𝖍𝖝𝖍 𝖔𝖓𝖊𝖘𝖍𝖔𝖙𝖘

Illumi Zoldyck Prompt: I won't be as nice the next time you misbehave.

Author: agent_cupcake (on ao3)

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What Illumi didn't know wouldn't hurt him. You kept repeating those words to yourself, like some sort of mantra to sooth your guilt.

The thing was, maybe you could understand his lack of trust in certain people, but keeping you from seeing even your closest friend was going too far, wasn't it? You knew Illumi was just doing it to protect you and his family, and you could understand that, but you also knew there was no danger with Vel. You'd been on enough dangerous missions with her to know you could trust her with your life.

Illumi didn't exactly see it that way. But if he didn't know, he wouldn't have to worry about anything. And everything would be fine.

You kept telling yourself that, but your stomach said otherwise. Since the second you'd agreed to find a way to meet up with her, your gut had been twisting in guilt. Perhaps because the whole situation rang all too clearly of a teen sneaking away from their parents. Except, the parental stand-in was a Zoldyck Butler, and tricking her took more than simply saying 'goodnight' and shoving pillows under the blankets.

At least Illumi was busy -off somewhere else in the city on a mission he didn't need assistance on- because you'd never be able to trick him. As it was, you were doubtful of your success, constantly looking around and keeping your senses sharp as you walked down a street lined with bars and crowded with people.

Excuses and apologies buzzed through your head in the case of being caught as you made your way towards the address Vel had sent, those annoying thoughts battling with the indignant frustration that Illumi would be so overprotective to disallow you from seeing somebody you'd known for years. It wasn't like you were stupid, or even that you couldn't protect yourself in case anything did actually happen. Besides, he had friends. Even if he didn't call them so.

Somehow, that didn't make you feel any less guilty.

There was no need to double check you'd reached the right place when you came to a stop in front of a dingy looking dive bar with a green neon sign and a below-ground door. This was exactly the type of place Vel would pick, you couldn't help but smile to know she hadn't changed.

It was the type of place that even the staggering drunks didn't dare brave, a bar that served the cheapest of both liquors and thrills. As you made your way down the cracked and uneven concrete steps, the oppressive scent of cigarette smoke hit you in a thick, stale assault. Perhaps even worse was the sickening sour odor that always clung to these places, the stench of vomit and filth. Maybe a touch of blood and sweat.

That wasn't all, though. Your hand paused before grasping the door knob, your entire body tensing as you felt something. Hesitation on a spiritual level. Something was wrong about this place, that certainty hit you before you'd even touched the door.

Just as clearly as you could feel that something was terribly, terribly wrong inside the bar, you could feel that Vel was inside, too.

Run. The instinct was strong, a nearly physical pull to leave the frightening unknown and return to safety. To avoid risk. That's what Illumi would tell you to do.

But Vel was your friend.

Forcing yourself out of the stillness of hesitation, you threw the heavy green door open, pushing past the toxic cloud of smoke and unpleasant scents and taking a heavy breath to steady yourself. You surrounded yourself in a protective shroud of Aura, every sense sharpened to the foreboding sense of wrongness.

Yet, whatever you'd expected to find within the place to support the terrible feeling you had was missing. There was nothing out of the ordinary.

The bar was just as disgusting as any other dive you and Vel had drunkenly enjoyed, loud with the voices of the intoxicated patrons and the terrible music blasting from old and crackling speakers. A few men, tattooed and smoking, played pool while most of the others sat at the long, grimy bar. Everyone was laughing and talking, creating a generally good -if crass- mood.

Vel was one of those at the bar, her unmistakable blonde hair turned to you. The familiar gold was tinged with the alien green light that came from the colored bulbs fitted over most of the overheads, but it was obviously her.

Nobody had moved or acknowledge your entrance, continuing on as they were, but you couldn't relax. The urge to run had only doubled now that you were entrenched in the feeling of unease, unable to identify a threat you could sense with clarity.

Vel was your friend, though, you at least at to get her away from... whatever this was.

You took a deep breath, not relaxing your Aura as you walked towards her. Vel was saying something to the bartender, her voice painfully familiar. Nostalgic. You reached out to her, speaking loudly over the music,

"Vel, I think we need to le-"

A sudden silence hit you, with all the subtlety of a brick to the face.

The music had been stopped, the voices hushed and laughter gone. Even the sounds of the balls clacking around on the pool table ceased. Complete silence. Everyone had fallen into an uncanny stillness.

You froze, too, stunned that the lack of sound could feel so much more oppressive than any loud noise had ever been. More terrifying.

Vel turned to you, her face contorted in an expression that looked kind of like pain. There was something abnormal, something eerily off about her eyes. In the silence, you could hear your heartbeat, the rush of blood in your ears.

"Illumi is very unhappy with you," Vel told you in a serious voice.

A second passed, comprehension slow in coming to you. And then,

"Excuse me?" you choked out, mind stuttering in disbelief.

Vel's eyes, glassy and scarily empty, slid from you to something behind you.

It wasn't necessary, you'd felt him as soon as he'd decided to reveal himself, your body tensing up and every hair standing on end.

"Hey," Illumi said, his greeting so casual you could almost believe he was simply meeting up for drinks. You turned to him, somehow still managing to feel shock in seeing him, pale skin glowing green in the odd light and dark eyes empty. He looked inhuman.

"I finished up early," Illumi said, words casual and face devoid of expression as he took smooth steps towards you. His was only movement in the entire bar.

Illumi had created a crowd of Needlemen props for this trap, you realized, and Vel...

"But when I returned, the butler told me you'd left. I wanted to see what you thought was important enough to risk yourself."

You swallowed hard, struck with guilt.

"Illumi..." you said, voice trembling ever so slightly, "I'm so-"

"When you felt something was wrong, you should have run away. There isn't any reason for you to knowingly enter a dangerous situation, nor anything worth risking your life," he cut in callously, walking past you.

"She's my friend," you defended yourself, other feelings rising to the surface despite the guilt, "And besides, it's my life!"

Illumi came to a stop behind Vel, his dark eyes fixing back on you. "A Zoldyck doesn't need friends, you don't need friends. It's obvious now that they only make you weak," he said, a grim finality to his words.

With a gentle motion, he brushed Vel's golden hair from her neck, revealing a line of needles. She stayed perfectly still, dead eyes on you. Just as gently, just as gracefully, Illumi set his fingers around the needle heads and pulled.

The second they were gone, Vel dropped lifelessly, her torso falling heavily onto the unclean surface of the bar. Some combination of a gasp and a hiss left your lips as you watched, eyes filling with tears and hands clasping over your mouth.

Illumi seemed unconcerned, wiping the bloodied points of the needles off on Vel's shirt without expression, stray tendrils of black hair falling in his face. You took an awkward step back, unable to believe this betrayal, this terrible act.

"Illumi..."

"Your life is mine, wasn't that the vow you made?" he asked, eyes rising. You gaped at him, those words had twisted the knife even further.

"You killed her," you said stupidly, unable to form any other words.

"You should be grateful, I won't be as nice the next time you misbehave."