AN:

Kurapika and Leorio discuss plans to keep Gon safely out of the Hunter Association's clutches.

Gon reminisces over his final moments on Whale Island and Killua provides emotional support in uncanny ways.

Longest chapter yet. A little OOCish but all well. I really liked some parts of it and even some dialogue I kept true to the original show. ME SO PROUD.

Anyway, I'm finally getting further into my original intended plot and it only took me, what, 11 chapters to do so? Oh gosh I'm fearing how long this might even be. Again, I thank everyone who still gives me support in the smallest ways. I appreciate it.

Enjoy.

Lez-lee14: PSH YOU ARE TOO FAB OKAY. THANK YOUUUUUUU.~ You make me spaz.

Wherever you go, I Follow

11

"Is it me, Kurapika, or have you and I become babysitters? Because I didn't sign up to babysit a pair of kids. I signed up to fight in a stinking war. Not to raise a pair of overgrown brats! This is forced adult labor, I tell you! FORCED! ADULT SLAVERY! NOW GET OFF THIS BED RIGHT NOW, KILLUA, OR I SWEAR TO GOD I'M GOING TO MURDER YOU."

Leorio was standing on the spare cot remaining in the infirmary (which was pretty much empty really), fighting with Killua to get him off the bed. But he just wouldn't budge and already it had been half an hour of useless struggle with no sign of quit.

All the high-pitched, shrill screaming and yelling between them was creating cracks in the windows and both Kurapika and Gon could only stare, absolutely silent, as they watched the fight unfold in front of them.

"Hell no! Let go of me you crazy grandpa! YOU'RE GOING TO GIVE ME YOUR OLD COOTIES! LET. GO."

Leorio had a hold of Killua's legs and was pulling with all his strength; which was surprisingly a lot in comparison to most judging how big his biceps were busting from the strain, and Killua's grip firmly locked itself on the bed posts in a death vice. There was a noteworthy line of sweat plastering Leorio's dress-shirt to his chest, the white now see-through and showing all those ugly chest hairs he'd missed when shaving and Kurapika's repulsed gagging had just finally subsided, too.

Killua even had beads of sweat dotting his brow, earnestly putting in a good effort to keep his hold on the posts. Gon had began with rooting for Killua's end when they first started arguing over the cot needing to be placed away for their morning travel; much to the snowy teen's testament and desire for another hour of sleep. They all learned that apparently the Zoldyck was a lengthy sleeper; not so much as heavy as he was light, but enjoyed sleeping in for as long as necessary. Early mornings were typically not his friend and if he didn't get a good night's rest he was an utter grouch the next day.

Gon and Kurapika had long since given up on warring with the porcelain-skinned teenager but Leorio just wouldn't take 'no' for an answer.

Actually, he wouldn't take anything for an answer that didn't meet his 'standards' which pretty much meant; unless he answered it himself, kiss your hope goodbye for winning this argument.

Unless you had Kurapika's Nen chains. That was a whole other story.

"Let. GO! We're leaving in three hours and they need this bed NOW! You're done sleeping. Get up! Rise and shine like us normal people and STOP SLEEPING IN!"

"Never." Killua hissed on his breath, kicking out his legs against the warring grip; Leorio's balance wobbly but maintaining. "I'll never let go so give up already and let me sleep!"

"Oh, that is so it-"

Leorio's Nen-encased hand was rising in the air; inches from pummeling a countering swing of Killua's own doing, when Gon's shout bounced off the walls so strong his voice shook the very fabric of the remaining listener's skull with an uncomfortable ache.

"HEY KILLUA. I'M BORED. LET'S DO SOMETHING. RIGHT NOW. COME ON."

Killua caught Leorio's Nen-fist mid-way with adept ease; the doctor flapping his gums uselessly while the assassin beamed eagerly in response, "Hell shittin' yes! Anything to get out of this stuffy-ass place. Thought you'd never ask!" In one easy motion, he pulled his legs from Leorio's failing weak grip, rolled over and swung off the bed to scamper after Gon who instantly took to a run when given the go. The two boys scurried away and out the door faster then Leorio could even set his hand back down from where Killua had left it.

"...did they just."

"Yep."

"...and they actually."

"Yep."

"...seriously."

"Yes, Leorio. Seriously."

Grunting as he was caught between feeling relieved they were gone or defeated for succumbing to an early loss, Leorio dropped limp to the bed and laid himself across it, a hot sigh breathed against the pillow. "It hasn't even been a day with them together and they're already driving me crazy. I don't know how much longer I can take this."

"It hasn't been that bad, Leorio. You're over exaggerating again."

"I am not!"

Kurapika giggled, settling down in the last remaining chair beside the last remaining cot, patting his friend's back gently for reassurance. "Don't you remember when we were young like that? And how hectic it was? Just think of it like seeing ourselves like teenagers again. It can't be that hard."

"Hey!" Leorio whined, swatting at his blonde companion with the least amount of effort possible which came out as a more pathetic waving then anything, "We're not that old. Come on, Kurapika, please don't tell me you think we're that old! You can't have sunk that low already, can you?"

"We're not that old, Leorio. Get a grip on yourself. 24 is still young and barely into adulthood. " grumbled the blonde and he bopped the darker haired man on the head.

"Betrayal, I say, the ultimate betrayal! How could you betray me, Kurapika? I thought you were my friend!"

"Fine. Be that way you old cook."

Leorio flung himself desperately at the retreating Kurta and whined as much as an out-grown spoiled child would at their overbearing parents. His blunt nails were clawing pathetically at Kurapika trousers. The expression the medic hunter had was anything but funny; twisted up and trembling bottom lip a dead giveaway that he was the least bit of an adult and morose a child stuck in an older body.

"Kurapikaaaaaa.. Come on. Give me some slack. I was only joking, man." He pleaded, settling at the calm, soft look the blonde gave him in return.

"I know, I know. So was I. You should really learn to be a better judge of character, Leorio."

"A better judge of character?" Leorio's brow raised inquisitively, "How is that relevant to any of this?"

"If you were a better judge of character, you'd be able to take a joke more seriously, knowing the person well enough to decipher when they were kidding and when they were being honest."

"..I don't get it."

"My point exactly." puffed Kurapika, brushing away Leorio's hand from his trousers. Placing his wrists on his waist, he turned to the man and glowered; Leorio may have just ascended into adulthood but he certainly lacked the finesse to carry himself like one. He had some dignity, sure, but he had a terrible way of showing it sometimes.

Leorio's primary concern had always been for the ill and needy, not much on his own personal status. Unless it pertained to impressing women or flirting; well, he might as well just be as sloppy as a teenager.

"..Kurapika." the grave undertone in the doctor's voice was subtle, quiet after five minutes of silence. But the seriousness was there, ever prevalent."I'm really worried about them."

Dropping his gaze, Kurapika helplessly looked down at the floor; the same wave of concern nagging him in the darker corners of his consciousness. "Yeah, I feel the same way."

"The other squadron is going to flip when they find out about Gon and there's no way we can avoid it when we're traveling on the same boats and vehicles as them."

"Hanzo was worried about that, too, actually." Kurapika muttered, "He doesn't want to report Gon to the association because they'd steal him away to be placed on the front lines as soon as they realize he knows Nen. Just as Killua and I predicted."

"No kidding. This time around there won't be any hiding him from the Silver Squadron either. You know how they are. Captain Satotz might be a lenient man, but the one I'm most worried about is-"

"Hisoka." They breathed together in unison, both sharing the same dismayed look.

"That pedophile will be all over him as soon as Gon even steps foot on the boat. That dude has an uncanny nose that just whiffs out any kid from miles away. It's so creepy. He can barely even keep his boner down around Killua anymore the last time we saw him. How can a person like him be so obviously perverted is beyond me. And over mere children! Aren't they supposed to arrest guys like that? How does the association even tolerate that kind of behavior? Argh! It makes me SICK!" Leorio was growing more pale by the second, a deathly stark white; and was pulling on his already short brunette hair in an effort to keep his steadily dying cool.

"Yeah. I remember the first time Hisoka crossed paths with Killua. I'm still healing from the scars of that mental visual and I can't even imagine the trauma Killua went through witnessing such a lewd sight. I didn't think it was possible for a pair of pants to bulge that big.." Kurapika grimaced himself, swaying slightly in spot. He wasn't fairing much better from remembering.

"But we won't be able to avoid it. He's bound to have a run in with Hisoka. And that guy is the least of our problems. The rest of the group ain't much better except for the few good ones left like your friend Senritsu and all that."

"Yeah." Kurapika smiled just a tad at that, but it still wasn't much when posed with the grim situation they were in, "What are we going to do then? If Hisoka finds him he probably will report Gon right away. And then we'll never be able to secure him proper training on his Nen."

"Or Hisoka could take a liking to him and not tell. Then he wouldn't want to report Gon in favor of keeping him around. And he'd even make an effort to keep others away that threaten Gon's standing in the face of the Association, too." Leorio pointed out the idea, though his face detested otherwise at the thought.

"Like he did with Killua?"

"Yeah. That sicko couldn't stop fawning over him the entire time. But he never said anything about Killua to anybody, not even with that last incident. Remember how frantic we were that he was going to say something and force Killua to be kicked out? But, instead, he ended up saying that he wouldn't for the sake of keeping another 'unripened' fruit or some shit like around longer so he could do whatever it is he planned to do with him later."

Kurapika was rubbing his chin, thinking. "Right. You're right!" He snapped his fingers, brightening. "Hisoka wouldn't dare do anything to endanger or threaten the possibility of one of his sick interests getting into trouble without his doing. It's the same thing as during our first Hunter exam. Which means, all we have to do is see if Hisoka will take interest in Gon and thus secure him a safe spot for the time being in our squad."

There was a pause as dawning realization hit, then.

"..are we seriously trying to hook up a pedophile with a teenage boy for the sake of keeping him out of trouble with the Association."

"..apparently so."

"..especially under the guise that it might actually really work."

"..apparently so."

"..and by allowing this pervert to meet this boy and become interested in him, we'll be able to continue teaching him Nen until he's ready to join the war effort with the rest of us; even knowing the risks of having some crazy adult stalk him and having ginormous boners about him to boot."

"..apparently so."

"Is that seriously all you can say, Leorio?"

"Apparently so-"

SMACK.

"OW SHIT. KURAPIKA!" Leorio cried out, hugging both his knees with a whimper as he doubled over on the bed. "Did you actually have to hit my knees?!"

"Yeah, I did." Kurapika scowled, setting down the empty metal tray back to its rightful spot atop the night stand. Leorio would sure be feeling that hit by tomorrow morning.

"You're meaner then Hisoka." Leorio complained, glaring at the golden head of hair with as much effort as he put into thinking. Not much.

"Well, either way, we'll be encountering him at some point. Let's keep it a secret between us okay? This doesn't go to any of our other squad members, not even Hanzo."

"Don't tell anyone we're trying to set up a teenage boy with a lecherous pedophile?"

"Don't tell anyone we're trying to set up a teenage boy with a lecherous pedophile."

"We're sick individuals, aren't we?"

"Apparently so."

"Hey, no fair Kurapika, you just said-!"

WHACK.

"Gon, hey, wait up!"

For a guy who grew up on a secluded island in the middle of nowhere, Gon had the stamina to wear even the battle-ready city-orientated assassin out. He was by no means fast; Killua could out run him with just one leg and still be quicker, but Gon's endurance was a noteworthy feat. And as irksome as it was to someone who was trained to be quick and stealthy; not run endlessly to god knows where, Killua at least gave the guy with the ridiculous hairstyle some credit. An hour in and the paler boy figured they had at least traversed several miles already and then some. His suspicions were correct; Whale Island was mostly forest based. Wilderness as far as the eye can see and very little civilization hidden within it. Trees, trees, and more stinking trees.

If Killua had to spend five more minutes looking at nothing but trees he swore he'd burst into flames and take the plantation down with him.

"Slow down, Gon. Where are we going?!" Killua tried again when his first cry went unanswered, Gon apparently too focused on finding wherever it is that he wanted to take him. His determination was unflappable. He had been ignoring him since they left, promising Killua would 'enjoy the surprise' with utmost gusto.

And, well, Killua figured an hour long wait was enough to see some 'surprise'. He really was not one for patience.

"Gon." A hiss. More rustle of leaves crunched under their foot falls.

"Gon!"

Crunch. Crunch. Crunch.

"Hey, Gon!"

Crunch. Crunch. Crunch.

"Fuck, GON!"

Crunch. Crunch. Crunch.

"GON, I SWEAR I WILL HURT YOU-"

"We're here!"

Skidding to a stop, just right beside the adolescent boy in question; Killua barely caught himself before he slid off the cliff Gon had led him to. The mass overlooked the entire port side; Killua guessed this was the west end judging by the direction of the sun, and all sorts of small buildings and homes dotted the horizon as far as the eye can see before eventually blending into the ocean that swallowed up the rest of their spectacular view. That is; it would have been spectacular if he had visited it prior to the Chimera Ants invading the island, because the place was in complete shambles. It was like a scar cut upon the land; bloody, barren, and gray contrasting against a bright blue sea and sky. Killua could just make out most of the structures damaged and finally simmering from what had to have been an enormous fire. The surrounding forestry was burnt to a crisp that not even the stick carcasses remained, all the way up until the mouth of the cliff stopped its path trajectory.

The Zoldyck grimaced at yet another picture-perfect portrait of death, painted on a purely innocent canvas long before its fated end. It really had been too soon.

"Gon." Killua murmured, glancing the others way. Surprisingly, Gon's face was a mask of complete calmness, not the least bit darkened by any fowl or negative emotions as he witnessed the remains of what was his home. "Are you okay?"

"Of course I'm okay. Why wouldn't I be?" Gon answered immediately, a smile creeping up his lips with his head tilted to the side questionably.

"I- Your place- I mean," Killua tried, stumbling on his own words before he sighed and gazed back out into the open expanse before them, a sad frown against Gon's careful smile, "Your home. It's gone. It must be hard to swallow seeing it now."

Gon shook his head, eyes blinking shut a moment. "Not really, honestly. As long as Whale Island is still in one piece, then maybe someday it'll be rebuilt and become inhabited by people again. Even though it might not happen for a very long time, it's still something to look forward to after the war ends."

Killua fought very hard not to question Gon further; interrogate him even. Ask him so many things, like; how can you still be smiling when your family is dead? Or, how can you be so positive when hundreds of people you knew and grew up with are now gone? Your home has been completely destroyed and you're so happy like it doesn't even bother you! Just how do you do it? Killua would ramble endlessly, one question after another, all the while picking away at Gon for every shred of thing he felt. Because really; how can someone like him, someone so innocent and carefree, remain so upbeat and positive at a crucial time like this?

War had just ripped away everything Gon had known and grew up with in one moment.

How the hell could he still even be sane? Anyone even?

Killua was truly confused for once. And Gon was the single soul individual to cause this confusion.

"Is this what you wanted to show me, then?" It took him a moment, but Killua eventually asked, voice kept quiet for good measure. If Gon was hiding his real hurt over his new reality, well, he didn't want to go about making it worse.

"No, actually, we still have a little ways to go before we get to where I want to show you." said Gon, his smile never faltering. "If you aren't opposed, it's about another three miles away. Can Killua keep running that long?"

An irritated twitch of Killua's brow was all confirmation Gon needed to start laughing and Killua's cheeks to bloom a deep cherry red. "Of course I can keep running, idiot!" Right away, the Freecs teenager jumped off the edge and began sliding down the charred slope of the cliff, his laughter echoing into the empty surroundings clear as day. Killua was hot on his tail; trying to both sprint and skip forward behind Gon without falling to the ground below, yelling all the while, "Hey, get back here! What the hell are you laughing at! Gon! Gon, stop!"

"Hahaha. You're funny, Killua! If I stop now, I'll fall."

"Then slow down!"

"If I did that, then you'd punch me. Haha!"

"Damn right I will, Gon, so fall already so I can hit you!"

"Hahaha! No way!"

"Gon!"

"Kil-lu-aaa!~"

Gon was first to reach the bottom, knee-high boots thudding to the ashy wasteland below as he took off at a dead run ahead. Killua was only a few feet behind him, jumping down the last stretch from his impeding impatience, and started jogging after Gon through what was left of a big, luscious forest. Even the stumps and most of the roots were singed, black and ugly clones of their former selves. The disgusting metallic tang in Killua's mouth was a far cry from the taste of destruction around them, a bleak reminder of what the Chimera Ants were really capable of.

Killua had seen worse in his lifetime, but somehow the damage that had been done to Whale Island really hit home.

Together in silence, Gon and Killua sped across the dirty plains leading to the lasting impressions of a used-to-be bustling busy fisherman's wharf. They slowed to a brisk walk once gray dust turned to scalded gravel and rock, the pavement the only thing that was hardly touched in the chaos of flames. Gon's heavy footwear cracked and creaked on broken, splintered pieces of wood that he didn't bother avoiding as he walked through the leftovers still partially intact. Killua did his best to amble around everything, the tap of his own shoes falling on deaf ears. There were many charred corpses strung about, all too badly burnt to make out who was who. The place just screamed of the unsung deceased.

"This place," Gon coughed, hand waving some dust lifting from a door swinging on broken hinges that had yet to give from its still-standing steel supports, "Used to be the second most populated and busiest port on Whale Island. When I was little, every morning after breakfast I would come down here and talk to the fishermen who were hanging out around the trader's post and listen to all the cool stories they had to tell me. They showed me some neat techniques on how to catch certain kinds of fish and even told me about what time of year was best to catch what. I learned a lot from them growing up."

As Killua trailed behind Gon, he almost; almost, swore to himself he could see the ghosts of those fishermen and sailors, chatting and talking exactly as Gon had told him. They were laughing as they all sat around each other, swapping their tales with huge grins on their faces, beers and mugs at hand. Their laughs echoed in his ears, fading out the further away he got. The cheery atmosphere was haunting.

They passed by the small row of buildings and started walking along the destroyed pieces of a long, stretched out wooden dock. Just off the coast of the sandy beach leading out to the ocean lay the wreckage of so many boats, some strong and sturdy that only parts of their structures were still intact; the rest had nothing to speak of.

"Around here, by the dock, a lot of of women who were waiting for their husbands to return would always be really kind to me when I came down to see them. I would help them out with small chores, like carrying the loads their husbands brought back from their boats and they would always give me treats as a reward. Apples were one of the things I got a lot of, because they all swear that an apple a day would keep the doctor away. Or so Mito-san ingrained into my head when I was really little."

Killua glanced side to side, watching the apparitions of these young women moving back and forth, pecking kisses to their husbands as they assisted in carting out the day's shipments from the big, lavished wooden boats pulled up to the harbor, filled to the brim. All the people before him wore fresh, joyful smiles on their faces and they, too, were laughing in his head with not a care in the world as they went about their daily lives in peace.

Something small and light tapped on Killua's boot mid-step, pulling his sapphire eyes down at the magical apple that appeared there, and he bent down to retrieve it. Surprisingly, it was solid in his hands unlike the figurative ghostly bodies of the deceased, so it wasn't just a figment of his imagination. He wiped off the thick layer of dirt and grime caking it to reveal the soft reddened flesh underneath. Its shine was the least bit dulled, untouched with a sense of unspoken purity that illuminated a halo around the apple's top, giving it an earthly glow. Killua looked back up to see Gon standing still, staring out into the ocean, and he gently tapped the apple against the boy's arm with a tiny, reassuringly smile.

Gon turned, spotting the apple and grinned broadly as they shared a silent message between them. He took the offered apple and tossed it up and down, never dropping that hopeful expression he wore, before he began walking again; now with an apple at hand.

"I didn't actually spend that much time down here where the people were as much as everyone thought. I did. As lively as it was, there were only a few other people close to around my age that I could hang out with and they usually were too busy with their families to play with me. Which meant I was pretty much alone most of the time, doing my own thing."

"But, what about your Aunt or your parents-?" Killua started only to stop when Gon himself had paused in front of the ruins of a small infrastructure. Judging by the dark mahogany wood and many scattered chunks of what appeared to be bar stools and tables; Killua guessed it may had been a bar or tavern of some sort. There were broken glass shards everywhere, a lot of them. He figured they were the alcoholic beverages and assortment of other drinks. The sign labeled 'Bar' not too far from the doorway confirmed his suspicions and he knelt down to inspect it.

It was still in one piece, broken in half and partially charred but discernible none the less. Somehow had put a lot of time and effort to carve this; Killua's fingers traced along the jutted curves and lines of expert craftsmanship from a great wood carver.

The heel of Gon's boots crunched on top of the weight of splintering lumber as he began to climb into the last vestiges of the bar, treading carefully the more he got towards where Killua assumed was the counter tops. Gon's tone of voice remained quiet, soft the entire time; cautious like his foot falls. "This is Aunt Mito's bar. Her and Oba-chan ran it as a way to earn income in their old age. They also had a small grocery store, too, but it wasn't as popular as the bar."

"Fishermen and their bars." Killua laughed. No surprise there.

"All kinds of travelers came here on their way passing through the island. People from all over would come to the bar at some point and there were always a lot of regular customers you'd see every night. I would help Aunt Mito occasionally when it wasn't as crowded, but I mostly stayed with Abe in the grocery store since I wasn't old enough to drink yet. That's where I met a lot of neat people, too, like Banji-san for instance. I met him back at the base. His favorite spot was always the third stool down from the counter because he said it had the best views of Mito-san's butt whenever she turned to get a beverage. Even if he was kind of perverted, he was really spunky and fun to be around."

"Are you referring to that wiry old dude missing a bunch of limbs?"

"Yeah. That was Banji-san. He even told me he was joining the war effort because they promised him prosthetic limbs for his service. He didn't seem the least bit concerned about the Ants." Gon smiled, eyes shut and head dropped down. Killua could see the shaking in those slumped shoulders from a mile away. "He just wanted to kick their butts as soon as he could so he could come back and return to fishing again. I'm sure he was probably more focused on returning to Aunt Mito's bar again just so he could watch her from behind and crack all those silly jokes he did whenever she was listening to him."

Killua nodded wordlessly, his focus following Gon's movements as the tan teen made his way past the rubble of the bar counter and dug through the mess for something; that brown-eyed gaze determined and focused at the task at hand. "Mito-san took a lot of pride in her bar. Every night her and I would clean it until it was spotless and she would spend a lot of time organizing everything so it looked exactly the same way every morning when she reopened. The grocery store was even more clean since Abe had a lot of spare time to pick up stuff. The bar always got really messy because people loved to party and have fun there. What was nice was that nobody ever caused a ruckus or tried to start a fight because Mito would chase them out with her metal-handled broom all the way off the docks and into the water! The first time she did it, it was really funny, but nobody ever tried to do it again after that beating. The man looked like he had the chicken pox only they were really bruises!"

"Heh. Services him right." giggled Killua, brow quirked, "Your aunt sounds like one tough lady. I'd be afraid to get on her bad side."

Gon visibly brightened at the comment, genuinely grinning ear to ear over his shoulder even while his hands continued to thumb through the junk. "I know, right? Mito-san is really tough. She could defeat most of the men who came to the bar in a game of arm wrestling. She once entered in a fun competition to see who could lift the most tables and she won by a landslide! 13 tables to another man's 9!"

"She must be an Enhancer to be that strong, geez!"

Pausing in his sorting of stuff, Gon blinked over at Killua in confusion. "What's an 'Enhancer'?"

"It's a Nen thing." Killua wanted to slap himself for forgetting that it would be his job to teach Gon about Nen. He wasn't even positive he could give a good lecture now that he really thought about it. Informative speeches were not on Killua's skills list. Assassins killed with action, not words. "I'll explain about it later."

Gon shrugged and resumed his excavating for a moment longer before he pried something out of the shambles, holding up what appeared to be a photo frame. The spiderwebs of cracks on the glass did little to obscure the picture underneath and Killua fought to squint and see it from so far away up until Gon was holding up said photo directly up to his own face.

"This is my father, Ging Freecs."

"Ging." Killua repeated the name, inspecting the person captured in the picture. The man was kneeling down, smiling, a fishing pole in his hand. He wore a long green tabard similar to Kurapika's but with no detailing on it over a white jumpsuit. The ridiculously large orange hat on his head obscured his hair; so Killua couldn't blame his father or mother for that crazy hairstyle, but Killua would say that Gon and Ging at least shared a similar face. Angled cheek bones and a strong jaw set under a pair of dark hazel eyes. They did have some features in common at least. Ging was knelt in front of a large motorcycle for some reason; possibly trying to look cool, maybe, and he absently wondered when this photograph was taken and how old it really was.

"I've heard of Ging before." The silver-haired teen spoke up, fingering the broken glass a little in interest, "He's one of those Zodiacs or somethin' that are a part of the higher-ups in the Hunter Association."

"Yeah, Kurapika and Hanzo told me. You see, I never actually got to see what my dad looked like. I only know what he looks like from the pictures Mito-san has showed me. This is the last photo of him we had left, kept here in the bar." Gon said, staring intently down at the frame in hand.

"Wait, wait. Hold up, Gon. What do you mean you never seen your father?"

Gon didn't look remotely upset by this factor, head cocked to the side. "Aunt Mito raised me since I was as young as I could remember. She told me that Ging apparently had left me in their care as a baby and never returned. Ging went off to explore or something like that, but I didn't find this out until I was a little older. Mito-san lied and insisted my parents were killed in an accident for a very long time before she finally told me the truth."

"What a lousy ass father, tch." Killua said thoughtlessly out loud but then caught himself and stumbled, stuttering furiously to cover his tracks in shock at his own selfish behavior taking priority over Gon's feelings, "I mean-? Oh crap-! Sorry, Gon. I didn't mean it like that."

Laughing like it had been a joke all along, Gon rubbed the back of his neck with a sheepish smile. "It's okay. I get that a lot so it's nothing I'm not used to."

"It still doesn't make it right for a parent to just abandon their child like that."

"No," Gon said, tongue sliding over the back of his teeth as he hummed, "It doesn't I guess. But it is what it is, so I have no choice but to accept it." He turned partly towards Killua's direction, grinning toothily for some unknown reason. "What about Killua and his parents?"

"They're infamous underground assassins." He replied automatically, just as monotonously as he always did when asked this standard question. It wasn't much of a secret, so he figured he wouldn't lie in Gon's case. He'd find out soon enough without his help. The reactions he got whenever admitting his family were assassins to someone out of the loop was always something worth noting. He kept a mental photo album of all the things out of people he's seen when speaking the truth.

Gon's reaction was nothing sort of different, easily put. He earned himself a spot right up front in the 'best reactions' on Killua's book. Page one material. Front cover, even.

"Both of them?"

"..."

They stared at each other in silence; Gon with his ever-beaming smile and Killua looking like he had just been punched in the gut but was fighting the pained expressions that came with it, contorted and awfully humorous.

"Are you actually serious? That's your FIRST reaction?" The Zoldyck tried; really tried, not to laugh but the tears welled at the corner of his lids were stinging. He couldn't hold them back much longer at this rate.

"Uh. Yeah."

"What if I'm lying? What if it was all just some sick, cruel joke or whatever? You actually believe me when I say that they're assassins? You're a riot to be an idiot who'd just believe anything anybody says!"

Gon still hadn't budged an inch in his demeanor, curious and interest written plain on his features. "Killua doesn't seem like he's lying though, so, no. It's just a hunch anyway, but I believe it. Are they both assassins?"

"Well, yes." Once he managed to calm the possible uproar of laughter threatening to give, Killua sighed, scratching his cheek. "My whole family is. The Zoldyck family trade really isn't a secret. Everybody knows about them."

"Wow. So that means Killua is an assassin, too." Gon clapped both his hands together, brightening in further intrigue; his face masking any underlying emotions for an absolutely and horrifyingly accepting one.

Killua was more then a little disturbed to find a person who wasn't remotely bothered by that dreaded fact and from the way Gon appeared it was just as unsettling to know it wasn't being faked. And yet somehow, it didn't surprise him either. "Yeah. Pretty much."

They spent another drawn out moment in awkward quietness, until Gon's feet crunched on already splintered wood and snapped Killua up to attention; his cobalt blue eyes wide. Gesturing further away, Gon picked up a light jog again, frame and apple still in hand as he waved for Killua to follow. "Come on, Killua, before it gets any later. I have one more place I want to visit. The grocery store is too burnt down to find, but at least the bar was intact enough that Killua got to see it."

"Okay." Killua followed instantaneously, catching up before Gon got too far ahead. The teenage pair quickly ascended back up the side of the desolate hill and made their way north bound. It took them around twenty minutes of fast paced running to land them at the bottom of a thicket branching off into the wide open range on a grassy mound. Perched firmly atop it lay a small house; so unshapely in comparison to all the normal homes Killua was accustomed to seeing.

It was round, domed almost, and believably close to what must be made of cement or rock. It was a cool minty gray and surrounding it lay an enormous tree, winding around as if it was protecting the home and settled itself on top to rest. Furthermore, there were even some untouched clothes and sheets hanging on the line, barely blowing in the faintest breeze.

Gon lead the way up the hill and paused at the small cobblestone pathway leading to the door; swinging off the hinges and squeaking as it dangled on its last leg hold. It was a splintered, ruined mess; huge scratch marks cut deep into mahogany and leaving a lasting scar.

Killua bet the scar on that door didn't cut as deep as Gon's did.

"This is my home." came Gon's dulled, hollow-filled voice after what felt like hours of the pair just staring at the entrance in silence. Killua swallowed the lump in his throat he didn't know he had been holding. "Aunt Mito, Abe, and I all lived here together since I was a baby. After Ging left me in their care, Mito-san fought for custody and eventually won the rights over me, so she became my official guardian. We've been here since."

"What about your real mother? I mean, if you know." Killua asked, tone hushed and quiet.

"Nobody knows." Gon looked to the side, eyeballing the destroyed mail box shattered into many pieces and fragments. The small red flag was embedded into the mushy ground, never to be pulled out again. "Ging never told Mito-san, so they couldn't tell me much. To be honest, whenever I'm asked about my birth mother, all I can picture is Mito-san." He turned then and smiled; only faltering in the slightest, "Mito-san is the only mother I've ever known. I don't think that will ever change."

Killua bobbed his head mutely and proceeded after Gon as they walked into the house, knocking the door off in the process. It crashed to the floor with a Thud and Killua caught the barest hint of a pained flinch from Gon, but it was only for a moment.

Poor guy. The silver-haired teenager thought grimly while watching the back of Gon's insanely upright hairdo, face in a dark scowl, He lost everything he grew up with in one moment. That's rough.

The living room was in complete shambles. The dining room table was split into battered chunks and strung about as haphazardly as the rest of the furniture. The Chimera Ants had done more then just ransacked the place. They demolished it. The plaster and paint on the walls was gutted, claw marks and holes occupying most of what was left of a nice cream color coating. Smears of opaque reddish blood painted the floors, the walls, the furniture; the entire room really. Even a blood bath wouldn't have looked worse then this.

"Their bodies are gone."

"Bodies?" asked Killua, glancing over as Gon was inspecting the floor, rubbing a bit of grime and dried blood between his two forefingers, "Who's bodies?"

"Aunt Mito and Abe. They were here in the living room when I came in through the door. The Chimera Ants were here, too. But there doesn't look like there's any sign of their bodies here anymore."

"Do you think perhaps they moved them?" Killua went on, fighting hard not to ask the more obvious question of whether or not they were probably eaten. As far as he could remember, the Ants had developed an insatiable taste for human flesh. It would come as no surprise if they had Gon's family as a snack. But he couldn't find the heart to tell Gon the truth or even suggest it. He figured the guy had been through enough heart break already.

"Maybe. That would be the most logical thing as to why they're gone."

Gon stood and began his trek towards the kitchen, Killua not far behind until he was spotting from the corner of his eye a small finger or two lying in the furthest part of the room closest to the stairs. He quietly sneaked over undetected and bent down to examine them, rolling the shriveled up digits in his hand. A woman's finger, a ring clearly upon it and judging by the length of the nail and wrinkles on the knuckle; it was of an elderly female no less.

Well, shit.

Killua picked up the two fingers and hastily stuffed them into the nearby drawer not completely demolished in the fight, wiping a nervous bead of sweat from his brow. He prayed Gon didn't notice.

"Hey, Killua." Gon's emotionless words found him as he entered the kitchen, stepping over the wreckage of a broken fridge in the process. "Do you know how long I was being kept in that prison for?"

"No," Killua said; keeping his volume as level as possible so not to give off any distress after finding out that Gon's family members had most likely been devoured by the Ants, "I don't know. At best, it may had been a month or so. It took us a week to stake out the place and set up our stronghold. When we got the order to attack it, it had been another week prior between freeing the other Whale Island prisons; which might mean that the base had been up for awhile before it was discovered by the Hunter Association. It was the last one left on the island that we hadn't hit."

"A month, huh. Time sure does fly by, doesn't it." Gon drawled more so to himself then anything and Killua could clearly see how withdrawn and voided those amber eyes were, shady and somber inside.

The assassin gently patted Gon on the shoulder, feeling the tense rigidness beneath those roughly textured green clothes, and a sigh came from the sun-kissed teen in recognition of the touch. "Everything will be okay, Gon." Even if the bodies of your aunt and grandma might never be found again.

"Yeah." was all he managed, but Killua was oddly thankful he replied at least.

Bending over suddenly, Gon fished out a deep sea-foam green object from the floor, sturdy and rounded on the ends and held it up for Killua to see, teeth flashing behind that grin of his. A total turn around in demeanor.

"Ne, Killua, want some month old moldy bread? I promise it's fresh. Freshly stale."

"..."

"On second thought." Killua began, the nails of his right hand protruding abnormally while his mouth twitched. Veins were popping out along his hand; the same as Gon's eyes were while he watched. The tannest male sweat-dropped in the background but kept right on grinning despite. "I take back what I said. After I kill you, it'll be okay again." With all the power he could muster, Killua smacked the rock solid loaf of bread as hard as he could across the room. It collided against the wall and fell back to the floor again, completely undisturbed. Blue eyes shot bullets at gold. "Idiot! Don't offer stinky molded bread to someone! Do you want me to be sick!? Again?"

"Hahaha." Gon was laughing and Killua rubbed the knuckles of his hand roughly into the side on that big, goofy head of the Freecs boy, "It was a joke, Killua. I know old bread is bad for you, especially month old bread!"

"Then don't offer it, moron!"

"Okay, okay! I won't! Now stop, please! That hurts!" The whines Gon made cut off the second Killua's fist left him, then he pointed over at the grotesque clawed hand dangling at the assassin's side, undisturbed. "How did you do that? With your hand."

Taken off guard at being caught red-handed with his innate skill to defend himself from his own irritable emotions, Killua did a double-take at his own twitching limb and blinked, slow dawning hitting him. "Oh, this?" He snorted, raising his hand up to their eye level, flexing the long nails in the air with precise, quick movements. "It's an assassination technique. Sometimes when I get worked up my hand does this naturally, but usually I will it to happen on my own." He lowed his palm flat, stretching the fingers out jerkily until they each popped softly. "It's like having super powered knives for hands and let's me cut through even metal and steel. Everyone in my family can do it."

Gon tentatively poked one of Killua's nails with a childish curiosity betraying him of his real age. "Wow. That's cool. Killua can even cut through the month old bread now with those things!"

Killua didn't even hesitate to bap Gon on the head, earning a string of whiny protests, and made his way out of the kitchen and towards the nearby stairs, a thumb thrown up that way. "Come on, idiot. Give me rest of your tour. We're on a time restraint as it is."

"Owwww! Okay, okay." Nursing the miniature bump left behind from the hit, Gon superseded Killua at the foot of the staircase, "You're still mean, Killua."

"And you're still an idiot."

"Touche."

With the refreshed and lighthearted atmosphere restored to its former glory; together, they climbed the small flight of plush stairs. The carpet was ripped, torn, and dirty under their clean, untainted shoes. A few steps were missing, both boys easily hopping over the empty section and reaching the top floor to spectate the current state of the second level. The bathroom was beyond repair so they hadn't even bothered trying to squeeze through what was left of that squished space. Gon peeked into Mito-san and Abe's rooms, neither looking more worse for wear, and he bypassed those on his way towards the remaining bedroom.

"This is where I slept." Gon said, jumping over the crushed door frame crushed and fractured into something much less recognizable. "Mito-san said it used to be Ging's before I came. It's my room now."

Killua took a quick look around since there wasn't much left to see. There was a small bed in the corner, mattress stuffing littering the debris on the makeshift rug. Either a really large cat shredded it based off the ridiculous gashes in the poor bed, or they hacked away with a blade thinking Gon hid a secret stash in there. Gon's dresser was toppled over on it's side, pieces of clothing fabric and broken drawers thrown every which way. The glass of the windows were shattered, allowing the crisp, icy breeze to roll in and drop the temperature of the room to a cold degree. A room once clean and usable had now been rendered into a wreck; botched of its original purpose.

The goosebumps on Gon's arms were more or less easy to see, even in the meager room lighting.

Licking his lips again, Killua put on his best poker face; a forced smile and Gon instantly beamed at it, believing the falsity. "It's nice, Gon."

Killua almost tripped over himself if it wasn't for Gon's brutal honesty keeping him on the tips of his toes. "I know right?" Gon was somehow laughing and the albino absently wondered if it was a possible slip of Gon's own sanity that made him do it. He hoped it was the latter. "I was never one for keeping my room clean when I was younger so Aunt Mito would always yell until I gave in and picked up my things. But she was always nice and would sometimes pick it up for me when I wasn't having a good day."

Thin, browned fingers felt along the torn wallpaper, touching its rough outer coating and Gon sighed forlornly as he was gazing sadly out the window. "I didn't spend very much time here, either, because I liked to camp outside a lot or with Aunt Mito as a child. The room didn't get used nearly enough as it should have when I was growing up."

Gon was ambling around slowly, accounting tale after tale of things that happened in his room; that Killua eventually became so absorbed in the stories his vision glassed over and he was slack-jawed, quiet, lax against the wall while he watched. He was amazed at the guy's amazing memory to retell so many vivid moments in his life. Killua honestly could care less about his own past or what happened; actually forgoing to forget it; the sooner the better. But it was obvious Gon Freecs cherished his memories; his past of a makeshift family and Killua couldn't stop the smallest of genuine smiles gracing the corners o f his lips. The bright, luminescent way Gon's face lit up as he reminisced the good ol' days, would chuckle and grin at something silly, then frown and the barest hints of tears pricking at his eyes whenever he retold something depressing.

Gon wore his emotions on his sleeve like a badge of honor, as they plainly put it.

A part of Killua wished he shared in the same sentiment; his sleeve as void and empty as his heart.

"This," Gon said when his words cleared up a little in Killua's fogged up head, holding up what must be a fishing pole from the rounded, colorful end, "Is Ging's. The only keepsake he left behind to my aunt."

"Looks pretty scrawny for a fishing pole." Killua pointed out, fingering the short pole with a disgruntled look.

Gon bemusedly laughed at Killua's funny face and pulled on two ends to make the pole longer, extending it to its full height until the bobbing end was dangling just at the tip. "It gets longer you know."

The slight flush of embarrassment didn't go unnoticed. "..I knew that."

When Gon returned it to its miniature version, he slung the pole over his shoulder, grinning ear to ear. "Mito-san gave it to me when I first turned 16. I used it to catch the Master of the Swamp on Whale Island on a whim and the whole town celebrated it like it was my passage into adulthood. Or some silly thing like that."

"The Master of the Swamp?"

"It's a really big blue fish."

"Ick."

Gon rolled his eyes but didn't look remotely appalled by the reaction. "Ging is the only other person on Whale Island who's managed to catch the fish, so that made me the second. I guess nobody was very surprised because I'm his son. It runs in our 'blood' or something funny like that. They celebrated with festivities for a few days and the whole island gathered around to watch me put the fish back into the swamp."

"It sounds like they made a real big deal out of you catching a fish. But, you do live on a fisherman's island, so of course it makes sense. It's a fish fanatic's place." Killua mocked, smirking, and Gon lightly punched the pale-skinned teen in the side.

"Yeah. They kind of overdid it. But Mito-san was proud of me though, so that was all that mattered."

"Are you going to keep it? Your dad's fishing pole."

Gon held it up then and flicked his wrist a little, letting the tackle bob in the air. There was an unmistakable fire in those amber eyes; golden tendrils of red and orange hues blending with yellow, burning like a polished gem. Killua wouldn't dare admit it out loud that it was a breathtaking sight; something he had only read in comic books, seen portrayed on television with those sappy soap operas, or found buried in his deepest fantasies of people who were made of light, danced and did the tango with the almighty and holy. A place; a realm, he would never try to touch, to get near of. For his unworthiness would be like a plague to this out-of-reach dream. He would never obtain it. He would only taint it.

And here Gon was; the boy of those dreams brandishing those courageous, hopeful eyes like a diamond sword, clean and cut and ready to do battle as Killua hovered in the background of this rare presence; a shadow cast in the reflecting light.

"Yeah."

Gon looked Killua's way, acknowledging him with that presence; sapping all air from his lungs in that moment. Said moment he promised himself he would never forget.

"I'm keeping it."

Me too, Killua thought, no, knew. Me too.