With everything set in motion, Madelyn is pulled into a trap, where things are told, and drama ensues.
A\B: I'm back with two chapters 130 and 131. The hammer is about to drop, and I hope you enjoy this fun roller-coaster of a ride for Madelyn.
Daniel stood still; arms folded as he watched Madelyn. Deep down, he was worried about the conversation they were going to have… the consequences of failing their little mission.
It felt like a ticking time bomb was counting down in his head, the moment the four of them were in the room together, the bomb will detonate and their discussion will turn into a shit show.
The girl had already questioned him about Killua's whereabouts, and while he was by no means a professional liar, he knew ways how to dance around the topic. He had lied many times in the past with Alluka, but that was more to hide certain parts of his relationship with Killua… the things his partner's sister didn't want her to find out about just yet.
Killua wants her to remain innocent for as long as he can. He felt like she deserves a normal childhood before she brought into the discussion of that part of their relationship. His partner probably just dreaded having 'the talk' with Alluka, given that not only was she inquisitive, but it's also the one thing that could probably make her say 'eww'.
"You're not even paying attention… where's your boy toy?"
"Wow…" The boy remarked loudly, words dripping with sarcasm, "My boy toy has a name… It's Kyle."
"Well Kyle, is NOT here… yet you're distracted."
"Technically, I distract him…"
"Either way, it's annoying."
Daniel raised a curious eyebrow, "Annoying because I genuinely care enough about someone to be distracted by their lack of presence, or because I'm not paying attention to you… The second is me implying you're jealous of Kyle."
"I would never be jealous of that guy. I don't even know why you're so fixated on him."
"Someone is jealous…"
"I'm not…"
"Now who's distracted?"
Madelyn grits her teeth, more annoyed at the boy being right for once than her being distracted from a dumb argument "Well if you weren't distracted, we wouldn't be having this argument."
"Kyle and I could keep our Ren up while talking about mundane things, you know… distracted. So why can't you keep your Ten up?"
Madelyn sputtered from the comparison. Rather than arguing further, she returned to her training, choosing to ignore the boy. The only problem was it wasn't working.
"You're wavering…"
"Shut up!"
"~"
"So, Killua… are you and Daniel sure about this… about telling her everything?"
"We've both agreed to what we're gonna tell her… and effectively you as well. At the end of the day, there are a few things I rather not tell the two of you, but that's me being biased on the matter. Daniel has sort of… swayed me on the idea." Killua simply argued back, turning to give the girl a coy grin, "Why…? You getting cold feet?"
"Not cold feet per se… More like, worried."
"Daniel felt the same. I had to distract him, to get his thoughts focused elsewhere a couple of days ago."
"How…"
Killua gave the girl a look, one that said to drop the topic.
"First of all, if your look is what I think it is… eww…"
Killua rolled his eyes at the assumption, "Yes… Daniel and I have an intimate relationship. Yes, others can view it as a terrible thing. But we have a different perspective on it. What we do in the privacy of our room it's nobody's concern. Plus, our age shouldn't concern others… I didn't see anyone raising an eyebrow when we were a part of a war."
Clarisa chuckled, "No… I don't think that part of you should be considered…" She brought up her hands to quote the next word "disgusting. In fact… I would high-five you, but I'm worried where that hand has been."
"Nowhere your mind is thinking. Get out of the gutters, and focus on the subject at hand. We're not…" Killua clutched invisible pearls between his fingertips, his voice coming off as sassy. He was almost acting dainty, while also screeching like a banshee with fictitious disgust "Oh, you two are revolting. Although, thanks for saving my life from giant, human devouring animals…"
"What…?" Clarisa was more concerned about the last-half of his comment than the first-half.
"We'll be talking about that part of our history later. So, no spoilers from me. What this conversation will be about, is us talking to Madelyn, and you… about my past… Vastorie's past, at least from what we know… our adventure and about finally… Alluka."
"Why Alluka…?"
"Madelyn thinks I'm a part of the mafia… and that Alluka is some king-pins ultimate weapon against others. She's apparently, a key to controlling other Mafia members."
"If she was a weapon that made others exclaim: Aww, she's cute… right before dying from cuteness overload, I can see that happening."
Killua chuckled from the example "She's far from that. But it'll make her happy to know, she can cause cuteness overload."
"She's very adorable… not gonna lie."
"Thank you…"
Killua pulled out a card, swiping against a scanner. A button on the elevator lit up. Hovering his finger over the button, he allowed himself to pause and make sure Clarisa was in with the plan, "Starting from now… there's no pulling out. This is your last chance, if, you feel like your presence is going to do nothing but anger Madelyn."
The girl sighed, "I do feel that way… but if it's something I should be a part of… that I should hear too, then I should be there. If not for Madelyn, at least myself."
Killua gave a nod of understanding before pressing the button, the elevator now going lower than the girl perceived as possible.
"~"
Daniel took his time helping Madelyn through every task. She was a lot more responsive now for some reason. He now dreaded Killua coming back with Clarisa.
However, it also brought a few questions he needed to ask. What about Killua pissed her off? Was it that the boy's snarky mannerisms, which also happened, to make the boy sound like Vastorie when he was in a bad mood? Was it that the boy didn't answer any of her questions, instead, choosing to insult her when she acted out in anger?
Or was the issue more of an underlying one… one he couldn't perceive yet? He'll have to broach the topic carefully… especially if the two of them continue to butt heads.
Actually… he could ask now while his partner wasn't in the room, "Madelyn, curious question?"
"If it's about my life… I'm not telling you anything."
That's what you say right now… Crossing his arms, the boy pouted, "Why don't you like my boyfriend."
"He's sassy and annoying. I'm glad he's not here, so now I don't have to hear him being snarky."
"You're both snarky if I'm being honest."
"I am not!"
Daniel continued to argue, even though she clearly, wanted the topic to be dropped "You are… I've seen and heard how you talk to him. He and I argued about who was going to train who. He wanted me to deal with you… actually, to pull a quote. Teaching Madelyn is like teaching a self-entitled rich girl who brought the building, because everything she touches, she deserves to own."
"If anyone is rich self-entitled prick… it's Kyle. He just oozes rich boy, smug and entitled. He sounds like one of those kids that would burn their Ferrari, just so their parents would buy them a new one."
Daniel held back, refusing to yell at the girl for insulting his partner… but she didn't know the full story. How much suffering Killua had to go through on a daily, because he was born in a family where everything was earned, but the things that were earned was everything Killua didn't want to be a part of.
To earn respect, he had to take some stranger's life and kill them without leaving a single trace… even though everyone in the world knew who their family was… including where to find them. Yet, after all that training… once he met Gon… once he met him… he was willing to throw all those talents away for a chance of normalcy "Choose your words about him wisely next time. Unlike you… I know his past."
"You're whipped by him… admit it."
Daniel gave off a menacing coy grin, "Regardless of whether I'm whipped by him or not… at least I have someone to talk to at the end of the day."
He had struck a chord, one he never anticipated that could've ended in a disastrous result "Listen here you brat. I don't have to take shit from anyone. The moment your father comes here, I'll drop you faster than you can beg to continue to teach me. You're only doing this so you can get brownie points for your father. A pat on the back with a job well done…"
Even though the words hurt to a degree, Daniel kept silent. He never expected such a volatile response. Eifion had no right to call this off now. She was going to get slammed with facts, regardless of whether she liked it or not, "The truth is a cruel mistress…"
Madelyn looked confused at the statement. She had no idea how to react, especially once the elevator 'dinged'. When her face turned to the elevator, noticing Clarisa coming off after Kyle had, she went from angry, to pissed off "What is she doing here?"
Daniel hit a button, the elevators shutting down immediately. Clarisa was now worried, especially after seeing how angry her housemate had become from the boy's action "Let me OUT…"
Daniel turned to Killua, "We're going straight into the conversation. I've already struck a chord."
Killua gave a nod of understanding as he pressed Clarisa forward, suggesting she gets closer to the conversation.
"Eifion, I know your listening and you probably assume that it's already off to a bad start. But I want to slightly go back on our deal. Do not turn those elevators back on."
Madelyn turned to yell to be let out, but Daniel brushed her complaint aside before she could even attempt to argue "Don't even complain. You're going to hear what we have to say… like it or not."
Killua crossed his arms. He didn't like the tone his partner was using. He wasn't normally direct or straight to the point, shutting off people's arguments before they could be made, "What happened…? What's wrong?"
Daniel turned to Killua, "She called you an entitled rich boy and for me, well… I'm apparently, looking for daddy's approval."
The boy turned to the girl, gritting his teeth, ready to object to the stupidity of the narrow description, "You-"
"We're not going to stoop to her level. Even if we must be the only adults in this room… at least physically, everyone is going to sit their ass down and we're going to talk to each other. We're going to listen to what everyone has to say, whether we like it or not." He gave everyone a stern gaze, making sure everyone, was listening to him.
Madelyn sat her ass down, frustrated with her arms cross. She'll just have to keep interrupting the boy throughout the argument until he caves in. What she hadn't realised, was Daniel would be stubborn throughout the discussion.
Clarisa sat down, close, but still far from Madelyn. It was clear her housemate was upset with the situation. Hopefully, she won't throw a tantrum and actively, listen to the boy's words. He had important stuff to tell, stuff that she needed to hear.
Daniel turned to Killua, giving the boy a nod. He expected his partner to start, considering he was still frustrated with the situation.
The boy scratched the back of his head, just as frustrated as his partner. But unlike his partner right now, it appeared he was the only sane one right now. Taking a deep breath, he cleared his mind, "First, I'd like to say we lied about our names."
"I knew-"
Killua shot the girl a glare, silencing her before she could even think to argue her way out of the discussion, "Open your mouth again and I'll close it for you… permanently, understood?"
Madelyn felt beads of sweat trickle down her forehead. She was scared to learn about Kyle's name. It's the first time she ever saw the boy pose in a life-threatening manner.
Clarisa interrupted the boy, "I know Madelyn is making you frustrated… but like I said, go easy on her."
"I don't need your help…"
Killua turned to the girl arguing for the other.
Madelyn was half expecting him to tell her to shut up, but instead, Kyle turned back to her. His gaze was intense, but as his posture relaxed, so did his gaze, "You only get one warning."
Madelyn offered a nod in response.
"Good…" Killua smiled, his expression softening further at the prospect of Madelyn finally listening to them, "More about our names later. First, let's get everyone caught up with why we're in this room. The obvious answer is because we were able to get it locked down… the real reason, is because we can demonstrate Nen here. Madelyn is aware of Nen, but Clarisa isn't… so Daniel and I thought it'll be best to cover every category, including mentioning the subcategories."
Killua held out his hand to Daniel.
The boy gave a nod before holding out his hands, eyes closed as he allowed his aura to flow around his body.
"This is Ten, the basic entry point into Nen. It allows you to train your body for a basic form of defence, but more importantly, help defend you against Nen baptisms and Nen related emotional attacks."
Without warning, Killua brought up his fist, slamming it in Daniel's face. He was careful to make sure he wasn't exerting any strength, using his physical power to knock the boy aside.
Daniel slid along the floor, barely a mark on his face.
"Those who are proficient with Ten, will be able to block a non-Nen user's basic attacks without a scratch." Killua once more turned to face the girls, "Only those who know Gyo, could see his flow of aura… or those attuned, like Madelyn, should be able to feel it."
Daniel stepped into the conversation, letting go of the flow to instead take over. "The next is Zetsu…" He waited until he had the girl's attention, so Killua could sneak behind the girls without them noticing "It's more difficult for me… But, for someone like my partner…"
The girls turned to face the other boy, but he was no longer where he once stood. Disappearing physically, and in presence.
"Boo!"
Clarisa let out a scream; she wasn't expecting Killua to be standing right behind her. The beating of her heart raced, and the sound of her scream making Madelyn cease up in shock.
If Kyle had scared her, Clarisa would've had a similar reaction to hers just now. She hadn't even felt Kyle disappear without a trace. She was nowhere near the boy's level when it came to Zetsu. Madelyn had a long way to go…
Killua gave the terrified girl a cocky grin before placing his hand on her shoulder. Hopefully, after his explanation, her racing heart would've calmed down by then "Zetsu allows one to hide their presence, making it easier to escape or get closer to someone without them noticing. There are ways to defend from this, but more on that later."
The boy then pointed back to his partner. He might be good with Ren, but when it comes to long battles, Daniel excels. If he could drag out every battle, nine out of ten times, he'd easily lose to his boyfriend.
Daniel let his aura surge, his mere presence almost overwhelming the girls. If he held even the tiniest bit of rage, what it may have resulted in, was accidentally giving Clarisa a Nen baptism. He couldn't have that, so he held back…
He internalised all his frustrations against Madelyn's constant distrust, to instead focus on showing what it's like to feel the overwhelming presence of a person who reeks of strength…
However, there was one plus side to this instance; Madelyn did the right thing by throwing her Ten up, she was learning…
She was not only learning to predict the situation better but know when she needed to protect herself…
Even if he showed no malicious intent, having your Ten up is always a good safety precaution.
The boy moved on, releasing his aura into the ground, small cracks forming under the girl's feet, "As a Nen user, training Ren is good for boosting your endurance. However, more importantly… it helps you discover your categories. Which are…" As he walked around the girls, he mentioned the categories in a clockwise list, starting from the top "Enhancer, Transmuter, Conjurer, Specialist, Manipulator and Emitter. For now, I'll focus on our categories."
Stopping once more in front of the girl, he offered them a smile, "Kyle is a Transmuter, he manifests and controls electricity through his aura; it works the same as the real-life counterpart."
Killua brought up his fingertips, electricity sparking between them. With a smirk, he twisted his body, throwing a ball of aura at the wall, webs of electricity spreading like cobwebs as it charred from the spot it impacted, to where it fizzled out.
He had left an impressive mark, one that would take time to repair.
Clarisa was awestruck, enamoured by Killua's ability. She didn't understand how or why it worked and acted like electricity, but seeing it scorch the walls wasn't something she'll be forgetting any time soon.
Daniel gave a nod to his partner, letting him know the act left an impact on one of them.
It wasn't the Madelyn wasn't easily impressed, it's just that she gets easily annoyed at how weak she is when compared to boys only a year older than her. It'll take more than just the discussion about Nen to sway her thoughts about them.
Moving on, Daniel brought up his hand, "I'm a Manipulator…" Hands curled from beneath his feet, grasping at the air, "I control and manipulate my shadow in a variety of ways. Mainly to attack from a distance, grapple or trip my target, so they stumble around for an easier counterattack."
Dismissing his ability, the boy smiled "So, are there any questions about the basics?"
Clarisa held up a hand.
Daniel raised a questioning eyebrow, "This isn't strictly a class… just ask away?"
"So, I understand Transmuter would be elemental based, but-"
"No so much elemental… We've dealt with someone who uses rubber and gum at his disposal. A fire user… which happens to be elemental. Kyle's grandfather uses… dragons, right?"
"Well, he transmutes his aura to look like dragons… or are dragon-themed. I can't say I know my dad's ability that well… but his attacks seem to have an explosive force. So, for the moment, I would consider them like miniature nukes going off…" The boy rubbed his chin as he thought about it, wondering if his father did have a strict theme to his abilities, or were they based on the effectiveness of firepower.
His ability was well rounded but harder to maintain for longer periods. Maybe his father just wanted the job to be over and done with, which is why his ability was designed to get rid of the target instantly.
Daniel then raised a finger, remembering another transmuter "Bisky, her ability is all about recovery. She's a transmuter as well… but her abilities revolve around creating a type of oil that's designed to rejuvenate the person's body…"
"She's also fifty-seven and looks our age…"
With a raised finger, Clarisa hijacked the conversation, "I know hundreds of girls that would kill for something like that. Not personally… but it's a thing…"
"Yeah, well… the old hag would give those hundreds of girls a Suplex they'll never recover from."
The girl dropped her finger from that joke. Then again… the boy sounded too serious when he delivered that joke. Bringing her hand to her mouth, she coughed as though that would help them recover from the serious insult "Moving back… so Transmute, would imply it's to replicate something using your Nen, in the form of a Hatsu… correct?"
"Yes!" Daniel beamed from the answer. He was able to correctly demonstrate Hatsus using nothing but his and Killua's category.
"Then Manipulator…" Clarisa was getting ready to point out something, but while Daniel could tell it was going to come off as an insult, he'd rather let the girl ask the question, then stop her "would be someone who controls an object…" The girl then looked over to Killua, "or a person."
Killua shook the notion away, "I know what you're thinking… Daniel doesn't work like that. In fact… he was disappointed when he found out he was a Manipulator."
"I've learned to live with it," Daniel objected to his partner's words. Sure, Killua wasn't wrong at the start, but now he kind of sees it as a blessing in disguise. He has learned to maximise his ability to work with his talents. It'll just take time before he has perfectly melded his Nen ability into his preferred fighting style "by making do with my abilities. Any more questions?"
"Yeah…" Madelyn piped up; a finger being pointed at Daniel. She had a cocky, smug grin. They already knew what she was going to ask, but rather than shut her down than must deal with her complaining, they'll let her get it off her system "You've thought about controlling Kyle, haven't you…?"
The boy in question crossed his arms. The type of control she was expecting from him, was absolute control over Killua's feelings and actions. Had he… there was a time he thought about the possibility, the notion of making Killua fall in love with him…
But nothing to the degree Madelyn was expecting from him…
Not after he found out how Killua's family would control him…
"No…"
"Not even-"
"Madelyn!" The girl was shocked to see her housemate defending the boys, and not Kyle coming to the defence of his partner. Did Kyle think there was nothing wrong with her question… or did he secretly despise the question?
She wanted answers, but Clarisa's stern expression told her otherwise. She relented her questioning, choosing to remain quiet.
Daniel once more broke the silence, "The answer is no. What you're thinking of, is not anything that has ever crossed my mind. Sure, there was a time I wanted…" The boy looked over to Killua, "for him to fall-in-love with me, but I never demanded those feelings from him. Our feelings a mutual, no matter if to you… it looks like he's being forced into this relationship…"
Killua frowned. He didn't like that Daniel had to defend their relationship like that, but given that they were missing Madelyn's backstory, there might be a reason she asked that question. It might be a hint to her backstory, that her family was manipulative in some way towards her…
Either way, they were going to find out one way or another by the end of this trapped session "Let's move onto the advanced Nen techniques. Technically, Hatsu would also be considered an advanced technique, but it falls under basic for one major reason… it's something everyone should learn before they should branch out to advance techniques."
Daniel bounced off his partner's statement, "It can be the key difference between turning a tide, and losing entirely." He looked at his partner, giving the boy a smile along with a knowing look before turning to Madelyn, "Which is why you should continue to train harder… Once you learn Ren and can maintain it for a reasonable amount of time, we can identify the category you belong to…"
The boy then added a bit of foreboding to his statement, "That's if you not only continue to train… but still want us to remain as your teachers." Before the girl could question the boy's statement, he moved on, "That being said… Short explanation. Change of the Volume of water, Enhancer. Taste of water, Transmuter. Created particles in the water, Conjurer. Colour of the water changes, Emitter. The leaf moves, Manipulator. Specialist, not belonging to any of these variations. Once you get up to that stage, we'll explain it better… for now, that's all I'll give to explain what happens during a category test."
Killua re-joined the conversation, moving the discussion along "Now for the advanced Techniques. Some of them we haven't properly trained in… so I'll go through those quicker than I'd like. First up, Gyo… it's versatile, and something Daniel excels at. It allows you to control and manipulate the flow of your aura. One of the first things you'll learn to do is learn to focus your aura on your eyes, so you can perceive aura more clearly. It helps to spot things hidden, like those abilities shrouded in In. Speaking of In, it's a technique used to hide your ability. For example, hiding my electricity so they believe I'm an Emitter throwing balls of aura… and not electricity. It'll give me an advantage if they throw up their guard to block it, rather than trying to dodge it…"
Daniel offered his partner a nod before stepping forward, "Now that brings us to a second way to spot Nen flow, or mainly… long-range attacks, attacks hidden via In or people via Zetsu. En… I also excel at this…" The moment he finished, Killua threw a punch from behind his partner, the boy stepping out of the way of his boyfriend's attack "With En you can create a circle of aura to detect movements or changes within your surrounding area like I just did."
Releasing his ability, he stopped wasting his aura "So far, I can detect up to twenty-five meters without losing concentration. However, masters can be anywhere from fifty meters and up… Although," The boy then added, "sometimes keeping a more contracted En field has its advantages, especially if you have lightning-fast reflects, or you're dealing with someone that's only proficient in hand-to-hand combat."
Killua crossed his arms, "Agreed! I can use En as well… but not to at the same distance as Daniel can. I'm able to extend my distance to at least ten-meters… but given my abilities and fighting style, that's perfect for me."
"You suck…" Madelyn taunted, but Daniel was quick to object, "We each have our own, strengths and weaknesses. Kyle may not excel at Ren or En like I do, but he has me beat in other areas. Zetsu for example… I'm like a walking siren. Even if I tried, I can't hide my presence at all, which makes me terrible at subterfuge. If you told me to sneak into this school without Eifion noticing, the moment I step on these grounds… He'll know I'm here. However, at least my partner will be able to hide before his detected."
"Uh…"
Killua was about to object to the example, but once more his partner defended his case "I mean it… If Eifion didn't have this elaborate system stopping others from entering this school, you'll be able to sneak in unlike me…"
Sighing in defeat, Killua ran his fingers through the back of his hair, a blush evident on his face "Right… Right… of course. Eifion, I know you're listening, so I can say with a hundred per cent certainty, I would never sneak onto these school grounds. Now let's move on before we waste any more time complimenting each other on what we're good at…"
The boy's partner gave a nod of understanding, "Training Gyo, will help with all the advanced categories. For example, Shu, which is extending your aura to reinforce an object. Like turning flowers into darts…"
"Making playing cards cut through flesh…"
Daniel shivered from the example, remembering how Hisoka's face twisted into pleasure, especially after how the Hunter examiner told the man to refrain from attacking him. Before his mind could linger on the thought any longer, he brought up the example of their training on Greed Island "Using a shovel to dig through solid rock."
"Reinforcing a weapon that would otherwise struggle to cut through a harden caprice, to slice through thicker or armoured skin." Killua crossed his arms, "That's the main point of Shu. Following that, the next kind would be Ko, which is Shu, but mainly focused on using the full extent of your strength like a nuke…"
"You focus your aura into a single point, to deliver a devastating critical hit." Daniel clarified.
Killua held out a finger, "Like bringing a cannon to a pistol fight. However, while it could be devastating, provided, you can get in a successful hit… it leaves you wide open and defenceless. So that's where you have two other choices. Option one, Ken, which is the more advanced version of Ren. You focus on your defence, by keeping your Ren up, indefinitely. Or…"
The boy turned to his partner, smiling gleefully. He knew what came next. What they intended to do, would require an immense amount of restraint, and… trust within each other's ability.
Daniel brought his leg back, winding it up for an attack. Without missing a beat, the two slammed their legs against each other, creating a small shockwave that cracked the floor beneath them.
Daniel explained what they did, "This would-be Ryu… the hardest to master. We are by no means masters in this category, but we have enough trust in each other, to maximise our defence and attack, without either of us walking away with a limp."
When Killua had put down his foot, so had his partner done the same. Daniel continued "Ryu is the advanced form of Gyo, the ability to adjust your aura output to match your opponent's output in real-time. It depends on not only your physical strength but your aura as well. Kyle has a stronger Physical strength over me… but when it comes to me, I have a higher capacity of aura to utilise. So, if we both went out all out, one of us would be walking away with more than a few cracked bones…"
Madelyn pointed a finger between the boys, "So… who would win out of the two of you?"
"We never tried it…" Killua crossed his arms, "Daniel tends to hold back with me, not because he's stronger… because he's afraid I'll get hurt. You see… if we did go all out, and he lost, he'll just see himself as being the weaker person. If he held back because he's afraid… and then he got hurt in the process, I'd be upset at him. However, on the off chance he won… and I got hurt, he'll be more worried about me… than the fact that he was strong enough to beat me."
The girl pointed her finger at Kyle, "So, then… would you be the stronger one?"
"Dunno…"
Madelyn got more frustrated at the boy's excuses "Then Daniel has to be the stronger one…"
Daniel shrugged, "Don't know… don't care."
The boy's partner rebuffed his statement, agreeing with the sentiment of his boyfriend's uncaring attitude towards finding out who was the stronger one "We're trying to maximise our combined strength, not test who's the stronger fighter."
"But…" Madelyn was starting to act erratic, annoyed with the two boys. They displayed that they were better at something that their partner was at, and now they have reached a point they could go all out with each other, they refused to because of a what-if scenario "Each of the skills you demonstrated, showed something you were good at. And you're going to cop-out because one of you fears the other getting hurt? To top it off, the other is going to be pissed because Daniel held back? How do you know who's stronger, if you never push yourself?"
Killua was rather annoyed at the question. While it's true, he just said they're not going to force each other to the ends of their thither, just so they can find the best in the category. They're trying to maximise their combined strength, "Listen, you-"
Daniel held a hand out to Killua, stopping him from insulting the girl. Instead, he stood in front of her, squatting down to her level, "Because strength doesn't equal what you're good at. Just because I have a higher detection distance with En, doesn't mean I can always keep my distance from my partner. Just because his electricity is great at long distance, short distance and stun locking people doesn't mean, he's impossible to beat. We each have weakness… we all do. We want to know our weaker boundaries, so we can find out where we can help each other… not how to beat the other."
Madelyn was about to object, but Clarisa interrupted her by asking a question of her own because she had a feeling, she might not be able to ask it if the three of them continued to argue "How long does it normally take to reach the first level, in this case… Ten?"
Daniel turned to the other "Anywhere from a week to years… it depends on the person and their proficiency to Nen. For me, if Vastorie didn't dance around the topic, I could've learned within a month to two weeks. It took me six months at least to open my micropyles, which is basically, Nen nodes on your body you have to discover and open along your body via meditation."
Madelyn felt cocky after hearing how long Daniel took "It took me four months to open my nodes, you're just making excuses…"
Daniel turned back to the girl insulting him, closing his eyes to think about the topic at hand. What could he say to leave a bigger impact on her? How can he make her see the world through his eyes, even if it's just for a second…?
He thought about all the conversations he had, but there was one that stuck out in his head. One of the rare and heartfelt conversations he had with his father, Vastorie.
Connections come and go as time passes… but when you find that person who can hold your attention, even if they're no longer by your side, you tend to carry the sentiments with you…
Find someone you want to be around indefinitely, one who'll make you feel like you're on a ride… even if it's a rollercoaster, one that has its ups and downs… I bet you can find a reason to get back on it.
He spoke from his heart, dictating his feelings of those words, the sentiment it held for him on the current matter to the girl "My father said for you to find a connection, did he not? It doesn't matter what kind… or if he's expecting the best out of you. At the end of the day, when I hear those words… I don't immediately assume: oh, he wants me to have a partner I can love."
Daniel cracked out into a huge smile as he stood up, backing off from the girl to now stand by his partner's side. His arm wrapped about his boyfriend's waist as he spoke clearly about his feelings "I would think he expects me to find that person I connect well with, to the point we can have a mutual bond… one that transcends our weakness. I trust my partner with my life… not because he's strong… that we have a mutual bond… or we love each other. It's a much simpler answer than that… It's because, at the end of the day, we'll have each other's back…"
Killua turned away with flushed cheeks. Trust Daniel to turn this into an embarrassing compliment…
Madelyn looked at Kyle, then back to Daniel, "So, what if he fails? What if… you die in the process of him failing to protect you…"
Killua clenched his teeth, anger bubbling up. Of course, she wouldn't understand. This sounded aggrandizing, just a pipe dream to her. She'll never understand until she puts herself in that position, where she puts her trust in someone else to protect her…
Without missing a beat, Killua switched their topics, "Then I'll do the next best thing… Revenge. I'll make them regret the day they fucked with a Zoldyck…" Madelyn's reaction was delayed, her eyes widening as her mind struggled to understand why the name was dropped.
Did he just say… Zoldyck? "Wh…" The girl stumbled with her thoughts, trying to understand if the boy was being serious, or this was some dumb hoax… a scary joke being told.
Kyle and Daniel did say they'll be making a proper introduction…
But a Zoldyck, now that sounded like a fucked-up joke…
Daniel sighed; stepping away from his partner he held out his hand, making sure that the girl's attention was on Killua, and not him before making the announcement "Let me properly introduce my partner… Killua… Killua Zolyck, an Ex-Assassin, much to his parent's dismay."