A/N: Sorry for the long wait.
I didn't know how I'd be able to make this transition in the story (I wanted to make a change in the plot), but now that I've done it, I think maybe I shouldn't have done it in the first place. Akane and Gon are very OOC (and it is stated in the chapter!), but I wanted them to be in on the anger, even if Gon is a pretty kind kid.
Heh, It's pretty fun to make them OOC. Even Akane OOC-ism. Akane OOC-ism is like mixing her up with Crystal. And it is very deadly. (check below. xD)
I feel very bad for doing that to Gon though. So I promise I'll never make Gon do that again. (But there were a few times he did get angry in the anime/manga, now did he? IDK, I forgot. *did not pay attention*)
Oh, and there are more art links about Akane in my profile. Clickety-click.
Dear reviewers, I appreciate reviews terribly. Lack of feedback/response makes me feel like I'm being ignored. And that you don't even care anymore. Any people who likes Akane/the storyline, please review. So that I'll know who still actually is an active reader/reviewer.
I must stop ranting... and again, sorry for the excessively long wait.
OWC: 2,710
Disclaimer: Hunter X Hunter belongs to Yoshihiro Togashi. AKANE, however, IS MINE, MINE, AND MINE ALONE!
"Give it up."
Kanaria's trained and steely voice broke the silence, other than the noise of dust settling. She had her staff down on the ground again, ready for another attack if needed. There was exhaustion in her clear green eyes. Akane could see she was getting tired.
Akane thought Kanaria would be nuts if she didn't get tired. Tired of exerting effort torturing a poor defensive boy.
"What makes you think I would?"
Gon had such a loud voice, even if he was already in dear pain. Kanaria flinched a little upon hearing it. She cast a glance at Gon, and he was still struggling to get up. He had a bleeding eye, a few broken ribs, and by the way his determination was still in his voice, Kanaria thought maybe a little crack on his skull as well.
"Nothing. Average people would give it up right here."
Gon got up on his legs again, hands on his knees as he struggled to stay upright. Akane could see the large bleeding wound on his back, the deep scratches on his thighs and legs and his arms. She could barely imagine how he even manages to stand up at that rate of beating up.
If she were in Gon's place, maybe she would've just played dead.
"Well sorry," Gon said as he forced his leg one step front, and another. "Sorry that I'm not Average and all I want to do is save my best friend."
Right then, Gon stepped on the line. 0.2 Seconds later he was just as far as where he was a while ago.
And it all began again. Gon would continue to fight and stand. Akane, Kurapika and Leorio just could watch. Gon's pain, playing again and again, a repetitive motion in front of their eyes.
This just happened, once more, twice, thrice. Akane could feel the tears well again, a mere 5 hours after she tried to fight the first batch out. Kanaria could feel the sting of salt in her eyes as well. But she resisted it.
Instead she spoke just spoke up. "Why do you do this? Can't you see he's in pain? Why do you still let him stand? You're his friends, right? Do something about it!" Kanaria hoped to squeeze out whatever sympathy they had for Gon, there might be, but there was none.
Leorio, Akane and Kurapika just kept their cold, apathetic, unsympathetic glances. They knew what Gon was fighting for. They'd gladly take Gon's position, but since it was Gon, what could they do?
Nothing could break Gon's determination. They knew that from the start and believed in it.
And they were right.
Gon struggled to stand up again, and it is needless to say that he did not succeed to get through, as expected. And Akane was, even though she was a pretty patient person, getting sick of it. Gon flew with the hit again, and pretty hard this time as the force pushed him face-first across the ground, leaving a bloody mess.
Akane knelt down to Gon, and whispered some light words in his ears. She wasn't sure if he heard at all. Just as long as she said it.
She stepped, slowly, deliberately, like a zombie. Her bangs covered her eyes, and all Kurapika and Leorio could see was a shadow. No glint of life in her face, they were a little anxious about what Akane would do.
When Akane looked up, all of them were surprised to meet her dangerously glinting scarlet eyes.
This can't be good.
Her movement was far too fast for their eyes to be able to catch. There was this blur of colors, and the next thing they knew, Kanaria was groaning… in pain.
Turns out Akane just jumped over the post to attack Kanaria from the back.
So yes, Akane was right behind her, eyes still a very furious red, hissing. She gripped firmly with her right hand Kanaria's clump of hair as she pulled it roughly down to the ground, making Kanaria look up.
Her tone proved her seething wrath even more… and it terrified Kurapika.
She spoke the words in a very seething whisper, very much different from the giggly Akane her friends knew. "I don't know what to call you; I don't know your name. But I know what you are. You're a heartless slave, meek and numb to this torture. I'd sure as hell be happy to show you how it is to be tortured the way you just tortured our friend, but Gon would kill me if I did that.
"Listen up, squirt. Let me just explain something to you. We're here to meet a friend and we come in peace. We're not doing anything wrong. If anything, it's your boss that's doing the wrong thing. They're robbing Killua of his right to be out and enjoying a life he deserves."
Then, Akane tapped one side of her neck strongly, and with that, Kanaria fell to the ground.
Akane started to breathe, but she was having a very hard time. She felt like there was something stuck in her lungs, making her breathing uneasy, but she continued to try… try until the redness faded away from her vision.
But when she thought everything was over and they could finally go, a different voice answered to her statement.
"But this is how Killua was born. A Zaoldyeck. He is, was, and always will be. Typically Zaoldyecks have a different 'life' they deserve. This is the same darkness they'll live in, bound to the chains of this hell they're raised in. What are you trying to prove, Dukarra?"
Akane turned angry aquamarine eyes to the new voice. It was painstakingly familiar. And she hated it. It was what caused all this.
Yes, her eyes immediately turned to its bright, sunset-colored scarlet once more.
"Illumi."
Gold and shiny.
And luxurious.
That was what Akane thought first about the Butler's Quarters. It was almost impossible and unthinkable for it to be just a Butler's Quarters—it was the size of her entire house times two. Don't let her get started with the extravagant accessories—even the chandelier seemed to have been encrusted with diamonds.
She let the light glare into her eyes as she tried to think back—would she regret her decision?
"Killua already knows," Illumi stated blankly as he shuffled out from the darkness of the forestry, out from the bushes. That confirmed the presence Gon felt earlier, watching them.
Akane didn't reply, and just cast a very irritated glare at Illumi. If looks could kill…Illumi's would've-been dismantled figure would've been far too disgusting to describe in words.
"We've told Killua about you and your friends being around here in the area. Oh, look, he must be Gon, right? What a mess are you in now."
Gon growled a very bear-and-lion-like growl but Kurapika held his arms before he could do anything... Just in case. Leorio took a defensive step beside Gon too. They had a bad feeling of Gon growling.
(They were right about that.)
Akane narrowed her eyes at Illumi. He had an unusual sing-song voice, as if he was very content and happy. If anything, she would've thought she was Hisoka right at that moment. That thought caused an involuntary shudder to run coldly down her back.
"My entire family knows your presence here in the mansion," Illumi said, informing them. "Mother bore it the hardest. She's frustrated."
Akane took a courageous yet wary step near him. "What are you planning to do with him?" She was happy how her voice didn't falter despite the twisting of her stomach in knots. She tried to stay calm and look as brave and strong as she seemed to look like despite the dewing of cold sweat on her forehead.
But the logic wasn't pushing her forward anymore; it was the adrenaline pumping in her veins, urging her to move over to him and fight.
The cold sweat was immediately ignored.
"Hmm... I'll put it like this—we're fine-tuning him."
It was then Akane's turn to growl. "He's not your machine."
"He's not your possession," Illumi said with a subtle and very irritating smirk. Akane had to clench her fists to prevent herself from punching the man. He was just like Hisoka, she thought—capricious liars who don't have much to do in life.
Oh, joy.
Akane took one more agitated step. "He's our friend. We don't own our friends. No one does. Preschoolers can answer that. Are you that stupid?" she asked angrily.
Illumi continued to smirk grandly at her, a smirk she knew would scar her mind and soul forever until she dies. It was evil, mischievous and full of nothing but bad stuff in it, she knew; it was worse than seeing Killua's eyes after he's made a kill. She flash-backed to the Hunter Exam to confirm with her memories, and she knew she was right.
"Brave soul, answering back to a Zaoldyeck," another voice answered. Even Illumi was surprised at the arrival of the extra person.
Akane, Kurapika, Gon, and Leorio turned their eyes to the point where the voice was from. It was an old man, maybe around 70 years old, with amused black dots for eyes, and wild gray hair that resembled Killua's except… it looked older.
'The grayness of the hair might be because of old age,' Akane thought to herself, observing that the old man's zero-gravity hair was less shiny than Killua's almost-steely-silver-under-snow-colored hair.
Other than that, the old man was wearing a suspicious outfit Akane couldn't put a name on. She could, however, read what was written on the piece of cloth hanging from his belly (that looked more like a loincloth than anything)—One day, one kill.
Akane rolled her eyes. 'It must be how assassins think.'
"You are?" the old man asked.
"You first."
Akane's voice was firm, and she was sure she wouldn't give in to fears at that moment. If she needed to fight with the old man to get Killua back, she would; even if she would have to get hurt and bleed and die on the way.
She, Kurapika, Leorio, and Gon cared, cares and—she knew—will care for Killua more than his brother and entire family does—and she knew he deserved much more than his sick twisted family.
He wasn't their machine, he was a human. More specifically, he was a 12-year-old kid who loved chocolates and wanted to have friends. He may be the—supposed—heir of the powerful Zaoldyeck clan, but like any other kid his age, he has the right for speech. He can tell them what he wants and he should be understood. He wasn't a man-tearing life-taking soul-ripping monster, he was a kid who wanted to live his life the way he wanted to—with friends, with freedom, and of course, chocolates.
Akane knew all that, and it only strengthened her resolve that she'll do all she can to save him.
"Zeno Zaoldyeck, thank you. I'm Killua's grandfather." The old man smiled a very oddly warm smile at the four of them. "Back to my question, you are?"
"Killua's friends," she said, hissing the last words for stressing. "We came by to see him."
"I thought you'd be more specific but… oh well. That's not the point. I've heard you were here to take him, young lady, and not see him. There is quite some difference." Zeno smiled another warm old-man smile. "We are here to protect Killua's nature—being an assassin is really what he really is."
Akane grunted. "Protecting Killua's real nature and turning him into your own programmed machinery of assassination are two completely different things. Old man, you must be wise enough to see the difference."
"I know better than you on things concerning the Zaoldyecks," he answered with another of his suspiciously soft smiles.
Akane became even more irritated. "You don't know how it is to be human. None of you DO!" she said, taking a very comfortably confident toward Zeno. "Now would you please do us a favour and bring us to him!"
Zeno stroked his chin once before he nodded. "Okay. Why don't you just follow Illumi to the Butler's Quarters while I go and arrange this matter with their father?"
Akane cast an asking glance toward Gon, Kurapika and Leorio. Kurapika and Leorio nodded, but Gon was still growling… uncontrollably so, it creeped them out completely.
Akane and Gon are definitely acting out-of-character, Kurapika thought to himself.
"Fine, we'll go," Akane said, nodding once to approve. Her emotions, becoming much calmer, made her red eyes fade back to their usual sea-color blue. Zeno nodded, acknowledging them.
Them, because it wasn't just their decision he had acknowledged. Even Akane's existence and importance in the group… something like a stronghold.
And her race… as one of the red-eyed people's surviving descendants.
He nodded again, making Akane more suspicious, but she did not make a sound.
"Illumi, lead them to Gotoh. He should be able to handle these youngsters," Zeno said, looking at Illumi, and at which Illumi blinked in response. That was enough, because after that, Zeno disappeared, blending as he moved through the leaves of their forest yard.
"It's this way," Illumi muttered, voice colder and more sounding of death than if it came from a walking, undead corpse.
Gon blinked, coming out of his growling trance. "What about her?" he asked, pointing at Kanaria.
"They will care of her," he answered, and continued walking into the dark shadows of the forest.
All the three could do was follow him silently.
Now they sat there, silently, warily, waiting for someone to tell them what they're supposed to do. Illumi told them to 'wait there and not make a move,' but they didn't quite understand why he would give them the warning.
He was Illumi, after all. The real reason why they were there. If he wasn't in the Hunter Exam, if he didn't fight Killua, maybe they'd be doing something else, somewhere else.
None if the excessively twisted and painful mess would've happened.
No one came, after minutes passed. Nothing happened. They thought, maybe, it was really just a waiting place until Killua comes and the matter is settled. And they were all about to get comfy—the their-guard-is-up-yet-they-are-comfy kind of comfy—when a new presence's voice made their backs stiffen.
"Gon-kun."