AN/
Never ending mysteries surrounding two teenage boys is a pain in the ass for Leorio and Kurapika. But it's well worth it in the end, at least. The aftermath of Gon's episode and what plans are in store for him.
- Oops. I promised this last Friday/Saturday. I suck. So here, have a long one. Still probably has typos but meh.
Not sure I like this one or not, it's kind of scattered. But I'm way ahead in chapters and my plot is finally starting to come clearer in my head; mostly.
I hope I don't disappoint too much. Again, I thank ya'll for the support. It's what keeps me writing. SLOPPILY HAHAHA DARNIT.
Will shoot to update next weekish or so due to work. I WILL DO MY BEST NOT TO BE LATE TOO D: IF NOT SOMEBODY KILL ME NICELY PLZ CUZ I'M LAZY ARGH.
lez-lee14: THANK YOUUU. I appreciate it /swoon. It makes me so happy you like this.
My sweetest Curse
7
If the giant cracks in the floor splitting up into the ceiling and cutting the roof in half were anything to go by, Hanzo would had convinced anyone that a Chimera Ant invasion had taken place in his office. There was a huge gaping hole on the right hand side, completely blown apart and crumbling into the outside forest behind them. Some of the nearby trees had been affected as well, splintering and cracking on their last limbs to stay rooted in place. The chairs and desks were broken beyond repair, mere shreds of what they once were. Shelves were shattered in pieces, lying at their feet.
Don't even get him started on the that butt load of paperwork he'll never get to finish.
(Not that he complained, shh.)
Kurapika was panting, strain of using his ability placing a heavy toll on him, but he still was nowhere near wheezing as loud as Leorio was; that overly concerned oaf.
Considering themselves lucky that Kurapika had been in the room when this happened; all three men shared simultaneous sighs of relief. His Zetsu inducing Nen ability was one of the most handiest things Hanzo had seen in all his years of fighting alongside the other hunters. Sure, he had seen his fair share of extraordinary techniques and powerhouses loaded with potential, but the ability to induce Zetsu on any given person was just too much of a gift in itself.
(The cost was great but if it were for a friend, Kurapika wouldn't hesitate, thankfully)
The clinking of chains jangled from a hardly shaking hand held out steady, poised and controlled like Kurapika was trained to be. The rattle of the metal coiled around the unconscious tan-skinned teenager was like music to their ears. A peaceful sound that told them to be at ease. They would be okay. The ominous glow of the Kurta's scarlet red eyes was powerful as well, casting as threatening a light as the aura radiating from those metal links fueled with reddish Nen. But both grown men had grown used to seeing this change in their comrade, so neither were phased to be in the vicinity of such an inhuman power.
"Is Gon...?" Leorio finally spoke up, not daring get off his ass less something like that happened again. He would just fall back down.
"He's okay now." exhaled Kurapika, free hand grasping his chest while he slowly regained normal control over his breathing. The alarming rate that his heart had sped up in that moment was cataclysmic. He would deal with it though.
"What happened...?" said Leorio next, the question that had been hanging on everyone's lips finally being voiced aloud. "I mean-? He just- He just blew up! Who the hell does that!?"
Hanzo took a wobbly step forward, righting himself on the remains of his desk. His eyes never left that kid, looking so cozy and comfortable while sleeping in a bed of cold steel shackles. "That wasn't just any kind of blowing up. That was the most incredible display of Ren I've ever seen in my entire Hunter career."
"His Ren did all of THIS?!" The medic's hands gestured every which way, utter disbelief refusing to hide anymore. There was just no way some child could cause so much damage just by showing off his REN.
"Yeah, that was his Ren, Leorio. I'm almost afraid to see what his Hatsu would be if that was just a show of Ren. His power could rival that of the Zodiacs at his age."
"That would explain his incredible potential." Kurapika noted, stepping forward to examine Gon's dozing face. Not a scratch on him surprisingly. Even when the room was exploding around them and things were flying in the tornado of chaos, he remained as untouched and unscathed as a perfect gem. This confirmed his suspicions and then some. "And this explains why the Chimera Ants held him captive in special containment. They saw what we had been ignoring this whole time."
Leorio almost, almost wanted to yell at his blonde friend for his tone of voice, but settled for giving him a well-hidden evil eye that wasn't as well hidden as he thought. The Kurta shot him a warning look and instantly he cowered, yelping like a little girl.
"Then, pray tell, what have we been ignoring this whole time, Kurapika? I'm curious to know."
"His Nen aura." The answer was simple, blunt, to the point, and the chain-user pointed a free finger in the forest teenager's direction. All three men looked, Leorio gasping incredulously while Hanzo could only widen his eyes in surprise.
Activating Gyo; where one focuses their Nen into their eyes in order to pinpoint others auras, they realized immediately that, indeed, he was right. There was a faint aura radiating around his motionless body, barely there but present enough to detect. It was flowing serenely, actually, calm and collected, yet also dense and powerful. But it was definitely there alright.
How had none of them noticed it up until now? And they called themselves Hunters.
Shame.
"When did he..?" Hanzo blinked, baffled, "He didn't have that when he came in, did he?"
"He did. We just never bothered to look since we already knew everyone who already could utilize Nen. There was no point in constantly trying to detect it if nobody new was going to show up suddenly having the ability to use it. I knew I sensed something off about him. I just didn't think it would actually turn out to be this. I should have paid better attention so then maybe we could have prevented this incident from happening."
"And you're supposed to be the smart one." Leorio smirked. Kurapika smacked him with another spare chain, effectively crushing any further remarks or protests.
"The office is fine, Kurapika. Destroy it all you want, we'll be leaving in a few days anyway." Hanzo reassured, not bothering to spare the destruction another blink of his eye, focusing instead on Gon. "Right now, our primary concern is him and what we will do with him now that we know he can use Nen, especially at that level of caliber. He could pose a serious threat to the Chimera Ants if he were trained properly."
The doctor muttered, carding his fingers through what little hair he had. "Does that mean you are you going to recruit him then? For this stupid, god-forsaken WAR? He's just a kid! No one should be forced into a position they don't want to be in. I mean, geez, just look at Killua! He's... He's-"
"We know, Leorio. We know what you mean, but it is his decision in the end. We shouldn't try to dictate his life, not at a crucial time like this. Gon should be allowed to decide his own fate and pick his own path. It's the least we can do when we're in the middle of a war. What else would there be if he couldn't do at least that?" The shortest of the men spoke, words soft, motherly almost, typical of Kurapika. He stepped forward, reeling in the youngster, to which Leorio promptly took the initiative and scooped him up into his arms as soon as they deemed it safe to free him from his iron jail.
Gon's breathing had evened out considerably, his body limp and heavy, an evident sign he had entered deep sleep. Leorio cradled him lightly, sharing knowing looks between his fellow comrades before he started making his way out with the teen in tow. At least the hallway door was still intact. Kurapika and him stood in the doorway, Hanzo's eyes not leaving the boy they were taking away. It was obvious he was still lost in his own thoughts but was withdrawing from the subject for the sake of Gon's future.
"For now, keep an eye on him." He motioned, turning his back to survey the wall damage leading outside. "Let him recover and then we'll figure things out from there. I know you guys will help him decide whats best after all." The ninja leader threw them a small thumbs up and a smile their way. "I trust you both to take care of him. You two always knew what was best, after all. Heh. Good luck."
The pair mimicked the gesture, their thumbs returning the favor. They walked out, leaving Hanzo to stare, lips pressed in a thin line while his gaze roamed over the still smoldering damage. The trees were smoking, smashed and charred beyond belief. The walls were crumbling in itself, dust and debris lingering at the leader's feet. He kicked a stray lump of cement out onto the grass and hummed, darting his focus to the sky.
"It feels like things are finally looking up, aren't they?"
He rubbed his hands together and laughed, resolved to smiling faintly at the sun beaming proudly against that clear blue background, not a cloud in sight.
"I can't wait then to see where this all goes in the end."
After all; maybe, just maybe, there actually was just a little bit of light in those dark, hopeless shadows.
Poke.
"...Mmm."
Poke.
"...Mmmmm..."
Poke.
"..Muhhhmm.. hmm..."
Poke.
A hand swatted at the offending digit and missed, forcing Gon to roll over with his back to whomever had the nerve to keep prodding at him when he was clearly trying to sleep. All he really wanted was to remain in deep, fulfilling slumber where his body was at ease and his mind relaxed.
The idea of rising to a new day just didn't sound appealing enough.
He drifted off again shortly after; somehow lulled by the soothing touch that was tracing feather-light patterns across his shoulder blades, oddly comforting. This had Gon snoring lightly the moment his body sunk into sleep, leaving Killua Zoldyck to scowl holes through the spiky head of hair with vengeance.
"Killua, what are you doing?" Kurapika's soft-spoken voice came from behind him. He didn't bother turning to give his reply like it was the most obvious reason ever.
"Poking this sleeping idiot."
"And why would you be doing that so early in the morning? It's 7 A.M. Most everyone who isn't on the morning shift is sound asleep in their beds. Everybody is tired after helping assist the remaining Whale Islander's onto their voyage to Zevil Island. I know you didn't do much, but you have to be tired, too."
"Because I feel like it."
"...that's not a very valid reason to be poking someone who's sleeping, Killua."
The cerulean eyed male shrugged, moving his poke spot from the arm to Gon's head now. His finger pressed hard enough to make the head lull and bob forward, earning weird mumbles and grumbles that made him snicker in victory. "But it's funny. This guy makes the stupidest sounds ever."
"His name is Gon. Not 'guy'." corrected the blonde, brow raised.
"Whatever."
As Killua returned to his game of 'poke different places to hear different sounds', Leorio trudged up from behind Kurapika with a look of complete bafflement, evident past the sleep he was still rubbing out of his half-closed eyes. He glanced between his friend and the new tag-along insistently prodding the crap out of Gon's shoulder blades while he make the strangest grunt sounds, before clearing his throat to speak. "Should I even ask what's going on here, or should I just start strangling the brat ahead of time and get the deed over with?"
"Leave him be. Gon will probably end up doing your job for you at the rate this is progressing." sighed Kurapika, walking over to pour the water from his pitcher into the empty glass at Gon's bedside. He had woken up in and out the past day since that traumatic incident, getting up to drink and use the bathroom, nothing more. It was a troubling sign, but they best left the youngster be to sort out his emotions on his own.
They figured he would need time to recover since remembering all those horrible memories. Giving him space was the least they could do.
And Killua was doing the exact opposite; that ass.
Kurapika picked up the now-stale uneaten bread from last night and shoved the tray haphazardly into Leorio's empty hands, face a look of strict-authority that made even the doctor's shoulder square up on trained instinct. "Get him some new food for breakfast since you seem to obviously be done with all your chores for the morning. After that you can finish tidying up this room. It's still a mess and the nurses don't do nearly good of a job as you do, Leorio." That emphasizing tone hanging on every syllable of his own name made the older adult cringe. Damn Kurapika and his obsessive need for cleanliness. Damn himself for being so easy to give into his best friend, even.
God damnit it all.
Kurapika gestured to all the now empty cots having been cleared since the Whale Island citizens had been shipped off, including the very few who enlisted to join the cause. Leorio paled. There was sheets thrown everywhere, pillows in utter disarray; most not even on their cots anymore! The dirt that had gathered would take hours to sweep and all the dried blood no one had bothered clearing was now sticking to places that would need bucket loads of soapy water to scrub and then some!
Who the hell trained those nurses to clean? This wasn't remotely even CLOSE to even looking semi-decent!
"Just kill me now..." Leorio voiced out loud, not even bothering to hide his sorrow as Kurapika started pushing the man out the door, huffing all the while. "Where's my gun, yeah, that might just do the trick."
The shorter man thwacked his taller friend on the head, earning a whimper of protest. He threw his finger in the correct direction and watched while Leorio practically dragged his feet, trudging onward to do his duty. In hindsight, he kind of resembled a kid who had just been scolded by his parents to clean their room, the way they whined and pouted while walking the death march to that tornado of a disaster waiting for them. As pitiful as he looked, Kurapika couldn't help but smile, giggling at Leorio's antics. They never ceased to amuse him.
Returning to his attention at hand, Kurapika made his way back over to where Killua was thoroughly enjoying himself while prodding a particular spot on Gon's lower back that made the boy actually squeal in his sleep. How he managed to do that and not wake was beyond illogical.
"Killua, how did you even get in here? It was locked when I left last night and I know for a fact Gon never left this room, either." started up the Kurta, hovering off to the side cautiously. Even if Killua had suddenly decided they were worthy of having a conversation with him, doesn't mean he was still trustworthy enough to believe he wouldn't try anything. And when one stumbles upon the strange, mystery assassin at 6 A.M. in the morning, alone with their new 'special' arrival, staring at him like a starving animal would at its prey; well, you would certainly be on edge.
The eyes of a killer were something you could never erase with time or age. That was fact.
"Doors like these are the easiest things to pick; a child could have done better. You should consider upping the security on some of your more precious cargo. One day you might regret it." That sarcastic, know-it-all tone was grating to the nerves. It made his spine twitch down to the tip of his toes uncomfortably.
"Dully noted." Kurapika amended, knowing the silver headed one did have a point. Their base may had been guarded by able-bodied warriors but break them down and you'd have easy access to everything inside. Welcome to the candy store. The food's free.
"Why are you here, then? You obviously didn't come looking for a check-up on those wounds from Leorio and I highly doubt you came just because you 'felt' like it as you already put it. So explain."
Killua gaffed, feigning that betrayed, horrified look only one could give when a friend actually does betray you for real. But this was overly faked. The chain-user had his hand up faster than Killua could blink, not moved by the sudden show of intimidation. The tinkling of his metal rubbing against itself rang loud and clear. "Why should I explain myself to you?" He said, upturned eyes falling on those iron weights floating magically in the air not more then three inches from his face, "You probably wouldn't believe any of my answers anyway, now would you? I know neither of you guys trust me, but you should seriously calm your tits, lady."
The blonde hunter did not respond, those gray orbs honed in on him spelling out his death sentence, forcing the blue eyed one to sigh out of exasperation. "Geez, calm down. I'm joking. I'm not going to do anything to him. I just randomly felt like checking up on the only guy I actually managed to save back at that prison. Is that so wrong?"
"No." Teeth chewed on a shiny bottom lip, wet from the moisture of the morning dewy air, "I just find it really strange we haven't seen you in quite some time and suddenly you show up looking so interested to see him. Why weren't you interested when we first brought him back to the base?"
Killua seemed to think this over for a moment, Kurapika finally lowering his chains for the time being. He could bring them back up in a flash if need be. It would be best not to waste energy trying to look threatening in the presence of a real danger. One he knew could beat him to the clock in but a blur.
"It's because," The adolescent murmured, obviously choosing his words carefully, "He's the first person we've actually saved that's the same age as me. A teenager just like me. I didn't realize it at first, but of all the people we've saved thus far, not one of them have been teenagers that actually lived to see those stinky old things you call hospital beds. It's like the Ants get a kick out of carefully torturing us middle-age guys to a slow and agonizing death. This is the first time any of us have ever been able to talk to another teenager that isn't horrible little me."
Kurapika could feel the painful sting of hurt all the way from where he stood; which was a considerable distance from where Killua sat on the side of Gon's bed. It tugged on his chest, constricting, lecherous as it wormed its way into his most private feelings and twisted them into something much darker. Against his will.
The truth was; it wasn't exactly secret the way people treated Killua Zoldyck around the camp. Everyone clearly had a spark of either distrust or envy for the insanely powerful teenager that was obviously renowned for his families underground affiliations. Assassination was just one of many things the world was filled with; something commonly seen among the Blacklist Hunter realm, actually. Kurapika had witnessed it many times before and to work alongside and interact with the actual assassin himself wasn't something too strange of a daily occurrence to him.
That didn't stand true to the rest of their fellow Hunters, however, many walking on edge; feet tapping over glass whenever in the Zoldyck's general audience. Fear and disgust was venom in their eyes, a back-lash he was sure that stung the hapless teenager every single day. Their words were the whips and their condescending, critical gazes were the knives that Kurapika could only fathom Killua suffered another wound day in and day out for.
A cursed fate. Something they both shared, in actuality. Kurapika sympathized for him.
"You actually kept track all this time?" The Kurta fought to ask further when the growing silence became tight-lipped, raking his own mind for the proof of it. As much as he was one to psychoanalyze everything, he just couldn't quite remember every single face of the people they had saved. He did know that many of the lives who were lucky enough to make it onto those 'stinky old hospital beds' often were severely wounded men and women who, nine times out of ten, had just lost their children and all their remaining family members in one fail swoop.
The people most luckiest to survive through hell, they say. But to actually keep track to such a intricate detail was absurd.
"Yep." was all Killua managed, blinking while Gon shifted restlessly in his sleep. His finger absently began to draw patterns in the sheets behind his back, as if contemplating whether or not to touch him again without permission.
There was a few minutes of long, awkward silence before Kurapika coughed the early morning dryness from his throat and spoke up again, gentler this time. "Well, I'll have you know, Gon is doing very well. Minor injuries but nothing substantial enough to inhibit him from having a surviving chance through this war. You should be proud of yourself. You rescued him pretty much unscathed, a feat worth being happy about."
"I'm not the one who healed him." Killa instantly retorted, bangs casting shadows on his face, dancing in the breeze rolling out the only window in the room just above the bed. "Leorio did. There's nothing anyone should be thanking me for. I didn't do anything."
"But you are the one who found him and pulled him out of that wreckage and if it hadn't been for you, Gon would have probably been-"
"Will you just SHUT UP?" A yell, strangled, a little broken up. Killua's voice cracked from the strain, forcing Kurapika to take a step back from the precautionary tone. Those broad shoulders were trembling, clenched fists on the bed side were coloring red with blood from his cut palms.
What's gotten into him?
Taking a deep breath, Kurapika pushed himself to walk forward another foot, standing within arm reach of the youngest recruit. "Killua." He kept his voice as calm and composed as possible, anything to prevent a ticking time bomb from exploding. The best thing he could think of was to change the topic, throwing out something that had been on his mind since he tailed them to that cell. Hopefully it wouldn't be too sensitive to cause a stir. "How did you know where to find Gon? You skipped all the other doors you passed. There were still prisoners trapped in those cells. Why did you go to Gon's cell in particular? Did you know he was in there?"
As impossible as it sounded, Kurapika wasn't privy to disbelieving the impossible. No one could have magical 'people' senses and if someone were to have that type of Nen ability, well, he would say that would be a waste of one's own aura. That's what all the worldwide online access for Hunters was for. If you couldn't find your information there, then you were out of luck.
The Hunters were; after all, the pinnacle of power and status on the planet. There was no higher ranking.
Sighing like he knew he was losing control, Killua slumped his shoulders, head hung, and uncurled and curled his fists slowly in an effort to keep his cool. His fingernails were laced in flecks of red. "Yeah, I knew where he was. That bastard of a prison leader rambled on and on about him like he was a prize he had won. Like a fucking trophy. Then he was bragging about how he was going to use Gon to up his status in their ranks like some kind of stupid bargaining chip to gain power. Pathetic right?" He chewed on his bottom lip till it bruised from the gnashing. "The way those sick freaks treat humans like garbage, like they can just use us however they see fit to benefit themselves. It's fucked up. It's-"
Killua's voice broke off, Kurapika almost missing the strangled sob he could see him choking back on when knuckles were pressing hard into his teeth to prevent it from being discernible.
It was surprising seeing someone that everyone believed to have a heart of stone actually experiencing real feelings, hurting. And to be doing it out of the compassion for another whom you've only just met was something Kurapika was still coming to terms with, even when he happened to be the one watching it happen right in front of him.
To watch the actual Killua Zoldyck himself break down for the sake of a stranger was the true shock of a lifetime.
"I didn't know you felt so strongly about all this, Killua." The blonde managed in a meek whisper, looking away before he let his own bubbling emotions get the better of him. He could relate; he knew all too well how Killua felt. The Chimera Ants were indeed ruthless; heartless even.
They were selfish, despicable creatures that needed to be annihilated, no exceptions.
After a long standstill, Kurapika said, "But you know, I understand." Those guarded shoulders loosened, only by a tad; but a tad nonetheless. "I understand completely how you feel Killua. The Chimera Ants are vile creatures that need to be eradicated. They don't care anything about the feelings of others as long and all they feed off of is the misery and suffering of all the innocent lives they've taken. But, with this war, we'll make sure that stops. Too many that never deserved to suffer have already been lost. That's why there are people like Leorio and I; and even you, that are here fighting right now, trying to make up for those who died a needless death. We; the Hunters, are seeking to stop anymore people like Gon here from having to hurt any longer. So, I do get it; what you've said. And you're not alone in this."
There was a faint glimmer, a small light; Kurapika only caught it for a moment trapped in a plume of sapphire blue begging to be free. It left him breathless when they stared right back into his own, enrapturing. It was intense, powerful; he couldn't pull away. Like a magnet, he was caught. He didn't fight it, didn't even try.
Those tiny, pale lips opened, words dancing on the tip of the tongue and voice barely on the air. But Kurapika listened, silenced his breathing and his heart beat for the sake to hear; to know. Questions that had answers, hidden and hushed to secrecy. Now was his chance.
"..Kurapika, I just-"
BAM.
The obscene bang of the door opening suddenly uprooted both men out of their cemented spots. Kurapika jumped back a considerable distance but it was nothing compared to how high Killua flew, flipping the chair over in his leap onto the windowsill he clutched until his fingers turned white. Again, with those uncanny cat-like reflexes of his.
Leorio stood in the door way, oblivious, with that stupid smile on his face that slowly was becoming a contemplative scowl, tray loaded with breakfast goodies, and looking back and forth between the pair in total confusion. "What the hell is wrong with you people?" He asked, louder than necessary. Between seeing his golden-haired friend in a pose befitting of the person who finds the scary bug everyone hates on the floor and Killua practically clawing at the glass pane like it would grant him freedom if his nails could just dig through; Leorio was lost.
Of course, there was also innocent little Gon snoring away peacefully on his cot, arm dangling off the side with his leg edging closer to meet it on the floor. A little bit of drool had gathered at the corner of his mouth and was sticking to his face and pillow. Gross.
Calmly, Kurapika patted down his robes with a huff. He was the first to take initiative, walking over to pick up the fallen chair while Killua was trying to pry his claws out of the glass without forcefully shattering it. "Nothing is going on, Leorio. You just surprised us is all. You could have at least knocked before coming in so abruptly." His gray orbs caught the sight of all the unhealthy trash only Leorio could think to bring back for a growing teenager. He could imagine how bad the doctor's diet had been growing up himself.
"It looked more like I dropped a bomb off right in front of you guys, actually, judging by your crazy reactions." laughed Leorio, setting the tray down once Killua used it as a step stool to land back on the floor like the rest of the normal people in the room. "Sheesh, I leave you two alone for ten minutes and I swear you're both ready to blow. What's got you all so fired up?" Both boys shot him heated glares, their faces colored pink. Dawning highlighted Leorio's expression, making him gasp incredulously like he was just burned, "Wait, wait! Don't tell me! Judging by both your guys' obvious blushes, you were having the sex talk already weren't you?! And you didn't think to include me?!"
"What the actual fuck, you old GEEZER! YOU'RE FUCKING SICK. SICK."
"...I give you permission to kill him, Killua. Go ahead. Kill him. Kill him now."
"Hey, who's side are you people on!" Leorio bemoaned, dodging the chair and pillows flying his way, "It was a joke! IT WAS A JOKE! CALM DOWN!" His pitch rose in volume until he emitted the girliest shriek ever, unable to avoid the onslaught of two entire beds being thrown at him. It smashed him into the nearby wall, successfully destroying the thin layer like it was paper. Leorio laid in a messy heap half in and half out with the broken remains by his side, sniffling in betrayal.
"Stupid teenage brats. Stupid best friends with girly bodies and attitudes. Stupid blondes with man PMS every time I do something wrong. Stupid-"
The oldest man continued to grumble to himself, ignoring the gaping stares of some passerby soldiers looking totally baffled at how to react. Kurapika and Killua shared a laugh together, pointing at the barking doctor who refused to get help out of his bind. Leorio was stubborn to a fault as he freed his own self, stating something along the lines of 'Protecting my manly pride' and more 'Stupid people and their stupid pranks' rambling.
But at least it lightened the mood considerably. What hung as a dark, solemn cloud moments ago was now clean, crisp, and white.
"Hey, food." Killua's eyes were magically drawn to the heap of steaming hot edibles. He reached and plucked the biggest strip of piping hot bacon he could find, savoring its greasy flavor with an audible smack of his lips. "How did you know I didn't eat breakfast yet, gramps? Thanks."
"The foods not for you, brat! And who're you calling gramps?Seriously? Do I look like a grandpa! I'm only 24!"
"You look 44 then, to me. 54 tops."
"So help me God, I'm going to kill you-"
Kurapika rubbed his temples with his dominant forefingers, "Killua, if you're going to eat some of that garbage, at least save some for Gon when he wakes up. He hasn't eaten in a day, so I'd like to see him at least put something in his stomach."
Killua stopped to pause from snatching up a slice of toast, looking bothered. "He hasn't eaten in over a day? Why? Did something happen?"
"It's a long story-"
"IT'S NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS, YOU UNGRATEFUL TERD!"
Leorio was heaving ragged breaths, standing at the end of the bed with a wild gleam in his eyes and his clothes now utterly ruined after saving himself from two beds actually thrown at him. It was too early in the morning to be dealing with this shit. His hands made an effort to grab Killua but the kid jumped to the side, brow raised curiously. He dodged a few more lunges until Leorio settled for sagging and collecting the wasted breath back into his overtaxed lungs.
"Tch. It is my business when I'm the one who saved him. So I do have a right to know."
"Hey, wait, you just said a moment ago that-" Kurapika tried to bring up, slightly jokingly, but was effectively rendered to silence by the hot glare Killua shot his way, trying not to chuckle under his breath anyway.
Teenagers.
"What happened to him?" The pale-skinned one pressed further, keeping eye contact intently on Gon's dozing face. "Was it something bad?"
"It wasn't bad. It was more like-" The words rolled around in the Kurta's mouth a moment, picking how to say it wisely without giving away too much. He glanced down at Gon himself, rubbing his cheek. "It was more like we discovered exactly why the Chimera Ants had him specially contained. It took a toll on him, but it explains the reasoning behind his specific imprisonment."
"Are you referring to the fact this guy can use Nen? I would think that be a legit reason to have him confined to a reinforced cell then."
"You knew?!" both adults shouted out, stunned from the shock. When? How?
"Duh." Killua replied monotonously with a face that masked the same feeling, pointing down at Gon. "I knew it the second I laid eyes on him that he could."
"But how-?!" Leorio whined and clutching the fabric at the foot of the bed thoughtlessly. "None of us told you he could use it! We just found out yesterday!"
The youngest of the three then aimed his finger up at his now glowing eyes, aura flowing around them in smooth, wave-like motions. The expression he wore remained impassive, bored almost. "Gyo, morons."
"Oh." again, the two repeated in unison, and Killua was forced to shake his head with a sigh.
"Geez. And you guys call yourselves hunters. I thought it was, like, mandatory that you always use Gyo whenever posed with an unfamiliar situation."
"I know that!" the glasses-wearing man tried to defend, throwing a tantrum like a little kid, "I mean, of course I use it! All the time! Every single time I see something, yeah!"
"Leorio. You don't even remember what Gyo is, do you?" It was Kurapika's turn to sigh forlornly now because he knew the outcome as soon as it started.
"Sure I do. Gyo is when you push the aura into your eyes so you can-" And then he stopped, face twisting up humorously while he racked his brain for an answer that didn't come. "-so you can do something with Nen, blah, blah blah." He threw up his arms in submission but refused to admit defeat. "WHATEVER! It doesn't matter now! What matters is that now we know Gon can use Nen which means we have to decide what should be done with him concerning this stupid war!"
"Isn't it obvious, old man? They'll make him enlist. And then they'll throw him on the front lines like a fresh piece of untrained meat to feed the wolves. He'll be gone the second he steps foot on the battlefield." Killua ground out, teeth grit. That was what the Hunter Association always did, too absorbed in mandating the groups they already had to properly place any newcomers in respectable positions. He would be tossed out haphazardly with no regards to getting any formal training or knowledge of real live war tactics.
It was stupid. So stupid.
Sensing the others growing distress, Kurapika raised his hand up, a placeholder calling for a temporary truce. "That would be true if we were just going to hand him over to the association. But we spoke with Hanzo yesterday and he is letting Leorio and I personally decide Gon's fate for him. We could just as well send him off to Zevil Island with the rest of his folk, but first we to have to his own input before deciding what we should do." Leorio nodded in agreement to this. "However, there is one thing that's for certain and that is we won't just give him over to the other hunters without giving him proper training and instruction on how to use Nen. It would be ridiculous and wrong to send him out to battle without being given an actual fighting chance of surviving. You are right, it would be like sending him to an early grave."
"That sounds logical." Killua muttered, "If we were to train him how to use Nen properly, at least if something happens, he could fend for himself. That makes perfect sense. Then it wouldn't matter where he went after that, especially if he decided to join the war effort, too."
Kurapika was bobbing his head like he understood exactly what Killua was talking about the entire time but it was Leorio who took a turn for the worse.
"Hey, wait a moment, what do you mean WE Killua!? It's Kurapika and I, not Kurapika, I, AND Killua! There's no way we're letting a spoiled brat like you help train Gon!"
Like he knew that retort was coming, the cool-headed albino stared down the taller man with a look of high authority only a captain could give. With the strength to back him up, it wasn't even a challenge.
"Excuse me, but who here has the most battle experience ranking second after Hanzo?"
"...Well technically Pokkle, but I guess you come pretty close." Leorio meekly responded, avoiding looking at the glare sent his way. He didn't even have to think about it to know the answer. He knew he was in a losing battle but he still tried anyway.
"And who here has a rigorous background of training and fighting prowess with the knowledge of how to train someone the same skill as well?"
"...Probably you since Kurapika and I are mostly book smarts. I've never even touched foot in a training gym before."
"And who here also happens to be very diverse in his Nen unlike you two chumps who stick to just one boring trick after another?"
"Hey, at least Kurapika's chains can-"
"And WHO here, pray tell, is totally bad ass hard core and knows how to kick those stinky, rotten Chimera Ant's asses like nobody's business?"
"Are you fucking kidding me-"
"ME that's who!" cried Killua, snapping Leorio backwards like a broken bow from the shock of the teenager's higher pitched voice. It really did betray his age. And his gender (but no one would ever dare admit to that). "Plus, he's my age, so we would be able to get along much better than if you two scraggly adults tried to drill him one. So, I will take on the responsibility of training him, save you two the unneeded stress of dealing with another pesky teenager. Then we can all move on with our lives in peace. Sound fair?"
"Why do you want to train him so bad, Killua?" asked Kurapika, ignoring his best friend's ear-grating noises from the floor on which he lay. "Less then a week ago you were giving everyone the cold shoulder like you've done since the beginning of our squad's formation. Now, you're talking to us like we've been your comrades since birth. I find it really strange you're acting so friendly with us and yet to give an explanation as to why. What are your motives? How will you benefit from training Gon?"
The expression that crept over Killua's face was startling, more so then the previous one he had just encountered. Kurapika wasn't sure if he wanted to consider it a look of concern or worry or something else caught in between. Even though it was only for a split second; because of course he rushed to hide those creeping emotions as fast as they appeared behind those long silver bangs, it was obvious Killua had some sort of attachment to Gon. Kurapika just couldn't place exactly why that would be and normally he would be privy to all sorts of possibilities. He knew for starters that they only had just met, right? Then how could the Zoldyck become so close to someone he had only just seen not more then a few days ago?
It just didn't make sense.
"I want-"
"Killua Zoldyck, you're being requested by Hanzo." interrupted a smallish voice of another hunter, his tiny head of shaggy brown hair peeking over the edge of the gaping hole in the wall. His eyes were wider than saucers, apparently so terror-stricken that he didn't want to even try getting near the door less something dangerous happen to make matters worsen. He was even visibly shaking. It may have been odd to see a grown man shaken by just a mere hole, but it was still pretty hilarious to watch. As soon as he had appeared though, he was gone, scared too shitless to stay for more then a few seconds to deliver a message. Typical behavior whenever it involved Killua.
"Well, what a surprise! I'm being called by our fearsome leader! Looks like I'll have to leave you hanging, so-!" Out of nowhere, Killua began laughing, hopping backwards and away from the questioning stares of the older pair while his hand waved himself off in a hurry, "Gotta go! See yah later, creeps! Don't forget I'm training Gon!"
"Killua, wait-!"
But it was too late. He was long gone the moment those words greeted the air, leaving them both in silence. Kurapika and Leorio exchanged looks before Gon's quiet mutters stole their attention and the two sighed contentedly, letting it go for the time being.
It would be best to press on the subject later. For now, they both settled to enjoy the peaceful soundless that shrouded the room like a soft, warm sheet.
It was comforting.
Absolute silence for a change.