A final, thunderous bang reverberated against the rock, cutting through the early evening silence. A cloak of dust rose and then slowly thinned to reveal the two dirt-smothered boys. Both still looked physically quite alert and aloof, though in truth they were beginning to tire- if only slightly. A full week had past and each day became very much the same long, laborious day as the one before.

"Well done, boys."

Number One appeared over a large rock, his face veiled as it always was. At his side was a young adolescent girl with ear-length and pin-straight blue hair, dressed in the same typical L.I.G.H.T. robe despite the peeled back hood. Her eyes were brown and weary. Heavy purple bags framed her lower lashes.

"Thanks," Gon replied.

In spite of his kindness, Killua knew that his friend still did not respect L.I.G.H.T. or its vision. He supposed that working in congruence with them while remaining separate was perhaps the best thing for the two.

"Where will you be staying this evening?" Number One asked suddenly.

"Where ever we feel like," the paler boy cut in immediately, not wishing for Gon to honestly reveal information. While there was a definite benefit to joining forces, he did not particularly trust Number One's motivations.

"Well, I've brought for you an accomplice," the man announced, "and you're welcome to share her accommodations."

"An accomplice?" the brunette boy echoed.

"Yes." He gestured with an upturned palm toward the frowning girl at his side. "I'm sure you remember-...?"

"Miu-san..."

At the sound of his comrade speaking the name, Killua fixed his blue gaze after Gon's. The tanned boy was staring at the woman's hands... or lack thereof... as it seemed that one of the wrists protruding from the sleeves of the robe was absent its adjoining hand. The former assassin narrowed his eyes.

"What makes you think we need an accomplice?" he questioned coldly.

"I know that as of late your team seems to have lost half its original members."

The silver haired boy balled his fists.

"It's only for now," Gon offered before his friend had a chance to speak. "Haku-san... well, there was a terrible-..."

"It doesn't matter," Killua interrupted. "For you to know that you would have to be spying on us. The priority should be trying to stop the damage that the mass eruption will cause. Use your sources for that rather than watching us." His posture stiffened as he shoved his fists into his pockets. "Gon and I can meet our quota without your help."

"Besides, Misaki-san will come back; I'm sure of it!" the spiky haired boy piped in.

Killua's teeth clenched at the statement. He wasn't convinced either way whether the girl would return or not after finding that note in place of her person. What he did know was that, even if he was to assume she would reappear, that he could not blindly count on her as an ally. She had openly expressed indecision as far as her contract to kill Gon went... and if Gon was her enemy, he had to potentially consider her his own enemy as well.

He would protect Gon regardless of her intentions. Misaki didn't matter. She was the one that lied to him in the first place.

...He just had to keep reminding himself of that. He couldn't afford to forget it.

The boy nearly allowed his mind to yet again roll through the scenario and to wonder if her hesitance to give a clear response about Gon (coupled with her declaration to Illumi that she had grown to respect Killua) was an indication that perhaps she could be trusted, but luckily he caught himself in the act and dismissed the thoughts forcibly.

'You left on your own accord,' his mind told her bitterly.

"I'm glad that is the case," Number One replied to the island boy. "Until she does return, Miu will be your third team member."

"No way," Killua protested.

"Every team has at least three members. You'll get things done in a more timely fashion this way."

"I don't care."

"But Killua," Gon objected, "we'll be able to finish even more if we let Miu-san help us. It's up to us to save everyone, remember?"

The lighter haired boy turned his cheek to the side, frowning deeply.

"That old hag hates us. She'll probably just try to kill us for revenge."

Miu's eyes sharpened.

"I will not, you stupid sh-...!"

"Number Six," the elder calmly reprimanded. Turning to the boys, he said, "Miu will cause you no harm. Once your friend comes back, she will join another team immediately."

Tapping a thoughtful finger against his chin, Gon admitted, "That does sound fair."

"Fair? No way; I'm not toting around some vengeful old hag that blames us for her husband dying!"

Smirking coldly, Miu sang out, "Is someone feeling a little moody since their girlfriend took off?"

The boy felt a flood of frustrated heat rising to his face.

"Hey! Shut up and mind your own business!" Turning to the silent L.I.G.H.T. leader, he added, "That one she's allowed to say?!"

"I thought you said Misaki-san wasn't your girlfriend," Gon chimed in with legitimate surprise.

"She's not!"

"Oh no!" Miu cried out in a mock-sympathetic tone, bringing her hand to her chest. "Did you two have a fight and break up?"

"I told you to-...!"

"You broke up already?!" Gon gasped.

"No!"

"Oh, that's good!"

"No, that's not what I meant!"

"You should say what you mean then," Miu taunted.

"Stay out of this, you spiteful ol-...!"

"Maybe you meant that you were just fuck buddies," the girl suggested.

"Killua?" Gon asked seriously. "Did you really sleep with Misaki-san?"

"What?! No!"

"No, I guess you wouldn't have," Miu agreed. Grinning wickedly, she added, "She prefers it a little higher up the family tree, doesn't she?"

The time in which Killua felt pain from the comment (in that small moment when his heart did an agonizing hammer pound and his veins became tight in his skin) was nothing in comparison to the time frame that he felt his anger fuelling the liquid fire of his blood. For a fraction of a second his mind replayed his humiliation before his eyes turned ominous.

"Shut up," he warned, his tone dripping poison despite it's misleading calmness.

"Don't you want to ask how I know about that?" the girl urged.

"I don't care."

"Really! You don't care at all that Misaki likes to spend her time bent over, taking your brother's-...?"

In an instant, Miu felt her head knock clumsily against the bulk of a generously sized rock with enough force that her vision went white for a full moment and blood poured freely from her nostrils. There was a sickening crack and her body twitched and seized for a few consecutive seconds following.

At first she was quick to assume that the ex assassin was responsible and in truth she was stunned that he could have bested her so quickly. However, as her gaze rose she caught sight of the boy, posing in place three quarters of the way through a potentially fatal thrust, with his free arm held by Number One. The palm of the elder's opposing hand faced her, and it was only then that she understood that her leader had been the one to land the strike. Had he not interfered, it was likely the younger boy may have killed her instead.

"You were given a chance," the cloaked figure explained, "but should you behave so recklessly again, you will face the consequences, Number Six."

Miu used the back of her hand to wipe the blood from her lips and chin, lowering her stare as she did so.

Wrenching his arm out of the man's grasp, Killua glared into the dark patch where the face should have been.

"We don't need your help. Gon and I are a good team without you."

With that, the paler boy turned and strode away from the site, leaving Gon to awkwardly scan from one person to another before tearing off after his friend's shadow in the setting sun.

"Killua?"

The mildly tentative voice rang through the darkness and interrupted his companion's chain of constantly linking, whirring thoughts.

"Yeah?"

"Are you upset?"

Lowering his eyes from the twinkling overhead to the length of his sleeping bag, the blue eyed boy considered carefully how to respond to the question. He could acknowledge that he shouldn't be irked still by Miu's comments. Rather, he did not appreciate that Miu's taunting had riled him up at all. He had spent the week until now doing fairly well; simply working away his days at the side of his best friend and hardly even thinking about her. He had even decided that she was probably an enemy, after all, and it was easy to build a wall to keep the enemy out, of course.

So why did he feel as though everyone wanted to constantly remind him of his foolishness? He had done a credible job of hiding emotions throughout his life, so he'd thought. Yet, when it came to that deceitful, plum haired girl...

"It's obvious."

Was it really so obvious? Gon had pegged his liking for the girl. Illumi had told him so. Even Haku had seen it. Was it so obvious? How?

He hadn't even been thinking about it much today. Was it obvious to Miu even so? Could she tell even while he couldn't?

For that matter, now that his mind was no longer being corrupted by his boiling blood, how exactly did she know about...?

Did Misaki know Miu, too? Did they laugh at him together?

"I'll be fine," he answered, unwilling to delve into this any further.

"I don't know what Miu-san was talking about," Gon admitted gently, "but-..."

"She was just blabbing about stuff she doesn't understand," he mumbled, though in truth he knew that he didn't understand either.

"Killua," the boy continued, "I think that Misaki-san will come back... but if I'm wrong it's okay, too. I'm happy just being with you, anyway."

In the blackness, the boy's blue eyes widened. His heated face intuitively buried itself up to the nose in the sleeping bag.

"Gon..."

"Good night, Killua."

The smile in his voice warmed his comrade as it reached him. He knew if anyone could heal him, it was indeed his dear friend.

"Good night, Gon."

'I'm happy just being with you, too.'