Chapter Text
Killua stands in the tunnel, it’s dark and dreary, water drips from the ceiling. The only noise is the rustling and footsteps of the other Hunter Exam participants around him. For a room full of hundreds of people it is horribly, eerily quiet. The deeply unsettling atmosphere, dark cave walls, and distrust emanating from the other participants is a total bummer. That distasteful, suffocating feeling of judgment and cruelty that Killua knows all too well.
‘Feels like home.’ Is the thought that unwillingly comes to his mind. A thought that Killua would much rather not analyze at the moment.
He’s been leaning against the wall for a few hours now, watching the other participants slowly trickle in. The badge he had been given had the number 99 engraved on it. So far they were up to 405.
The only person who Killua had really spoken to was a man who introduced himself as Tonpa. He walked around to some of the examinees and handed out drinks and greetings. He was round, with a friendly face and a charming smile. Though the way that he styled his hair led Killua to believe that he was more serious than he let on. He held himself with a false sense of relaxation, he was trying to deceive them.
Killua was already suspicious of his motives but the moment he took a sip of soda he confirmed them. Luckily, the poison- or whatever drug Tonpa had spiked the drinks with- had no effect on him, so to entertain himself he drank several more. The bitter flavor of the mystery liquid slipping down his throat and reminding him of his training.
The look on Tonpa’s face was one of mild worry that he seemed to be trying desperately to mask. He probably assumed that the drug in this amount would risk Killua dying in some horrible fashion. It was incredibly amusing. Killua decided to cut the guy some slack and told him that it wouldn’t before waltzing off. So far this little adventure had proved to be very boring, the tests to get to the exam site weren’t difficult in the slightest. With a rare few exceptions, the examinees seemed to be equally as dull.
Satoz was an interesting character, as the first stage of the exam started Killua noticed that the man must have some peculiar stamina to run this long. Everything seemed to be going fine until, while skating past a tall, dark haired man…
“HEY! THAT'S CHEATING!!!” The man’s voice was loud and abrupt. Killua looked over to him, he seemed to be struggling a bit with the challenge.
“Huh? How so?” Killua didn’t really care if he was cheating, he didn’t believe he was anyway.
“You’re using a skateboard! This is an endurance test!”
Killua stared blankly at the man. About to chime in with a smartass retort when someone beat him to it.
“No it isn’t” The voice was crisp and chipper. Killua looked back and saw that the owner of the voice was a young boy.
“The examiner just said we have to follow him.” He had pretty eyes, like beautiful, rich honey that was shrouded in shadow. Interest thoroughly peaked, Killua allowed his speed to fall a bit so he could ride alongside the strange boy with pretty eyes.
“How old are you?” Killua asked, his curiosity getting the better of him.
“I’m 12!” The boy with pretty eyes responded.
‘We’re the same age…’ Killua was about to skate away, his question having been answered, but something in his mind wouldn’t let him. Something about this boy was special. Nothing about his appearance was particularly striking -except for the eyes, but Killua had met plenty of beautiful people in his life so surely it couldn’t be that- yet something was telling Killua to take a moment and get to know this kid better.
Flipping off of his skateboard, Killua started running beside the kid. He was greeted with a warm and bright smile.
“I’m Gon.”
“I’m Killua.”
-
The third trial was possibly the easiest so far. Killua could handle physical trials, he could handle tortures of all kinds- honestly, torture was all that he had expected when he entered the Hunter Exam- so a few traps and a couple fights to the death were of no trouble. The waiting would have been infuriating had it not been for Gon’s constant chatter.
The boy was…interesting, to put it simply. He was blunt and lacked the careful grace that Killua had. Yet he had this air of strength and determination around him, a whispering sense of untapped power and energy. He was a type of person that Killua had never met, never been trained to deal with, never been allowed to discover. He was untrained, sloppy, simple, beautiful, and kind. In all regards he was utterly fascinating.
Gon grew up on an island, he has a small family, he was incredibly active in his community, and he had a purpose. Gon was the antithesis of Killua, and Killua found that while he struggled to gaze upon him, he couldn’t bring himself to look away.
-
The boat to the fourth trial wasn’t the largest. It was a short ferry, and there was no available space under the deck to go hide and converse without eavesdroppers. Every remaining contestant was pushed into a small space immediately after being told they would be hunting each other. It was a tense situation, to put it mildly, thankfully neither Gon nor Killua had each other as their target.
While sharing the numbers that they pulled Killua felt a small shiver of dislike ( Fear ) go up his spine. Gon had pulled Hisoka’s number, an unlucky draw, possibly the deadliest. Gitarackur was probably the only one that was arguably worse, at least to Killua. Even with his training Killua begrudgingly admitted to himself that he might struggle to take them down, if not fail entirely.
It was a…disappointing development. Killua had truly enjoyed the time he spent with Gon, to see him fail or die would be very unpleasant. Killua had never had something like this before, other than the brief times he spent playing with his little siblings. He…wasn’t sure how he would handle a loss like that.
Gon smiled at Killua, “Ah don’t worry! I’ll be careful!”
Killua hummed in response, a hesitant “You’d better be. I dunno how I can help you with that one.”
Gon’s smile widened, “You wanted to help me?! Awww, Killua~ you’re so nice!” He was smiling so wide that he thankfully didn’t see the way that Killua’s cheeks turned a vibrant red at the bold statement.
“Shut up about it! It’s not that big a deal!” Killua shoved his number back into his pocket before crossing his arms in a huff.
“But it is! Ah, I’m so glad you wanted to try to help me Killua! Oh! How about a deal?” Gon’s eyes had turned clear and sincere, if he was trying to deceive Killua then it was working. He couldn’t tell the difference between a truth and a lie with this boy.
“Hmm? What deal?” Killua feigned disinterest in the proposal.
“We help each other as much as possible! Until we can’t anymore!” It was a childish suggestion, an alliance with nothing real to gain. Killua was much stronger than Gon was currently, he could likely make it to the end of the exam without any help from Gon at all. ‘But’ a small, traitorous whisper appeared in his mind, ‘do you want to go through this alone?’
“Well,” Gon’s cheery voice cut through Killua’s musings. “What do you say?”
It was then that Gon did a strange thing. He held his hand out, expecting a handshake. It had been fashionable, once, last century most notably, it was often used among people to seal a sincere promise or agreement. Killua thought it strange before remembering the stories Gon had told him about growing up on an island. Perhaps things moved slower there, an old tradition surviving into the modern day wasn’t exactly unthinkable.
Killua gazed at his hand and then looked up into those beautiful eyes of gold and ink. He was smiling, so wide and bright that it hurt Killua’s heart to imagine rejecting him. How could he say no?
Killua held his hand out and grasped Gon’s outstretched palm firmly, making eye contact and grinning as he did so.
“Fine! But I wanna win, so don’t expect me to go easy on you if it comes down to-!” Killua’s cocky statement was cut short by a small cough from Kurapika.
“Eh? You got a cold or something?” Killua snarked in his direction, he didn’t like being interrupted during his dramatic declarations.
Kurapkika did nothing but motion down to where the boy's hands were still clasped together. Killua gasped slightly before he glanced down as quickly as Gon did beside him.
Sure enough, it was there. The soulmark, the meeting of two spirits, the physical proof of one’s fate.
Killua’s mark on Gon was a deep blue, his hand had turned so dark it looked borderline necrotic, especially with the purples and greens that could be seen at the very edges. It appeared to Killua as if his mark was at best a burst blueberry- and at worst a severe bruise.
Gon’s mark on Killua was nothing like his own. A rich cascade of amber ran down his arm from his fist. The mark dripped slowly like a river of honey. So sweet, so pure, so perfect. Swirling on his skin in beautiful and majestic patterns.
Killua’s jaw dropped and he quickly let go of Gon’s hand, yet the mark was still there. He looked up at Gon, about to apologize before he was suddenly tackled and gripped in a fierce hug.
“Killua! Killua! I can’t believe it! You’re my soulmate! I should’ve known only someone as awesome as you could’ve been!” Gon gripped Killua tightly, laughing and smiling as he proudly showered his soulmate in praise. Killua couldn’t breathe, he was happy, extraordinarily happy. He was relieved that Gon didn’t mind Killua being his soulmate.
But there was this feeling he couldn’t shake, underlying all the joy and relief and curiosity he felt at finding his other half. This strange, deep sense of foreboding.
-
The fateful meeting did not escape the notice of the tall man in the background. Gitarackur looked on in silence, his static, emotionless face betraying nothing.
-
The island wasn’t much of a challenge, nor was the last trial. Illumi had expected it to be easy, there were very few things that could stand in the way of a fully fledged Zoldyck. He had gone to the exam as he needed a Hunter's License and level of clearance for his next job; it also served to grow his extensive resume.
It hadn’t been an entirely unexpected development to see Killua at the exam. Father had told Illumi about Killua’s tantrum and subsequent stabbing of Milluki and Mother. Illumi was proud, his Killua was strong, oh so strong. His brother was superior over the other participants by unfathomable amounts. If he was here it meant he could handle it, Illumi didn’t expect the trials to be nearly as difficult as his prior training. He was quickly proven correct.
His needle was still firmly planted, Killua hadn’t removed it. He wouldn’t fight any real battles that he couldn’t win, he was safe. His big brother took care of it, making sure that terrible rebelliousness never got him into too much trouble.
They were his family, they loved him. Illumi loved him, and he knew his dear brother loved him as well. He was destined for great things, to lead their family to incredible heights. It would take a bit of persistence and persuasion, but he would learn eventually. He was a Zoldyck, there was no other path for a Zoldyck.
And yet as he sat across the boat in his disguise he felt something . It had been years since he last felt anything like this, distrust, anger , hatred. Yes, he hated this boy. This smiling idiot that had captivated Killua’s affection so easily. As he watched the colors bloom on their skin he fought against the very notion of Killua having a soulmate at all.
Killua was a natural born killer, his genetics were perfect; there was no doubt that once he mastered Nen he would become a force to be reckoned with. Yet his loyalty was flimsy, always overshadowed by that silly heart of his. And now he had found the human embodiment of his heart, the missing piece to his soul. If he followed this boy he would only fall deeper into this rebelliousness.
He had to split them up, they needed to be separate. He could kill him, the boy had very obviously never been given any kind of training. But this could upset Killua, not that Illumi was above killing a normal friend to Killua. However, he was aware that killing his soulmate was a transgression that would never be forgiven.
He could always use the needle and command him to leave. The only problem was that Killua was smart, he would catch on that he hadn’t done it of his own will. He couldn’t use the needle, he needed something else to set him off; a statement or event that would tilt his world just enough to send him back home.
He could threaten to kill the boy, he wouldn't, but Killua couldn’t tell when he lied. Yes, that should work. Killua was aware of just how much Illumi loved him. He also knew he had no true idea of how far Illumi would go to protect him. To Killua, Illumi was incredibly unpredictable and entirely unreadable.
Illumi had planned to do this after the exam, yet an opportunity presented itself during the final stage. Gon had been knocked out by the ninja so he wasn’t present to object or interfere. Killua’s other friends had nowhere near the influence over him that Illumi himself had. Hisoka looked mildly upset at Illumi’s declaration. Ah that’s right, Hisoka couldn’t tell he was lying. A shame, he would have to explain his true intention later.
Unfortunately, Hisoka beat him to it. After sending Killua on his way Illumi rounded a corner and paused as a card was held to his neck. He had known that Hisoka was there, obviously; however, making sudden movements towards his ally might end in more serious injury than the situation called for.
“Would you put the card down? I’m perfectly willing to explain,” Illumi droned.
“Oh? Please do, I’d love to know what goes on in that pretty head of yours~” Hisoka’s voice was as cloyingly sweet as ever. Even when making threats he was cyanide candy personified.
“I have no intention of harming Gon. I merely wanted to send Killua home, where he belongs.” Hisoka tilted his head at Illumi’s words, raising the razor's edge of the card a bit higher to caress Illumi’s chin before letting it drop to his side.
“And you thought the best method of doing that was threatening his soulmate?” Hisoka's face was disbelieving, it seemed that Illumi had confused him somehow.
“Mmm, exactly,”
“...Sometimes I wonder if you’re really a world-class assassin or just a really good fraud,”
“I will not dignify that remark with an answer.” Hisoka chuckled, that mischievous grin appearing again.
“Very well,” he said, “I’m going to be headed to Heaven’s Arena. I have a feeling that Gon will be arriving there shortly~”
Hisoka began to walk away, shuffling a deck of his cards. Illumi was quite sure that he utilized some form of Nen in order to stop them from cutting himself. What type exactly eluded him.
“Care to join me?”
“No. I have work to do.”
“Hmm,” Hisoka continued walking away, a small smile on his face. “What a shame~”
-
That night, in his room on the airship heading to Heavens Arena, Hisoka noticed a small bruise on his knuckles. How odd, he was quite sure that he hadn’t punched Gon without his Ten enabled. Shrugging it off, Hisoka resumed getting ready for his shower by removing his makeup.
-
On another airship, headed towards an undisclosed location, Illumi gripped the sink in his room tightly. The ceramic began to break and slice into his hands, but that was much preferable to acknowledging the burst of bubblegum pink on the underside of his jaw.