Chapter Text
Illumi’s needlemen had set up a small but solid hospital room in the building. Not too many people lived in it, and it was in a strategic location. Several doctors from the most prestigious hospitals in the city came and went.
But, regardless of how many came or how hard they worked, they all arrived to the same conclusion: Hisoka was beyond saving.
Every day that passed, the comatose Hisoka withered away further.
It was then Illumi accessed the Hunters’ Tavern and found several doctors with Nen-based abilities. He brought them all forth within the course of a week, but all they could do was prolong the inevitable.
He was meticulous and careful to hide his tracks and hire them under names and details that’d make his true identity untraceable.
Illumi was not worried about his concurrent actions having consequences.
The talented doctors had given up, insisted they couldn’t save Hisoka, but Illumi wouldn’t have that. He’d stuck his needles in them and forced them to continue working, until they died of overexertion, just like all his needlemen did.
In the end, all he accomplished was the raking of bodies.
He disposed of them all, until his only choice was to share his Nen with Hisoka’s comatose body.
It was the one way to prolong the inevitable.
The only solution didn’t come to him until all alternatives had been explored.
It took him five days to gather enough Intel, with the limited tools he had, to find Killua’s phone number.
Naturally so, Killua had changed it along with all his details to completely sever ties with his family. It’s what made him hard to find, but Illumi didn’t give up, not even with his limited tools.
From all the Zoldycks, he’d always been the best at tailing and figuring out the way people clicked—how they worked, how they thought. Ironically so, considering his total lack of social skills outside of assassination.
He would’ve had better success if he’d just gone home, but he couldn’t afford it.
If he left this room, if he relocated or stopped sharing his aura with Hisoka, he’d die within minutes.
He impassively stared at his unconscious, withering frame. He approached him.
He sighed so quietly it was nearly imperceptible, and stopped by his bedside. He nonchalantly looked at Hisoka.
The burns, the cuts, the wounds.
While the Troupe split up to find him, what Hisoka truly wanted was to have them all in one room.
His resurrection had succeeded, but it’d left him wounded. His hand, his nose, his foot. They were superficial. He’d received an aura boost, but he was still handicapped. The replacements were solid enough, at least. For a while.
He was sure he wouldn’t be able to take on all the Spiders, and even if he did, he’d die soon after.
It was either receiving medical attention at once, healing, then wait for his chance to find them all again in the uncertain future, or fight them at once by not missing the chance of them being together in the Black Whale.
Hisoka prioritised his wounded pride.
And so, with his own strength and boosted Nen, his mental state heightened to its utmost limits, and unknowingly created a condition.
Even though he was slowly dying, he was adamant about surviving long enough to kill the Phantom Troupe, and to leave Chrollo for last. His senses, his physical abilities and speed stretched beyond their peak.
His resolve is what made his Nen exceedingly strong. But it also created a limitation: his full potential and beyond would be unleashed only with the Troupe. And he could only do it once.
And, if he overdid it, he may not come back from it.
He was lucky he’d hired Illumi.
However, the pretence of joining the Troupe to kill him was only that: a pretence. The real reason he’d hired him was so he could take Kalluto away so he wouldn’t get caught in the fight.
What Hisoka hadn’t counted on was Illumi risking his life to fight alongside him.
It’d stunned and worried Hisoka. Despite being a terrifying monster, it was still instinctive for him to worry about Illumi’s safety. But the look on Chrollo’s face when Illumi unexpectedly appeared, and sent Shizuku’s and Bonolenov’s heads flying, had turned him on so much he popped a boner on the spot.
It had been done so cleanly not a drop of blood was on Illumi’s three inch claws, and the other Troupe members could only stare in shock.
Seeing Illumi fight at full power was something Hisoka never thought he would witness, but he did—and he creamed his pants once, perhaps twice, from the sight alone.
Illumi had gotten injured, but it was nothing he couldn’t heal with his needles until he received real medical assistance.
The fight had been strenuous. It destroyed a large part of the Black Whale, but not enough to completely sink it. It was still functional, but there was damage, and amongst it collateral.
With Bonolenov and Shizuku down, the match-ups had been the following:
- Hisoka vs Machi, Feitan and Chrollo.
- Illumi vs Franklin, Nobunaga and Phinks.
In theory, it wasn’t good that Illumi had been stuck with two Enhancers, but considering his usual fighting style, it required distance to be created, and so it gave the Enhancers, Nobunaga and Phinks, few chances to land hits on him.
Illumi was more of a hit-and-run when fighting Enhancers. An appropriate style.
Because Franklin was an Emitter and his ability was more gravitated towards crowd control, such as the auction, he couldn’t freely use his ability. Illumi was too fast, and he could risk injuring some of the Troupe members. And so, he was forced to instead rely on direct hand-to-hand combat, which Illumi was far more proficient at.
At one point, Chrollo was forced to abandon Hisoka to aid those three with Illumi. He’d proven to be stronger than they’d anticipated.
Because he was an assassin, they’d greatly underestimated his duel abilities.
Illumi had a spectacular dominion of Ko, Ken, Gyo and Ryu. These abilities were usually perfected by Enhancers, since they did not require Hatsus, but it still stood that other Nen categories could perfect these techniques as well—the matter was that they often preferred to rely on their powers.
Illumi didn’t.
Not even Hisoka knew that.
Illumi was capable of using his category to the fullest, but he was also a level six at Enhancement, which put him on par with Franklin, the Emitter, and Phinks and Nobunaga, the Enhancers.
Nobunaga was very skilled in battle, but was not as physically strong as expected of an Enhancer. He was relatively weak, as even Machi exceeded him in physical strength. And so, Illumi far outshined him in this field. Phinks, on the other hand, was physically stronger than Illumi by a large margin, but he wasn’t a proficient hand-to-hand combatant. Though tremendously strong, he was above all a brawler, while Illumi had solid techniques.
This realisation made Hisoka moan mid-battle in sheer delight. Illumi truly was full of surprises.
When Chrollo joined, however, the problems started.
The range of abilities he had was insane.
But that was completely okay. Because Illumi had counted on this. Expertly, he and Hisoka switched places multiple times, and had alternated targets, so Illumi faced Machi and Feitan, too.
Their teamwork was splendid, natural. It flowed beautifully.
Hisoka had never had more fun in his life.
He completely forgot about his pride and revenge, and instead allowed himself to just feel, to revel on the moment of fighting such monsters alongside a more lethal monster. Illumi, the one person he’d always dreamed of fighting, and had been eager to see fight with his full strength.
At one point, Illumi managed to sever Machi’s left arm. As soon as he aimed for her heart, Feitan thought fast and Illumi barely avoided his Ko powered sword.
When Illumi lured them into the position he wanted, he screamed it.
“Do it now, Kallu!”
It’d brought all of their attentions for a split second.
Two rooms away, it’s when Kalluto had opened the gate, and three hundred needlemen filled the room in the blink of an eye.
In that split second of confusion, Illumi bolted to Hisoka and grabbed him.
Thinking fast, Hisoka stuck Bungee Gum to the ceiling to repel both himself and Illumi into the second floor.
“It’s fitting, don’t you think?” is what Illumi had told Hisoka when the stunned redhead stared down at the needlemen swarm the Troupe members.
At that moment, never had Hisoka wanted to fuck Illumi so savagely in his life.
For him to bring hundreds of needlemen to swarm Chrollo and his Spiders, the same way Chrollo’s puppets had done Hisoka, was so poetic and fitting that Hisoka could only laugh.
He’d made a joke here and there on just how many needles Illumi had brought.
And that’s when things changed.
When a light slowly rose to the ceiling, Hisoka and Illumi could only watch in confusion. They were only brought back by Kalluto, who screamed through the Zoldyck transmitter.
He’d been that day on the Meteor City raid. He knew of Feitan’s Pain Packer.
He’d desperately screamed at Illumi to get out of there as he hastily explained what that powerful light was, what it would turn into once it expanded.
Illumi had a final trick up his sleeve with his needlemen, but before he could verbalise it to Hisoka to ease him, he’d been wrapped in Bungee Gum and thrown out of the room. Before he could stand up to rush in again, the gate had been shut, with what he could only assume was Bungee Gum.
That’s when the explosion happened.
The needlemen served as cushions for the immense heat, and so Feitan took advantage of this. One of Chrollo’s ability’s also shielded them, but what they didn’t count on was the imbued explosives on two hundred of the three hundred needlemen that were swarming them and cutting their oxygen supply.
By the time Rising Sun deactivated, the only survivors had been Chrollo, Machi and Phinks. And they were mortally wounded.
When Illumi managed to tear down the door, he was worried.
He did it with ease, unlike his previous attempts. That meant it wasn’t being held together by Bungee Gum anymore.
Illumi could only hope for the worst.
He’d gone to—
A strong rumble in his stomach distracted him from his reminiscing. Illumi’s mind went blank as he momentarily forgot about the events in the Black Whale, and he recalled he hadn’t eaten in five days.
Not like he could anyway. Leaving this room meant Hisoka would die.
He sighed softly.
It was a strange feeling. Expending so much of his aura, transferring it to someone else was an uncomfortable, somewhat burning feeling. It felt much like when a doctor drew blood from their patient—that little burning feeling, except that multiplied manifold times, and he felt it all over his body.
He grabbed his phone.
X
“That was so cool!” Alluka cheered as she clapped enthusiastically.
Gon closed his eyes with a smile as he bowed, one arm on his stomach and lifting the other.
“When did you learn to do that?” a surprised Killua asked, sucking on his bunny lollipop.
“Kite is a really good dancer,” Gon smiled as he shyly rubbed the back of his neck. “There was a big birthday party for Spinner, and everyone got a little drunk. Kite turned out to be really good at dancing! So, I had him teach me.”
Killua was confused for a moment because of Gon’s choice of words, but he quickly remembered being told that, despite his new body, Kite still identified as a man—just like Alluka identified as a girl.
“Kite’s full of surprises,” he shook his head.
“He is,” Gon’s expression softened as he turned off the music.
“Kite sounds like so much fun,” Alluka commented. “I’d really like to meet him!”
“Oh!” Gon’s eyes widened in realisation, and he brought his fist to his palm. “That’s a good idea! Kite leads a wildlife exploration team, so he always sees some really cool stuff. You can tag along with me and visit him!”
“Onii-chan!” Alluka held onto Killua’s shirt and frantically shook him back and forth. “We have to go!”
Killua blinked at her repeatedly. Then, he smiled.
“Yeah, sure. Then, Gon,” Killua directed his smile at him, “you ask him when he’d be okay with us visiting him.”
“I will,” Gon nodded, returning the smile.
“Oh, that reminds me!” Alluka stood, and she ran to crouch before the JoyStation under the television. “There’s a game called Just Dance. We can dance together!” she looked back at them with a grin.
Alluka turned the console on, grabbed the controller and went back to the couch to scroll though the JoyStation Live screen.
Gon and Killua said they’d get a drink while she put on the game.
“So, now that we’re on topic, how’s Kite?” Killua asked, leaning on the counter as Gon grabbed Monster drinks from the fridge.
“He’s fine,” Gon said, handing Killua his drink. “Thankfully.”
“Is he?”
Gon blinked in confusion, but then realisation hit him.
“… Oh,” his eyes saddened slightly. “It’s been really hard for him to adapt. I don’t blame him… if it happened to me, I wouldn’t know how to feel if I wasn’t in my body. He also hides it well, but I caught him one time… it seems his fight with Pitou has really… done something to him.”
Killua frowned.
“He doesn’t like talking about it, but he just gets this look in his eye, and I just know something’s wrong.”
“Well…” Killua opened the can, “it’s not like I blame him. Sometimes I get flashes of that night, too. I can still feel the strength of that aura,” his expression darkened. “But it’s good she’s dead, right? Something that strong shouldn’t exist anyway,” he jested with a chuckle.
It was a joke, but a little far from the truth.
Pitou wasn’t that bad. Killua came to realise this. He wasn’t sad about her death, but he wasn’t happy about it, either. Especially after he heard Knuckle’s recounting of his fight with Youpi, of how he praised their efforts and spared them when he didn’t have to, of how he wasn’t a bad guy, how he was cool and they could’ve been friends under different circumstances.
Remembering that he had said the exact thing to Ikalgo when they met, and considering what a crying Palm said about the King—how the ultimate being with strength that could’ve single-handedly pulverised humanity only wanted to be by the side of a frail, innocent human girl he loved, Killua couldn’t help but mourn the prospect that whole fight was pointless. Them dying was a waste.
They weren’t bad guys. They could’ve all gotten along well under different circumstances.
Because of his maturing, he grew to appreciate life.
He had no problems killing scumbags, but killing people who were cool, who he could’ve gotten along with and whose only crimes were to be on the opposite side—it left a bad taste in his mouth.
He made another joke to cease his thought process, but for a second time, he got no response.
Then, he finally noticed Gon’s expression was sullen. Killua’s lids dropped sympathetically as he understood.
“What about you…? How are you holding up?”
“Oh, um…” Gon scratched his temple, “good, I guess? I try to not think about it. It’s weird, though. Sometimes I’m just doing something, I’m fine, but if I hear something fall, or just a thud, I get flashes and remember the sound of how it was to crack Pitou’s skull. I just remember the sound of every hit, the blood, and it makes me feel so weird. I convinced myself I wouldn’t feel anything, that she deserved it, but I can’t help remembering how she… and the blind girl… um…” his eyes narrowed in distress. “I… I…”
Suddenly, his eyes widened, and every muscle tensed. As though he’d had a terrible realisation—as though what had transpired that night, what he’d done, the dark hole he fell into, completely hit him.
Understanding this, Killua placed a hand on his shoulder. He stroked it with his thumb, then moved his hand down to rub his arm comfortingly. “It’s okay. Forget I said anything, let’s not talk about that right now.”
Gon nodded, still wide-eyed.
Gon returned to the living room while Killua remained in the open kitchen, and Alluka was already on the game home-screen. “Ah, Gon, look at this!” she waved at him to come close.
Gon feigned a smile and his radiant demeanour expertly.
“Show me, show me!” he cheered as he plopped on the couch next to her.
She passionately showed him videos from the Just Dance game, and what her favourite choreographies were. She hummed to the melodies.
Killua’s eyes softened as he watched them.
He sighed, quite satisfied with both the drink in his hand and the sense of fullness in his heart.
Then, his phone rang.
He grabbed it from his pocket. He didn’t recognise the caller, but he hoped it would be Knuckle, Ikalgo or some of the other guys calling from a different number. He hadn’t talked to them in a while.
“Yeah?” he said coolly.
His eyes blew wide, and his lips curved down with a whimper.
With his incredible hearing, Gon captured the exact moment Killua’s hand completely crushed the can.
Confused, he looked at the kitchen counter, and immediately noticed the panicked expression that overcame Killua. He ignored the video Alluka was showing him, and he was on high alert.
“Look, look at this part, Gon!” Alluka cheered obliviously.
Gon’s worried gaze lingered on Killua, but he looked back at the screen. He agreed with Alluka that what she was showing him was fun, but his head moved again to see Killua’s now disappearing silhouette.
Killua stopped by the window on the other room. He swallowed heavily as he prepared himself.
“How did you get this number?” Killua spat with hostility.
“That’s not important.”
“I’m not up for games, Illumi. Tell me what you want right now, or I’m hanging up.”
“Then I’ll get straight to the point.”
Despite his forthrightness, there was something off about Illumi’s voice. He sounded… tired. Exhausted. Like the energy had been drained off him.
“Killu, I…”
Killua waited for him to continue, but he didn’t. After a few seconds, he put down his phone to see the screen, to confirm whether Illumi was still on the line. He brought it back to his ear.
“Illumi?”
He had to repeat himself several times.
“… I…”
Killua should be growing impatient, but he wasn’t. Instead, he was growing concerned, which vexed him to no ends.
Why did he still even care about him?
“What is it?” he asked, cursing that his tone wasn’t as hostile as he intended for it to be.
“I need… your help.”
“Huh?” Killua arched a brow.
“Or, rather, I need Alluka’s… no, Nanika’s help.”
“What?” Killua grimaced. “What the hell’s that about? Do you think I’m an idiot? I’m not going to just hand her over! I won’t let you—”
“Killu, I don’t intend to hurt or take them away from you. I just need Nanika’s help.”
“What the hell are you talking about? Don’t give me that crap. I won’t let you use Nanika like an item for whatever dirty plans you—”
“Killu!” Illumi yelled sternly, which made Killua jolt. It was firm enough for him to quiet down. “I don’t intend to hurt anyone. I need Nanika’s help, and that’s all it is.”
Killua hesitated.
“… I’m giving you one chance. Talk.”
“I need her… to heal someone. Someone that’s dying and beyond medical help.”
Killua’s brows rose slightly. “… What happened? Is someone from our family hurt?”
“No, no. Everyone’s fine.”
Then who could he possibly want healed? Killua couldn’t understand. And someone beyond medical help? How did that come about? And if they were beyond medical help, how were they still kicking? Did Illumi hurt someone that wasn’t his target, just like Zeno hurt Komugi?
“Then who is it?”
“It’s… a friend.”
“A friend? You!?” Killua grimaced. “Enough of your jokes! Tell me what the hell it is you want Nanika for!”
“It’s not a joke! I’m being serious, and I can’t afford to waste any time!”
Killua was rendered stiff.
He’d never heard so much emotion in Illumi’s voice.
“Killu… they’re going to die. I need Nanika’s help. I only want her to heal him, after that, we’ll go our separate ways. If it makes you feel safer, then I can assure you we’ll never meet again. You won’t have to see me after this.”
“I… I…”
Killua couldn’t find it in himself to continue.
No, he couldn’t. He couldn’t trust Illumi. He wanted to, shit, he did, but he couldn’t. He couldn’t endanger Alluka and Nanika that way, Illumi was simply too unpredictable.
He heard a heavy sigh on the other end of the line.
“I know…” Illumi mumbled. “You have no reason to want to help me… neither do Alluka or Nanika. I know. And I know you don’t like using Nanika or command her for wishes. In that case, I’ll fulfil whatever requests she wants to make, no matter how impossible they may seem. But after that, she has to keep her own bargain and fulfil my wish.”
Killua was stunned.
Not only was Illumi, for the first time ever, not misgendering Alluka and Nanika, he almost seemed to be humanising them. Was he that desperate for help?
“… Aniki…” Killua frowned, seemingly softening, “who is this person? What are they… to you?”
This angered him.
Who did Illumi have that he cared about so much? How long had they had them for? Illumi had done nothing but plague Killua’s mind with the idea assassins did not have friends, or anyone to care about, so why did Illumi have that?
“That doesn’t matter. Killua, please. I can’t waste any time. It’s not even your choice in the end, but Nanika’s. You don’t get to decide for her, do you? She’s free to choose.”
This made Killua’s eyes widen.
“So, ask her. Please ask her whether she’ll help me, whether she’ll allow requests for me so I can get my wish. If she says no, I’ll understand. But ask her. That’s all I want from you.”
Wrinkles formed around Killua’s eyes as a deep frown contorted on his expression. His eyes narrowed in distress.
He was desperate to save a friend, the same way Killua had been desperate to save Gon. What was this? This was all wrong. Illumi wasn’t supposed to be capable of healthy, altruistic love.
He wasn’t demanding Killua for anything, he wasn’t even demanding anything of Nanika—he was giving her the choice.
The Illumi he knew would never do that.
Killua’s lips curved down, and his eyes were shadowed. He heard a soft sigh on the other line. Illumi had his arm bent against the wall, and he leaned his forehead on it.
He was so tired.
His droopy eyes looked back at the bed. Hisoka’s chest rose with shallow breaths as he was connected to multiple machines. The inhales from the ventilator and the beeps from the EKG machine echoed softly on the quiet room. Illumi’s abundant aura was connected to Hisoka like a bridge. It enveloped his vulnerable body, and it had made its way inside his nose and parted lips.
The aura had clad itself around his vital organs, keeping them in place. It expanded and contracted to help his heart beat, and for his lungs to continue taking in air.
It was, quite literally, draining the life off Illumi.
He was dizzy, hungry and thirsty.
“Can you come to us? We’re in the city of Svazova,” Killua said.
“I can’t,” Illumi said breathily, “I can’t leave this room.”
He understood how this would sound suspicious to Killua.
“I understand that sounds convenient of me, but it’s not a trick. Bring all of your friends if you want, as many as you feel will be necessary to kill me. If it’ll make you feel safer, do it. But I’ll need you to come to me.”
“Where are you?”
“I’m in Bosgrave. I can send you my location.”
“Bosgrave? Near the Kakin Empire?”
“Yes.”
Killua hesitated.
“We can get there in eight hours. Will that be enough?”
Illumi let out a huge breath of relief, one that surprised Killua.
Eight hours… he looked back at Hisoka. Yes, I can hold off for eight more hours!
“Yes, that’ll be enough, but the sooner you can get here, the better.”
“Okay. We’ll be there.”
Silence.
“… Thank you, Killu,” said Illumi in a surprisingly gentle tone. “I appreciate it.”
Killua’s expression saddened. “I’ll text you.”
Illumi nodded, and Killua hung up.
Killua returned to the living room, where Gon had been anxiously waiting. Alluka was before the television, singing and playing Just Dance.
“Killua,” Gon bolted to him, “are you okay? What happened?”
“I… I’ll explain later,” he walked past him. He paused the game, and Alluka looked back at him.
She frowned to reproach. “Onii—”
“Alluka… have you heard of the city of Bosgrave?”
“.. Um…”
“It’s a nice city,” Killua smiled. “There’s a lot to do. I think it’d be cool to go there for a while.”
“But we just got here,” Gon commented, confused.
Then, he realised he probably shouldn’t have said that. If Killua had broken it down in such a childlike way for Alluka, whatever this situation was must be serious, and he didn’t want to worry her.
“I know, but there’s a bunch of cool things I’d like to try there. We can—”
“Onii-chan,” Alluka frowned, and her expression and tone were clearly disappointed.
Not because he was asking them to relocate. Because of something else. Because he was treating her like a baby, because he was breaking things down to her like he would a child. It made her feel underestimated, and like she was too immature and silly to understand things.
Both Killua and Gon realised this at once.
“You don’t have to lie to me,” she said, emphasising her point.
Killua had to give it to her. She was growing up, she wasn’t the little girl she’d been when he returned to her. She was thirteen now, she was maturing, especially now that she’d been unleashed into the world after being locked away.
He couldn’t fool her the way he used to when they’d reunited.
Killua sighed, and his expression saddened slightly.
“Illu-nii… he… he needs help.”
Gon’s and Alluka’s eyes widened.
“Did something happen to him?” Gon asked.
“No, no. Not him. It seems there’s someone that needs to be healed, someone who’s dying.”
Gon looked as confused as Killua had initially been. “Like, um… for a job?”
“He cares about them,” Killua huffed at Gon in disbelief. “Crazy, right?”
Killua turned to look at Alluka again. “He’s not even… demanding anything. He told me to ask you, or rather, ask Nanika whether she’d be willing to help. He says he’ll fulfil any requests.”
Gon looked nonplussed, and Alluka’s expression was almost indecipherable.
“It’s your choice, it is… but… he sounded really worried, and sad, and…”
Even after everything, Killua still cared about him, Gon thought. He couldn’t believe it. It made him feel glad because of Killua’s humanity, but it truly worried him that one day this would backfire—that it’d make Illumi regain control of him.
Fear and love were powerful enough as separate emotions, but when they were mixed, they could prove far more lethal and destructive.
Killua’s relationship with Illumi was evidence of it.
“Okay,” Alluka said. “Let’s help him.”
Killua’s eyes widened. “Really?”
Alluka nodded.
In thirty seven minutes, they were already in their personal blimp.
Along the way, Killua had texted the number Illumi contacted him with, and in seconds Illumi shared his specific location.
Alluka laughed as her eyes were glued to the tablet screen. She’d been absolutely immersed with anime lately.
Her sporadic laughs aside, the blimp was otherwise silent.
Killua sat by the window. He had his leg brought to his chest. His elbow rested on his knee, and he leaned his chin on his hand as he watched the scenery before them.
Gon noticed the slight worry in his eyes.
He harnessed enough confidence to approach him after some minutes.
“Killua, are you sure about this?” Gon asked with a concerned frown as he sat in front of him. “What if this is just a ploy to—”
“I know… I know. I thought the same thing. But… for some reason…” his eyes narrowed anxiously, “that didn’t seem to be it. He even told me to bring as many friends as I wanted, enough for them to kill him. He’s serious about this, Gon.”
Gon sighed.
“Maybe he’s changed,” Killua put his hand down. “Maybe—”
“No,” Gon intervened rapidly. “Don’t make any assumptions yet. It’s Illumi we’re talking about. When we get there, I’ll go in first and make sure to—”
“Don’t be reckless!” Killua scowled. “You can’t use Nen, and neither can Alluka. But I can protect the two of you, so don’t go around doing anything stupid. You can’t endanger yourself anymore. It’s not like it was before, Gon. It’s not like with the Troupe, not like Greed Island or even the Ants. You can’t defend yourself as you are. And even if you had Nen, we would still be outmatched by Illumi.”
“That’s not true, your—”
“Illumi’s immune to electricity, too, just like me. I won’t be able to paralyse him, Lightning Palm and Thunderbolt would be useless on him, but that doesn’t mean I can’t defend myself. I can stand up to him, but things change with the two of you. If it comes to it, I’ll just grab you both and use Godspeed. That’s why I’ll assess the situation first. And if matters are even worse than we think, we can just tell Nanika to bring us back to Svazova.”
Gon frowned as he looked down.
Weak. He felt so weak.
“It’ll be fine,” Killua smiled, kicking Gon playfully, and Gon looked up at him. “I’m sure it won’t get to that anyway. There’s nothing to worry about, we’re the ones with the advantage.”
Gon stared at Killua, but after a moment, he smiled.
He nodded.
X
Illumi squeezed the rag to completely drain the water until it was damp. With one hand, he pulled up Hisoka’s hair out of the way, while with the right one he dabbed his forehead to cool him.
The fever wasn’t going down at all.
With an uncomfortable moan, Illumi tilted his head back and moved his neck to stretch it. He left the rag on Hisoka’s forehead, then took it off after some time.
When his phone vibrated, he reached for it with lightning speed.
The words in the text message felt like a heavenly choir, like somehow help had arrived to rescue him from a seemingly bottomless well he’d been stuck in for what felt like centuries.
Illumi rushed down the hall to open the main door. When he did, Killua’s first reaction was to put his arm protectively over Gon and Alluka. Illumi’s aura reflexively made him release his own, but he quickly came to understand it wasn’t threatening.
Then, he was, above all, shocked by Illumi’s current state.
He slowly lowered his arm as his mouth and eyes opened wide.
“… Aniki!” he called out with a baffled frown. “What happened to you!?”
Despite the lifelessness in his eyes, Illumi had always been quite a beautiful young man. Everyone described him as such. Even during the final stage of the exam, Satotz had described him this way to Gon.
But, right now, he wasn’t the beautiful Illumi he’d always been. He didn’t have the looks Kikyo had always prided herself in.
He looked exhausted, like life had been, quite literally, drained from him. His normally large eyes were tired and half-lidded, and his parted lips were dry. He also seemed to have lost weight.
“Follow me,” Illumi turned to walk, and they reluctantly did.
Killua signalled for them to keep their distance as he led, and he analysed the building to scour all possible exits and escape routes.
The pressure seemed to gradually increase the closer they got to their destination. When Illumi pushed the door open, the three felt it, but only Killua saw it.
The immense, purple aura surrounding the figure on the bed.
It wasn’t threatening, but its sheer size and strength baffled Killua. Illumi’s aura had always been exceedingly sinister and strong, but he didn’t know how much of it there could be.
He shouldn’t be surprised, he supposed.
Illumi’s bloodlust could be felt from, at a minimum, hundreds of metres away.
They approached the bedside.
Gon and Killua loudly gasped simultaneously while their eyes blew as wide as saucers.
“… That’s!”
“Hisoka!” Gon cried out.
They didn’t know what to be more stunned by. To see a juggernaut like Hisoka in this moribund state, or the fact he was the person Illumi was desperate to save.
To say he was in a terrible state was an understatement.
There were burns all over his body. His left hand was missing, as was his right foot. His nose, too, was ripped off. There were also visible cuts.
What the hell had happened to him?
They looked at Illumi, who was frowning very slightly at Hisoka. In concern.
“… Are you hurt?” Killua approached him warily.
“No,” Illumi said curtly.
Killua swallowed heavily. “Have you been keeping him alive with your Nen? Is that why you’re… like this?”
Illumi ignored him.
He kneeled before Alluka to get on eye-level.
“Alluka,” he called, resting his hand on his knee. “Please hurry. Make Nanika’s requests so I can get the wish.”
Alluka blinked at him inquisitively.
This was the young man that’d wanted her and Nanika dead. He’d gone out of his way to make it happen. And, after finding out Nanika could grant wishes without severe repercussions, he wanted to control her rather than killing her.
So, why didn’t she or Nanika hate him?
Were they simply incapable of feeling such rotten emotions?
Now that she’d been out in the world and had the chance to mature a little, she understood his concern over Nanika’s power.
And, in the end, he was still her older brother.
He may have never considered her family, but Alluka was not like that. She was not like him. To her, Illumi was family.
“There’s no need for that,” she shook her head.
“… What?” Illumi’s brows rose.
“Tell her what your friend’s name is, and ask her to heal him.”
“… But—”
Alluka closed her eyes. Her hair waved as black aura exuded off her frail body. Dark eyelashes and thin lips were replaced by mantles of black. Then, those closed, dark orbs opened into pure black to bear into Illumi’s own black eyes.
Her small hands reached out to Illumi.
“Hand… hand,” she said.
Illumi was stunned for a few seconds. The only sound in the room was Hisoka’s inhales through the ventilator, and the slow beeping from the EKG machine.
He stood up, and he held Nanika’s small hand to guide her with him.
Killua and Gon followed behind, still stunned by both Hisoka’s state and the fact Illumi cared deeply about him.
Perhaps Hisoka had gotten in a fight and had paid Illumi to heal him, but that did not make sense at all. Illumi would never go out of his way to do something like this, not even for hefty amounts of cash.
It wasn’t an assassin’s business.
So… Illumi cared about him. It was that simple.
They couldn’t believe it. They just couldn’t.
Illumi let go of Nanika’s hand and slowly reached out to Hisoka’s. Killua paid strong attention to Illumi’s expression.
His deceivingly delicate hand held Hisoka’s with surprising tenderness and care. Some fingers seemed to be broken, and the skin was burnt.
Illumi brought it up, and his throat tightened as he swallowed heavily.
“… Nanika,” he called. “Please heal Hisoka.”
Nanika looked up at him. “… ‘Kay!”
She reached out both hands as her gaze moved to Hisoka. She cupped his large hand with her smaller ones, and white light emanated from the contact. It expanded two to three metres around Hisoka’s frame, and it completely lit the room.
Illumi’s mouth opened. He blinked as he saw how Hisoka’s injuries reverted into a healthy state.
Slowly, he put away his aura, and Killua noticed him sigh in relief.
As though he’d stopped feeling some sort of draining pain.
Hisoka’s missing appendages regenerated. He had no make-up, and his hair was layered down, just like he’d been in Greed Island. He looked rather peaceful, and he was a handsome man, the two boys recognised. It was a shame he was such a murderous, perverted creep.
The beeping from the EKG machine and the breathing through the ventilator became far more consistent. Hisoka’s vitals were now perfectly stable, and Illumi blinked repeatedly in surprise.
“’Kay!” Nanika smiled at him when she was done.
Illumi leaned to Hisoka’s face. He placed a hand on his forehead, and he moved it up to get the hair out of his face.
“Hisoka?” he called.
“It’ll take him a few minutes to wake up,” Killua said, recalling Gon’s healing. “But he’s fine now.”
Illumi looked back at the three of them. Then, he looked away, and he sighed again, so softly it was almost imperceptible to them.
He looked exhausted, but relieved.
“… Nanika,” Killua called, and they looked at him. “Before you go to sleep… heal Illumi, too.”
“… What?” Illumi’s eyes widened.
“You’ve given him too much of your aura,” he said. “You were practically draining yourself off your life energy. Weren’t you?”
Illumi didn’t say anything, and Gon alternated between looking at them.
Nanika interrupted the silence.
“Hand… hand,” she reached out to Illumi.
A nonplussed Illumi gave her his hand.
White light expanded from her small hand as she rested it atop Illumi’s.
Illumi let out a surprised groan as he felt warmth travelling across his body. His eyes weren’t drowsy, his face was as young and beautiful as it’d always been, and he regained the fifteen pounds he’d lost.
He felt completely rejuvenated.
“… ‘Kay!” Nanika waved at him. She then turned around. “Killua! Pat my head!”
She leaped into his arms. “Of course I will…” he smiled as he stroked her hair. “You did amazing, Nanika. Thank you.”
Nanika giggled, and she gradually grew limp in his arms.
Illumi expanded his aura, and he lifted his palms to curiously look at them.
He felt stronger than ever.
He slowly put off his aura as he looked at Killua. He seemed surprised. “I… didn’t get to thank her.”
“I’ll relay your gratitude,” Killua said as he lifted Nanika to carry her more comfortably.
Illumi and Killua shared a look.
Gon looked between them, until his gaze lingered on Illumi. “What…” Illumi looked at him, “what happened to Hisoka?” he asked
“It’s a long story,” Illumi looked at the sleeping Hisoka, then at them.
“Then summarise it,” Killua said.
Illumi stared blankly at them. Then, he gave in. He supposed he owed an explanation after they decided to graciously help him.
“Hisoka was a fake member of the Troupe, I presume you know that already.”
They nodded.
“After lifting your friend’s curse with a Nen exorcist, he had a deathmatch with Chrollo, but he was arrogant and allowed Chrollo to pick the place, time and all the conditions in his favour. He got himself killed, but was able to come back.”
Their eyes widened.
“Like a Nen contract?” Gon asked.
“Yes… not like the one you made to defeat the King’s top soldier, it was different, but it allowed him to come back. His loss gave him a wakeup call.”
“Did he lose to Chrollo again, then?” Killua asked.
“No… he killed two of the Troupe members that lent their powers to Chrollo. This made Chrollo and the rest of the Troupe hunt him down, though this is what Hisoka wanted.”
They looked even more confused.
Illumi sighed, and he recounted everything to them.
The Black Whale, how Hisoka had hired him to join the Troupe. The fight.
It shocked Gon and Killua beyond belief. For a brief moment, they felt immense concern to know all of this transpired while Kurapika and Leorio were in the very same ship.
And Killua finally learned his youngest brother had joined the Troupe.
“So, you were a double agent…” Killua looked down pensively. “That means—”
“Hisoka said that if he died, you’d collect a reward. You said everything under his name, everything he owns would go to you,” Gon frowned. “… Why? If he died, how would you get all that? Did he leave his things in a place where you can pick them up? And in that case, you could’ve just taken everything without involving yourself in this. Why would you get involved? You didn’t have to risk your life,” he sounded accusatory. “So, why did you?”
Illumi blinked repeatedly.
Stupid kid, he thought. Making this more uncomfortable than it needs to be.
Curiously, it was very strange of Gon to ask such questions to begin with. He didn’t need to be told such things. It was like when Phinks’ and Feitan’s first reactions to Pakunoda meeting Kurapika alone were to believe she was being manipulated. They didn’t think she was doing it to save a friend.
It had been utterly obvious to Gon.
This situation was similar.
So… why? He asked himself. Why was he even asking those questions? The answer was clear. So, so clear.
“Illumi… what is he to you?” Killua asked a second time.
“I already told you through the phone that he’s a friend. That’s all there is to it.”
Gon didn’t like having his questions ignored. “I didn’t know you and Hisoka were friends,” he commented. “So… all those terrible things you told Killua in the Hunter Exam,” his brows creased accusatorily, “you said all those things, you accused him of all those things while you freely did the same!”
“Gon… stop,” Killua said softly.
Gon frowned. They looked at Killua.
Killua had been looking down. His eyes were shadowed, and so they couldn’t tell what he was thinking, much less feeling. Time seemed to have stopped entirely.
Until he moved again.
“Gon, can you take Alluka for me?” he finally looked up.
“Y… yeah,” Gon said, not wasting any time.
“You can wait for us outside.”
Gon frowned in concern. “Are you sure?”
He didn’t want to leave him alone with Illumi. Even after everything, Gon knew Killua was still afraid of him. Nowhere near as before, but the fear was still there.
“It’s okay,” Killua smiled comfortingly.
Gon hesitated, but he agreed.
He pushed the door open and left the room.
… How long had they been in silence for?
“So, you killed the Troupe, huh?” Killua awkwardly burrowed his hands in his pockets.
Illumi nodded.
“I wonder what Father would say. That’s a pretty big feat. Think he’ll be proud?”
“Proud of me? I doubt it.”
They shared a long look. Then, Killua’s lids dropped softly. “So, you’re not heartless… that’s weird to know.”
Silence lingered, and Killua shoved his hands deeper into his pockets.
“… Thank you, Killu,” Illumi said, and Killua’s eyes widened at him. “You had no reason to help me… neither did Alluka and Nanika. But you all did. I appreciate it.”
“Does that mean you won’t bother us anymore? You’ll finally give up on trying to control Alluka?”
“Of course,” Illumi nodded. “I don’t have any interest in that anymore.”
“… G-good,” Killua scratched his head awkwardly. “I wouldn’t want another needle in my head. And it’d be annoying having to try to kill you. I have better things to do.”
Illumi’s face was as impassive as ever.
Then, he closed his eyes with a huff.
Killua’s eyes widened at him.
Illumi’s smirk expanded into a smile, and he chuckled until his shoulders shook. Killua seemed in utter disbelief at this display of genuine emotion.
“You’re right,” Illumi smiled with a gentle air to him Killua had never felt before. “We both have a reason to live now, so fighting is pointless.”
Killua’s mouth opened as his eyes fluttered.
“I’m tired of killing, too,” Illumi tucked a strand of hair behind his ear. “So, I think I’ll be retiring now.”
“W-what!?” Killua barked as his brows creased in disbelief. “What the hell do you mean? You’re the one always blabbering about the family business and how important it is!”
“I guess I’ve learned to think a little for myself, and I’ve realised I don’t want the lifestyle that was forced on me. I doubt our parents and grandpa will leave me scot free, they won’t give me the freedom you have. But I’ve made my peace with that.”
“W… what do you mean? Illu-nii, you can’t mean—”
Illumi bent his arm and pointed at the sleeping Hisoka with his thumb. “The idiot owes me one anyway.”
“… You’ll fight Father and grandpa?” Killua frowned in disbelief.
“I’d much rather avoid that, but if it’s inevitable, yes.”
Illumi, you can’t… his pupils quivered in concern. I mean, sure… if he could take on the entire Phantom Troupe, he can obviously face our old man, even more so if Hisoka tags along. That’s not the problem. The matter is what after that? What if our old man doesn’t concede? If he doesn’t let him go? Killing between family members is prohibited. Does that mean Illumi is willing to strip his name as a Zoldyck?
“Illumi… what is he to you?” Killua asked for the third time with a frown.
“That’s not important,” Illumi shook his head.
“No, it is important,” Killua rose his voice, and his frown turned into an accusatory scowl. “What the hell does he have that makes you this way!? This kind… this… gentle!?” he grimaced like he’d tasted something sour, and his increasing anger surprised Illumi. “How can you be this way for him, for that murderous lunatic!? How can you be something for him that you never were for me!?”
Illumi looked uncomfortable.
Then, they heard a groan. They both perked up.
Illumi turned to look. He calmly walked over to Hisoka’s bedside, and Killua was hidden metres behind him. After a few seconds, Hisoka’s eyes opened slowly. He took in his surroundings, and there was silence for thirty seconds. His golden eyes widened at the sight of Illumi once he noticed him, and his pupils quivered.
In relief, in joy of him being alive.
Hisoka took off the breathing mask.
He opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out. He wanted to jump to him, to hold him, but he didn’t.
He merely smiled cheekily.