciously ran his fingers across his back, feeling the mark left behind by Pitou. It was because of his lack of speed, slower than the cat-like reflexes. Sure, he saved Killua and Gon during the act, but he wasn't strong enough to walk out unscathed at the time.

Killua grit his teeth "She told you… didn't she."

"She told me many things, many, which I could use to contradict you with right now."

"If I had the strength, would I do things differently… yes, I would make sure Daniel didn't get hurt back then, and that Gon wouldn't have time to mess things up."

"And what if things get worse…?"

Killua bit his lip, unable to come up with an answer, would he do things differently once more, or go back until everything fell back into place like it was now.

"No response, good… This is a lesson for the both of you. Every step you take from now on changes the future. You don't know if the results are good or bad, so just know, that once, ahem… shit hits the fan once more, choosing to run forward as much as an option… as is running away from danger. Knowledge is what sets up the differences between the two."

"I'm well aware of that…" Killua jerked his finger out, pointing it at Vastorie "Now, why are you wasting time?"

"Not wasting… but setting up."

Nathaniel came into the room holding a cup, thinking this will be a divination test, Killua quirked an eyebrow from the lack of water filling the cup. The man took it from the man's hand, thanking him before twirling it in his fingertips "Daniel has shared his aura with you, so I'm wondering how much of a connection the two really share?"

He turned back to Nathaniel, smiling once more "Two hours…"

Daniel and Killua looked at each other confused, wondering what's with the time limit, possibly request.

Nathaniel adjusted the clock on his wrist, preparing it as Vastorie tossed the cup to his son and boyfriend "Sit, clasp your hands together, with the cup between you two as you let your Ren fight for dominance. Feel each other's aura, try to let your feelings reach out, to understand every ounce of each other."

"What's with the cup…?" Daniel asked with a suspicious expression.

"Meld your aura together in the middle, where the cup rests. I want to control, not to be showered with love and affection."

Killua sat across from Daniel, the cup between them, blushing from what he was about to do. Vastorie expected them to share their aura, to press each other's emotions and feeling into one another. He didn't know what for, but the request alone left him a blushing mess.

He pushed and pulled Daniel's aura between himself, letting it linger somewhere in the middle, collecting within the cup. He had been focused on his desires, wondering if Daniel could hear the thumping of his heart through his aura, whether or not Daniel could hear him better than he could hear Daniel.

He managed to shut out everything else, but by the time he realised what was really going on, it was too late. The voice was loud, ringing in his ears by the time he realised how close Vastorie had gotten, the third wave of aura mingling with their shared aura "Let the game begin…"

Nathaniel slid in with a second to spare, the clock on his watch counting down as he laid each person's head against the floor. What Vastorie just did, was nothing more than play a game of teasing, and his real goal, started the moment his aura, mingled with theirs.

"~"

Killua pulled away from Vastorie while making sure to drag Daniel along with him, holding him close to his chest. Daniel could practically smell the boy's scent, the Chamomile lingering with a hint of Jasmin and Cinnamon.

His cheeks warmed at how close he was to Killua, but the boy who was holding him could only worry about how close Daniel's father had gotten, along with the ill omen he had breathed down their ears.

He felt a thud against his back, Killua forced to look behind him. There was a bookcase, he couldn't remember a bookcase behind them in the dojo, but now that he was looking carefully, they weren't in the dojo anymore, now they were in the library.

Did he fall asleep, no… it couldn't be such a simple explanation. Vastorie had done something the moment his aura mingled with their "What did you do?"

"I'm training your Hatsu…" The man chimed with a smile, a bounce in his steps as he scoured the library "Welcome, to the true version of the Sages Archives." Killua could feel there was something wrong with the scenario, ghostly figures roaming the place, touching different books which seemed to glow with different auras.

Vastorie touched a book, pulling it out as he crossed the room once more, closing the distance between himself and the boys. He flicked open the journal, handing it over to Killua "Every book in here, belongs to someone else. It's their knowledge, mingling with my own. Think of this place as…"

The moment Killua felt his shoulder touched by the older man, he felt hostility, although his reaction was a second too late. The man had picked him up with little to no warning throwing him into a bookcase which promptly exploded into a series of books, each drifting into the air without rhyme or reason.

"Killua!"

Apart from hearing his name called out by Daniel, he felt no pain, not even a force pressed up against his back when he hit the bookcase. This world felt wrong, just like his body. He felt a surge of aura unlike his own, mingling between his, shifting and changing. He felt more powerful like he could destroy the world over with a click of his fingers, yet the moment he activated his Gyo, checking to see how powerful the man was, he could only make out a mirage of colours floating around him, each more different than the other. The consistency, the strength… the volume was being compressed into one tiny body, and neither one wanted to escape.

Vastorie did the same to Daniel, throwing him in the opposite direction before promptly bringing his hands up, typing away at an imaginary keyboard "Welcome to my world now, where I'm the training dummy who cannot die. I wanted to surprise you, so sorry, for the manhandling and treatment."

Once he stopped, he drifted his hand out, each bookcase seeming to explode, every volume, every book drifting high above the ground, floating until they waited for their call. And the scenery changed right after.

Daniel notices the subtle changed, the blatant rip-off of a game he loved to play when he was younger. The screaming trees with faces, the hanging bodies obscured from their view. This wasn't the real world, not by a mile…

Yet, even with the dangers of the unknown lingering in the area, he was still worried about Killua's safety "Killua, are you ok?"

"Never better…" Killua mumbled as he stood up, looking over the stage "So, explain how throwing us into this imaginary game world is going to help train us…?"

"Well, first of all, both of you can't get hurt here. Second, anything you learn here, with practice, could also be applied in the real world. The same can't be said for me. All the books here, are splitting images of the real ones, only this time they're split by creators, not contained within a single Nen Category under their respective letter. If you want extra tips or hints, feel free to use the command console on your watch."

Killua looked down at his wrist, now noticing the watch. He flicked it open, a menu popping up like the rings back on Greed Island whenever Book was called. He hit the search command about to type something before he stopped "Can you see our search history?"

"No, that's for your eyes to see." He smirked at the question, not giving away a very crucial detail. He had already activated an ability the moment he touched both his son and Killua, so he didn't need a reason to 'see' what Killua was typing when he could probe the boy's mind in secret. Handing Killua and Daniel that book before throwing them was a disguise so he could get close.

Killua quickly typed 'electricity', many books drifting from the sky, lining up before him. He grabbed a random one, browsing through its contents. Vastorie was right, this place was a wet dream for those who wanted to train. The books went into great detail on how an ability was designed, it's methods and circumstances of use including how it could be implemented, all written down precisely. It even had a scientific method, applying something that existed in one's aura to be used on everyday objects.

The one he just happened to randomly grab went into detail on how to charcoal grill meat using electricity. Random, but humorous to know. He quickly called off the search, the books disappearing back into the waves of other books "So you're telling me, every book here, is of someone you trained."

"Oh, god no! Some of them are theories from Mangas, Games, as well as videos… even Ancient texts. It's not just limited to Hatsus, there are other categories as well. Want to learn Judo, perfect, just search for the books. Want to know how to dual wield a knife and a pickaxe, look it up. It will explain the pros and cons, including how you can maximise each weapon so there are no flaws in your fighting style. There's even a function that can summon said weapons."

Daniel pulled up the search, immediately searching for Wolfbane. A single book floated to his spot. He grabbed it with haste, flipping through the pages until he found the function.

And like his father predicted, the weapon dropped into his fingertips, and once again, he could hold the blade "Now that's… awesome!" The boy gave it a few test swipes, the weapon functioning just like he remembered, "Killua, look, I got Wolfbane back…"

Killua frowned slightly. There was still something very wrong with the place, and he couldn't shake the feeling off. He felt like he was being watched from every corner, judged without reason. But if this place really functioned like a training, or practice mode as they're usually called, that meant… Vastorie could not only do the same, but if he was indeed immortal, and is the practice dummy they could fight against… every book here, was at his disposal as well, although he didn't know to what extent "So if we wanted to… we could spar with you, correct?"

"You would be wise to think so… but unwise to do it alone."

Killua allowed a crooked grin to show as he turned to Daniel "Wanna beat your dad's ass?"

Daniel nodded in glee, turning to face his father "Two against one, I like those odds."

Vastorie couldn't help but smile as he brought his guard up, shifting one of his hands to egg both boys to come to fight him.

"Like always!"

"Like always!" Daniel mimicked, lashing out his blade as Killua went in first. The man stepped to the side, avoiding the attack at the last second, fingers brought up, dangling over the boy's arms as he adjusted his posture "Arm up, adjust your wrist, never step forward when lunging a great distance." He kicked the boy away, grasping Wolfbane before pulling it forward, throwing the unsuspecting boy into his grasp.

He brought his fist forward, slamming into the side of the boy's face, disorientating his son as he made him bounce off the floor, ricocheting him up into the air like he was a ball. The boy had no time to react before he was grabbed mid-flight, slammed into Killua like a baseball bat, using the momentum to send them both flying further away from him.

"Two, for creativity. And five for teamwork." Vastorie argued as he leaned against the air, smiling ever so softly.

Killua grunted in annoyance as he stood up, feeling no pain, neither from the kick nor from being hit like a piñata with Daniel. It seemed like Daniel was the same, dusting off the damage like it was nothing. So, it was true, they were immortal while they were here, but a consequence like that has to have some serious ramifications on the one whose power it originated from.

And he was smirking right at them. It was like he knew what they were thinking.

Killua cracked his knuckles, allowing his Assassin Mode to take over for a moment. While here, he won't have to worry about killing the man. Let's see how you do against this… Shifting his arms, he shifted his aura, activating another assassin move along the way. The snake awakens…

He let his instinct take over, whipping his arms with speed and fluidity, intending to rip through the man's defences. He flailed his arms around, but no matter how many times he swung at him, his arms failed to connect, not even grazing the man's skin.

Daniel joined the fight, drawing his aura out. He aimed for his father's back, hands reaching out from the darkness. But what happened next, he wasn't expecting. A flash of light decimated his attack. It was like a flash bang went off, lighting the room in a blinding light.

He hadn't expected it, and neither was Killua. Although he was shocked briefly, it was more than enough for his opponent to use to his advantage. He felt an open palm connect with his face, stunning him for a moment before using his body like a volleyball, throwing it at Daniel.

Daniel caught Killua with ease, but his father immediately closed the distance, a hand being brought up to take them both out.

Killua grit his teeth. Now or never… God's speed! He forced his ability to activate, electricity swallowing his body whole. Taking the boy into his arms as he escaped, clutching Daniel like he had done to Alluka when they made their escape from Tsubone and the others.

Vastorie barely raised an eyebrow, only looking towards their direction.

His reaction hit Daniel like a brick wall, the attacks, why neither one could land a hit, even when they are attacking from his blind spots. He was cheating, through the same method, his sister could perform.

And the moment he thought it, Vastorie's smile grew, a click of his fingers snapping in the boy's direction "Bingo!"

Killua could only raise an eyebrow at the reaction, Daniel being forced to explain "Zaikaria's ability is to read minds the moment she touches someone. Although his cheating by using it on more than one person."

Clapping his hands, Vastorie nodded "Exactly! You know those bosses which AIs are ramped up to impossible levels, often cheating by taking a chunk of your life out before you even start the match? Think of me as that, on steroids…" the man held out his hands, one hand being swallowed by black fire, and another with glowing light "Every ability recorded here, I can use it to its maximum output, at the cost of my own fatigue. So, the longer I'm forced to fight in here, the more time I have to spend in what I like to call recovery mode…"

"Which also explains why some morning you were really…"

"Irritated? Angry? Pissed? Yup, that's why… I spent so much time sleeping, I often wake up annoyed, and really hungry… If you want to know what's happening to your bodies, Nathaniel should be taking the both of you, as well as myself to bed. From the damage, I inflicted on you as of now… I'll be out cold for at least six hours, whereas you… will only be out for the remainder of this ability is activated. I can keep going if you like… or I can end it now. By the way, because time is slower here, the watch on your wrist will tell you how long we've been in here."

Killua checked his watch, two and a half minutes had gone by.

"Two and a half minutes, which only one-quarter of that time, has actually passed in the real world." That was a lie and he knew it, but the end goal will be worth it in the end. The surprise, overtaking the reason "Care to continue?"

Killua nodded before looking back at Daniel "I'm game if you are?"

"Well, we can't beat Vastorie through normal means… but…" Daniel's eyes looked towards his father. If he could use other's abilities here, that means he can also use mine and Killua's also…

"That would be correct, I can as of now, use… God Speed. Of course, if I wanted to. I can also use Shadow Puppet, as well as the both of them of them together like a combined attack." The man let his fingers drift, electricity swallowing his body whole as he used his other hand to weave his shadow, combining the two into an electrical darkness wavering in the air. Although, unlike Daniel which altered them into hands, Vastorie was melding them into tendrils "Want me to give you advice, or do you wish to attempt to take me on once more…?"

How do they take out a boss that effectively considered cheap, using everything in his own world, his arsenal of weapons he has worked on and wish to build, to destroy their enemies? Killing him isn't an option, as doing so will end this world and ultimately kick them back into reality. And taking him on will only increase the amount of time he spends sleeping…

Actually, now that he thinks about it what was the two-hours Vastorie mentioned to Nathaniel. Was that the time Vastorie intended to spend here, or the time spent on the outside?

Vastorie looked towards his son "Good catch!"

"Can you please turn that off! It's weird having you go through my brain and-" The boy stopped, completely forgetting about his original question, to instead ask something he remembered Zaikaria mentioning about her ability. When she probes someone's mind, she can read everything including… that "I swear on the rest of my life, if YOU probed through what Killua and I did last night, I'll tell dad! And then you can kiss your ass goodbye!"

Vastorie could only smile at the treatment "Ah, she told you about the limits of her mind-reading ability, huh… well, in that case, she failed to mention something. The reason I have a better understanding of her ability here than she does is that because of the amount of time I spend here. While I sleep, I can activate this ability. There are things in this world, that I've still yet to write in the counterparts of the real world. I study here because understanding an ability here, will help me give pointers later…"

"Also…" The man swirled his finger in the air, letting his words linger for longer than it should "I only sleep when this ability knocks me out. So, the time I spend here now will be the last amount of time before I can reuse it. I can only use it infinitely, as long as I do not hurt myself, or others. SO, don't expect me to come up with pointers after I wake up. Which brings me to my point. Zaikaria can shut out thoughts, she just needs to practice a lot… on others."

Holding out a finger, Vastorie pointed towards his son, making sure he understands this next point clearly "That's why I let her kill me over and over again in this world, so she can understand how to manipulate people's memories, where she can alter and where she can't, without damaging someone's mentality…"

Daniel's eyes grew dark. Did Zaikaria do something to him when he was younger? Is that why he can't remember about those old scars which were healed back on Greed Island? Or was that comment directed at his more recent ones which covered the old wounds? "The scar… did Zaikaria do that?"

"Ahh, you want to know about that scar…" Vastorie shook his head "No, but I do know who did it. However, I'm not going to tell you. I know why she made you forget about the wound, she was scared of your original response…"

"My original response…?"

"You should ask her… force it out of her if you must."

Daniel looked at Killua, perplexed about the idea. What did she know…? Why was she so scared about him remembering? Did she fear a specific outcome? "Can you give me a hint?"

"Nope! I'm here to train your ability… Nothing more… Nothing less…"

The boy grits his teeth, frustrated by having a secret being revealed without substance. He had no sort of clue to latch his hands onto, other than Vastorie's words about Zaikaria knowing about the old wound.

Killua stepped in, one hand resting against Daniel's shoulder with a knowing smile. He knew how frustrated the boy was, having a question dance on the tip of one's tongue without an actual response or reason for no answer, is frustrating "Fine, you're here to train us… right."

"Exactly…"

"How…?"

The man raised a finger, letting it dangle in the air "So, first things first. After probing your mind for the extent of your knowledge on your ability. The quirks, the boundaries, what you figured you can and can't do… I theorised on how you could improve your ability based on other books I've read here. Studying is what I, do best…"

Stopping his finger, he held it out to Killua "You first. God Speed, or should I say Whirlwind and Speed of Lightning are a grand concept, working so wonderfully in sync with each other. It does have its flaws, as does every ability when first designed."

"Like…" Killua fumed at having a flaw pointed out, let alone his memory on his abilities being read without his knowledge.

"I can't vouch for God Speed as a whole, you haven't tested it out to its full capabilities. You held Alluka and Daniel when you ran it dry, and saving Gon… well, you weren't paying attention to your body."

"Stop that…" Killua grit his teeth, hating how the man was going through his past like it meant nothing to him.

"If you think I'm gonna judge you… STOP IT! YOUR PAST ACTIONS ARE YOUR OWN CHOICE! I'm here to help improve your abilities, nothing more… nothing less. NOW, as I was saying… the core function of your ability, depends on how much electricity you can hold within your body, yes?"

"Why are you even asking… can't you read my mind for the answers?"

Vastorie blinked slowly, a little frustrated "It's like I'm dealing with my old self all over again."

The words peaked Killua and Daniel's curiosity, one which made Vastorie even more frustrated at having that little secret being revealed by his own admission "No, I'm not going to talk about that. Killua, while you electrocute your body to hold electricity now, over time, it will become easier, to mimic the aura to do it without the need to hold it. Think of your body less of a dead car battery, and more like a… power station. Eventually, you won't need to jolt your aura anymore, and then you can effectively, train it to reserve the aura and mass produce its own static electricity, rather than needing a jolt every time you run out."

"Right, so how do I do that…?"

"Use the search core functions, you'll be surprised what you can find here…"

"Thanks for the help…"

"No problems. I'm not going to throw all the answers in your face, as everyone responds differently. Also, sometimes it makes you too independent, which is something you don't want…"

Killua let out a huff of annoyance. Him becoming dependant on someone would be annoying, but for some reason, he felt like that comment wasn't being directed at him, but rather Daniel. He didn't feel like he was depending on the boy, any more than he needed to in the scenario being provided.

"Now, as for Daniel… you have a lot of pushing to do mister. First of all, having the shadow rely on your physical body, is just a terrible move in my opinion. But, I can also understand why you did it that way. You wanted to train it for endurance, rather than strength. Although, in your current predicament, you've amassed more losses than wins."

Daniel's head dropped in shame. He was right, but that doesn't make it any less annoying, having his father read through his victory and losses like it was written down on a piece of paper before him.

The man held a fist to his chin, which route does he take with his son "Those who are stronger than you, can break out of your hold. Which means, no matter how many times you grip them, it's only going to cause you more fatigue than practicality… What I suggest is you do is build up your physical endurance, practice Ten as well as Ren. Force your body over the limits as many times over. And rather than using the strength of your body, use your aura to strengthen your shadow as you would with Shu. Now for fluidity-"

"Hey wait why are you picking on me-"

"Why does he get all these pointers-"

Vastorie burst into laughter from the teens' response. He didn't expect both Daniel and Killua to get upset at the same time. Sometimes they were in sync with each other's feelings more than they were letting on at times "Never expected that outcome. As for a response, he's my son… I know how dependent he can be at times, which shows through his ability…"

Something clicked in Killua's mind, and Vastorie's lack of reaction meant that the man ended Zaikaria's ability some time ago, although he doesn't know how when that was. But that last statement: I know how dependent he can be at times… it reminded him of last night, how Daniel relied only on what Killua had told or shown him. Daniel might find it hard to explore on his own, which is why he not only came to his father but why Killua might have to push him as well.

He should have realised it earlier…

Daniel, on the other hand, fumed at his father's reasoning "I don't depend on others…" looking up, he questioned his own thought. Or do I… "Wait, through my ability?"

"Yes, hands, as in you want to help others through a helping hand."

"Did you just…"

"Nope!" The man smiled "I did no such thing…"

"Then… explain why you merged your shadows into tendrils?"

"Darkness… stretching out to touch the object from where it originated from, hence the reason for the tendrils. No other reason why… As I was saying earlier, for fluidity, Killua's concept based on Whirlwind might help you. To act without reason… You might want to change up your style, letting your mind wander about attacks rather than hand gestures. It'll make your attacks quicker, and less… robotic. And one final tip…"

The boys groaned out loud, which only amused the man further "You two, should come up with a combined ability. Not now! Explore your bodies, including each other's." He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively, uncaring wither the two would tell Nathaniel later. This needed to be said to the boys because he found it would help them later on "Darkness reflects in the light, so electricity combined with shadows, would make for great combination attacks. Although, don't worry if you can never let your auras combine together one day, not everyone can do it… it takes some serious trust, as well as teamwork."

That peaked Daniel's interest "Can you and dad do that?"

"Training sure… as I can just about do it with anyone. The only thing I can combine with Nathaniel is my senses. I can feel his attacks, much like I can read yours with Zaikaria's ability. But my methods with his… are well, different."

"Different…?"

Vastorie wiggled a finger "Fewer questions, more studying. Chop, chop! Explore this world of knowledge, as in every instance, can serve you well in the future."

"Yes!"

"Yes, dad!"

The man checked his watch. Ten minutes… meaning forty minutes have passed. Provided they don't deal any more damage to him or themselves, he'll only be out for eight hours now. Another hour and fifteen minutes remained, so he'll have to make a better estimate during its final stage. But judging by their course, he'll probably be out for at least twelve hours. Twelve hours of boring sleep… lucky.

On the plus side, at least he can get to work figuring out a list of people now, and judging by the card Killua had earlier, that means he only has to come up with a list of eight people now.