A/N: Boy was I having a writing spree of my life. xD Other than that, I was reading the manga, so the dialogues are mostly from that. I was reading Volume 9 (Pretty far from the scenes here, actually) and I freaked out when I saw Kurapika with brown eyes. I already knew they said he had brown eyes in the manga, but I didn't know he looked so... what terminology should I use... hot with them? He looks more exotic than he really is. AIIEE!

Okay, I should stick to one... Kurapika or Killua fansclub. Or maybe both, harhar. If not, maybe Kuroro or Illumi.

Killua had sky blue eyes in the Volume 9 cover. It freaked me out. xD I was like, "Dude, don't you have black/violet eyes?"

Aaaackk.. I should finish ranting. Original Word Count: 2,837

Disclaimer: Togashi owns HxH... I wonder if he could give it to me as a gift.

(Akane's POV)

Wait, did I hear him right?

Hisoka knows. That did not make any sense! Hisoka knows what?

"What do you mean, Kurapika?" I asked again. Maybe I just heard him wrong. "What does Hisoka know?"

He looked at me, eyes flashing red once in a while. Apparently he was trying his hardest not to make them red completely, not to make them red at all. I don't know why it turns red, but I think I have a pretty good idea. He coughed out, "He knows where the Ryodan is… aargh!" He groaned in pain when he tried to stand up, apparently he had a wound. "I… I… I'm going out." He went out the door hurriedly.

"Kurapika!" I called and started to follow him, out into the corridor, but I never saw him. I returned to the arena, and Gon looked at me with sympathetic eyes.

"Don't worry, Akane; that's Kurapika. He'll make it through the rain," he said, and went to the arena as he begun his fight with Hanzo.

I tried to focus on Gon's match with Hanzo to ignore that numbing, gnawing sensation. I wanted to run to Kurapika and ask him already, what does Hisoka know, what does he know. There were so many questions running in my head, I felt the world spinning.

I was brought back to reality when Gon cringed loudly and painfully… well, in pain. I suddenly realized Hanzo was beating him up. Whack him in the head, slap him, punch him, kick him, all terms of violence. There was a pretty massive pool of blood, too, and Gon was swimming around it.

"Gon! Don't give up!" I told him, and he grinned at me; this earned him another face-smack from Hanzo, though. Damn that NINJA! I cursed at the back of my head. Stop hitting on little boys! Face someone your size!

Gon didn't want to give up, I knew his reasons. Hanzo didn't want to, either. Then, Hanzo broke his arm, and Gon writhed in pain in a little ball on the floor. Worry and anger now clouded my vision. I don't let anyone who does that to Gon get away!

I literally felt smoke rise from my ears. I couldn't hear them anymore, my mind was like, 'Target found. Kill Hanzo the idiot ninja' again and again and again like my Dad's annoying beeper.

Say, I wonder how Dad is now? I thought. But this isn't the time for that, Dukarra.

I never call myself by my last name unless I'm really serious, and me being really serious is very rare.

Then, Hanzo took out this long dagger thing and lashed it out, the point touching Gon's forehead, creating a tiny puncture wound. He started murmuring, "You do understand that with two words… you can end this, and still come back next year, right?" He looked angrily at Gon. "What is it, that is more important than your life? That you're being so strong about it? That you're not giving up?"

Gon looked at Hanzo with his brown eyes, his expression was familiar. I had a feeling when he started to say whatever he was bound to say, the world would cry fluffyness. And I was right.

"I want to meet my father."

I bet his father would be proud of him, I thought to myself. Gon's a brave boy, and he won't give up, until he meets his father, that is.

"He's a hunter somewhere, somewhere far from here," he stated. "I really think that someday… I'll meet him. And losing here, I think that I would never be able to meet him in my life." His eyes burning with determination, he stared deep into Hanzo's. "That's why I will never go back on my decision."

Hanzo looked at Gon, and I thought it was sympathy in his eyes. Maybe, because he immediately admitted he quitted.

Right after that, Gon fainted out of exhaustion.

While the medics brought Gon to the resting room, I watched the several battles, still trying to distract myself. I wanted to forget for the meanwhile—heck, I was supposed to be celebrating, I just passed the hunter exam without major injuries!

Everything seemed to be normal, nothing out-of-place, nothing really standing out against all others. Then Killua was to play, for the second time (since he quitted out on the first time with Pokkle, I think). I wished good luck to him, something like a last gift to him since ever since the start he was the one there for me. From the car in Dole Island, to the mountains in the second round, and even when I just needed someone to be there for me. Like a younger brother—no, even more like an older one, even though he's at least five years short, since I'm sixteen and he's twelve.

Killua was supposed fighting with the pin-man guy, apparently named Gitarakuru. (Quite a tongue twister, isn't it?) Gitarakuru came on the arena and Killua was staring at him casually, hands on his pockets, when Gitarakuru said, "It's been a long time, Killua."

Killua showed no face of recognition. Maybe Gitarakuru was wrong, I thought, but I was proved wrong when Killua gasped. What did Gitarakuru do? He plucked the pins off his face, and it changed into a pale face with dark eyes and ebony hair.

"Aniki," Killua muttered.

That weird guy… was Killua's older brother?

Killua's aura felt different after that. It was colder… scarier, more like an assassin than anything else.

I heard Gon's voice in my head. 'Oh, so you don't know?' he cheerily rung. 'He's the elite of an assassin family.'

I know, I know, Gon, I thought, But this time…

Killua stared dumbfoundedly at his older brother, who was apparently named Illumi. But he tried to keep cool, to be calm. His face showed no fear as of that moment, but I can feel him shivering in his cold sweat.

"Mother told me you beat her and Milluki," Illumi said.

"You could say it that," Killua said, just as cold. Is this how they talk as a family? Do they even talk as one? Creepy.

"Mom was crying. Succeeding in educating that way gives me such pleasure, but I'm worried to see him leave now.' After thinking a lot about it, she called me. To search for you. This is mere coincidence, she was worried you'd like to be a hunter. TO tell you the truth, I wanted an accreditation for my next work, that's why I'm here. Well, two birds with one stone," Illumi shrugged.

"I don't especially want to become a hunter. I just wanted to try the exam," Killua said, but his voice was faltering. His eyes seemed to have been turning a little… different that before, and I could see his pupils dilating and turning back to normal in different times.

"You won't be a hunter, Killua," Illumi said. "Because you're meant to be a killer." Killua watched his older brother with keen, unstable eyes, but obviously anger shone in them. "You're just a puppet, dark and passionless. You feed yourself with shadow, the only pleasure you can feel comes from the death of people," Illumi continued. "You're just as we taught you, Father and I. What were you expecting in becoming a hunter?"

"It's not that I wanted to become a hunter that led me here," Killua hissed. "There's something I'd like to have."

"No, there isn't something," Illumi insisted, but Killua retorted, "Yes, there is something, and you don't know!"

"So, tell it to me!" Illumi fought back. "What would you want?" Killua remained silent, unanswering, "Well? There's nothing, is there?"

"There is!" Killua shouted. I saw his eyes soften, and I had a feeling he was going to talk about … "I want… I want to become friends with Gon."

Bingo! No brother would be too cold not to melt with that, right? Oh, but it's the Zaoldyecks we're talking about. What to do?

"I'm fed up with killing," Killua said, and I thought he was about to sob. "I just want to become friends with Gon. I want to have fun, like a normal kid."

Illumi, that cold-hearted bastard. He said,"That's impossible! You can't make people your friends. The only judgment you're able to pass on a human is to know if you can kill him or not. Because that's what we taught you. You are just amazed by Gon. You're always together, aren't you? This has nothing to do with being friends. In the future, you'll grow sick of him and would want to kill him. Because you'll ask yourself if you're able to kill him or not; he's just your plaything for the meanwhile."

"I am getting sick of you, bastard," I muttered under my breath. Leorio stepped up behind me and shouted, "GO ON! BURST HIM LIKE YOU USUALLY DO, AND PASS THE EXAM! YOU WANT TO BECOME FRIENDS WITH GON, RIGHT, KILLUA? SO DON'T FALL ASLEEP! YOU GET ALONG WELL, AND YOU ARE FRIENDS, UNDERSTANDING EACH OTHERS, RIGHT? I'M PRETTY SURE GON FEELS THE SAME WAY!"

"Eh?" Illumi's face was still stoic, but now there was curiosity. He turned to Leorio. "Really?"

"THAT'S PRETTY OBVIOUS NOW, IDIOT!"

"That bothers me," Illumi said. "Other people think he's his friend… Oh, I know!" Illumi said, waving a finger to denote an idea. "I can just kill Gon!" He took out three pins and added, "Killers don't need friends."

Killua looked at Illumi, obvious terror in his eyes. He was shaking, drowning in cold sweat, if you ask me. Those moments when you see someone younger than you and want to suddenly run and hug him, to comfort him? I was reining that feeling. I wanted to hug him… Tell him he'll be alright, and he'll be the Killua everybody knows The Killua Leorio, Kurapika, and I love. The Killua Gon took in as his best friend. The Killua that knows how to have fun. The Killua that likes to play with his skateboard. The Killua that had amazing talents. The Killua that called himself superman.
The Killua that I took like my younger brother.

"Where is he?" Illumi asked the referee. I wanted to whack him. I knew I was amateur to him, but still. I watched as he threw the pins to the referee's face and it distorted, and soon he said the Gon was in Resting Room Two.

He's not really going to do it, right?

I poised myself, ready for action. If he does get out the door, I'll try my best to hold him back. I won't let him lay a finger on Gon. Gon, Leorio, Kurapika, and Killua… they'be been like brothers to me. And just because the exam ended doesn't mean that would be gone. They will still be my brothers, in a moment of my life.

When I saw Leorio, the bodyguard-men, and Hanzo stood up at the door, I stood up too and went with them, beside Leorio.

"Damn! If only I didn't need this certificate for my next work. If I kill them here, I'll be disqualified and Killua will pass. I was about to make a mistake, because even if I kill Gon, The result will be the same, yes." I looked at Illumi, now with the anger, fear, was the confusion. The poor assassin bastard was talking to himself! Dude, you better get them to the mental hospital, the poor ass. "I know!" he said. "I'll start with passing the exam, that I can kill Gon! Doing it this way, even if I kill everyone here, my title can't be taken back, can it?" he asked Chairman Netero.

Chairman waited a second before answering, "No, no special rules allows that."

Damn the Hunter Organization! No conscience for human life!

"You already have the answer," Illumi continued, and I tried to rein my anger. I was totally pissed off, and I believe I haven't been this mad in my entire life. "'With my strength, I can't beat my brother,'" he said in a deadpan tone. "'If you feel you can't beat him, don't confront him.' I was the one who gave you that advice, remember?" Illumi stretched a hand, and Killua's eyes dilated. Something was happening, something that you can't see with bare eyes.

"Don't move," Illumi said. "If you move even a tiny bit, I'll consider it the start of the fight. When our bodies touch, the real fight begins." He looked at Killua with not-so-brotherly eyes. "There's only one way to stop us, you understand? But don't forget: If you confront me, your precious friend Gon will die." The word 'friend' was said with pure obsolete mockery. Killua's eyes was now of pure terror, especially as Illumi's hand went closer… closer… closer…

"GO ON, KILLUA! WHATEVER HAPPENS, WE WON'T LET ANYONE GET KILLED, NOT GON, NOT YOU!" Leorio called. "WHATEVER HE DOES, WE'LL STOP HIM! DO WHAT YOU HAVE TO DO!"

I chewed on my lower lip. Don't give in, Killua, don't give in… I chanted in my mind. If you believe, you'll be stronger than that bastard aniki of yours! You're stronger than him! Don't give in…

I knew he would. It was something you knew from the start. The fright in his eyes told it all. He just had to rub it in when he finally said, "Damn… I lost."

That crazy thing for a brother he had said, "Ahh, I feel better! I'm done with the fights." He laughed. "I lied to you, Killua, I have no intention of killing Gon. I just wanted to test you, and now I got what I wanted." He leaned down to Killua, rubbing Killua's platinum mop of hair. "You don't have the qualifications to make any friends. Moreso, you don't need any. You'll continue listening to what Father and I taught you. You only have to do your work correctly and everything will be okay."

The bastard.

Killua never talked after that, closing his lips clamped like an oyster. He curled into a ball in the corner, face buried in his knees. Leorio and I tried to talk to him, but he didn't say a word.

I, of course, tenacious as I am, did not give in. Instead I patted his shoulder and told him, in the most tender voice I could, "Killua… you don't need qualifications to make friends. If you want them, you can have them. Please… I will always be your friend. Even if you are an assassin, even if you turn back on us. I will still be your friend."

That was when I had enough and I just ruffled his hair, then walked out the arena.

I sat outside, by the steps of the majestic building, staring at the forest outside, at the blue sky, and the brown soil, and the green grass, and the white building. There was really nothing I could do…

Nothing but cry.

There was too much to handle. I never imagined I'd go through so much stress. I never imagined. Gon getting hurt… Killua breaking down like that… Kurapika running away. Now, it's I that ran away. I didn't want to know what would happen to Leorio.

Again, everything is running in my favor. Whose fault? Theirs. If not for them, I wouldn't be here. It's them, that's why I'm here…

…and yet I can't do anything in return.

I buried myself in my knees again. I can't believe how weak I am, compared to their standards. Is that really what's true? That I'm really just pathetically weak? I've never felt any stupider!

I can't believe how they've been there for me, but I couldn't help them when they needed me! How stupid!

I continued to sob, when suddenly I felt a hand on my shoulder. I looked up, and saw Kurapika looking up at the sky. "Don't punish yourself, Akane," he told me. "It's not like you could do anything, right? Everybody would feel helpless then."

I looked at him, and leaned on his shoulder. He didn't flinch when he started to feel the tears that ran down his arm as I started to cry on him. "I am so stupid, Kurapika… I couldn't help him…"

Kurapika looked up at me with a wistful smile, and then he put his arms around me. Trying his best to comfort me. He didn't say anything, we just stayed like that. I felt like I was being guarded by an older brother… it felt nice and warm.

"I have felt that way too, Akane."