Words That Were Never Said {HunterxHunter AU}

Backstabbing - That's What Friends Are For!

The abandoned flat was dark and quiet when he and Kalluto arrived. On the surface, there may seem to be devoid of a single living creature, much less human. But Killua knew otherwise.

In the shelter of a broken down shed from the downpour of the heavy rain, he and Kalluto observed the grey flat, watching for any sign of movements and for possible escape routes when the mission was done. And it will be done. Killua had to prove he wasn’t the head of the Zoldyck family for nothing - and he wouldn’t let his first mission ruin it either.

“Second floor, room to the most right,” Killua told Kalluto, glancing at his phone, which showed the location of Gon’s phone.

“Escape from jumping wouldn’t be fatal,” Kalluto said, eyes flickering to every single structure the building had. “Or we could use the stairs, which would be safer but slower. I say if there is chase, we use the windows. None, the stairs.”

Usually after an assassination, there would be no chase given, since the target and witnesses would be killed on the spot. But seeing that this case was different, Killua had told Kalluto to watch out for possibly stronger opponents. Gon might be with other members of the Phantom Troupe right now - they may even be walking right into their den.

Killua had told Kalluto that if they were to find there were more than four Troupe members there, they would immediately escape. No words will be exchanged, and there will be no staying behind. If any of them were to, the other had every right to abandon them.

“Be on the lookout. Keep your eyes sharp,” Killua said.

“Of course, brother,” Kalluto said curtly.

Using Zetsu, the technique to suppress their aura, both of them dashed in opposite directions. Killua turned his hood up to block the rain and to keep his warmth - so that when he fought, he was in optimal condition.

His footsteps barely made a sound, even when he stepped into a puddle. The wind and water splashing into his face were nothing but insignificant insects that he ignored.

Upon arriving at the ground floor of the flat, he took off his soaked hoodie and discarded it on the ground. It would only weigh him down in a fight and during escaping. Instead, to hide his identity, he reached into his pocket for a black mask and wrapped it around the lower half of his face. With the brown contact lens and his face masked, the only thing recognisable about him was his shock of white hair, which he covered it with the second hoodie he was wearing underneath the first.

The stairs was where Kalluto predicted, right at the back of the building. Killua cautiously made his way up, his senses tingling for any eyes on him, or of any suspicious sounds over the howling of the wind and pounding of rain on glass.

Kalluto should be coming from the opposite side right now, leaving Killua possibly clear with the target in the room.

Don’t show your bloodlust until the moment you kill them, Illumi’s voice whispered in his head. Think of yourself as nothing but an object until then.

He emerged onto the second floor, where the hallway was littered with garbage scattered here and there. It may have been to disguise the fact that someone lived here, but the softness of the mat said otherwise - there had been people moving around here recently.

Killua looked towards his left, where the room was supposed to be. He quickly checked his phone, the red dot still blinking, unmoving, at the same spot. Was Gon sleeping?

Shoving his phone into his pocket, he made his way casually, with his hands in his pockets, towards the room at the end of the hall. He stood in front of it, composing himself, then pushed open the door.

To find a fist coming for his face.

He only had a second to dodge, and he did just that. His heart raced from the sudden attack, but he quickly got over it. Apparently, Gon was the one who just nearly punched him, and seeing from how ready he was on attacking the first person who opened the door, it meant that he had expected them to come, which means that this was-

Gon came in again for another strike with his fist, but Killua merely leaned back and slapped it aside, sidestepping and coming in for a chop on his neck. However, Gon must have saw this coming, for he bent down and swiped his legs from underneath him, making Killua lose his balance and topple onto the matted floor.

Without wasting a second, with his eyes flaring an unnatural, predatory gold, Gon had leapt up on the opposite wall, onto the ceiling, and was coming down to Killua with his fist wrapped around with aura so powerful it glowed a sickly orange hue.

What with Gon being an Enhancer, Killua did not want to be the victim of the punch.

He rolled aside and leapt away just in time for the floor where he was to collapse a full three metres, bringing down along with it chunks of rubble and Gon.

His eyes couldn’t help but widen at the sight.

If victory is not certain, run.

But it was his last chance. His only chance.

Hurry. Run.

It was only a matter of time before Gon recovered and came back up the stairs. But Killua found himself frozen to the spot, unable to move a muscle, despite his brain, with Illumi’s voice, urging him to escape. Another part of him wanted to see this till the very end, but he couldn’t bring even his own feet to move, except only to escape.

But he didn't want to escape.

He tried to activate Godspeed, but before he could, he was turned around by the shoulder, and a leg was sweeping into his gut, making Killua gasp painfully. To further that up, his head was slammed downwards; despite seeing it coming, he couldn’t make himself block it. He was more than grateful for the mat as cushion, or his nose would have broken in addition to the head and chest pain.

His breathing came in ragged. However, he was surprised no further attacks came. It wasn’t like Gon to suddenly stop attacking for no reason. Killua got on his knees and hand, the other hand clamped around his midsection, where he sensed broken ribs.

He found Gon staring at him, his eyes widened with shock. In his hand he held a black mask - Killua’s mask. Horrifically, Killua reached upwards to feel that his hair was exposed too.

“K-Killua…?” Gon stammered. The boy was shaking. The mask in his hand was squeezed to the point that his knuckles became white, and was that- tears brimming in his eyes?

Run.

Electricity focused on Killua's hands and he slammed them into Gon, stunning the black-haired Spider.

Lightning Palm.

Taking the chance, he scrambled for the other end of the hall. Kalluto, slinking coolly out of one of the rooms, yelped when he was scooped up into Killua’s arms, bridal style.

Oblivious to Kalluto's spluttering, Killua jumped through a window, breaking through the glass like it was nothing. As he fell towards the rainwashed courtyard, the shattered fractures of glass lost in the rainwater dancing in the edges of his visions like supernatural butterflies, he felt a slight upward force acting on his feet.

It was later he realised it was Kalluto trying to slow their fall with his Nen imbued confetti. He took note in his mind to thank and apologise to his younger brother later, but for now, they had to get out of here as soon as possible.

He switched into Godspeed in no time - which was odd, considering he couldn't do it as fast thirty seconds ago - wrapping the electrifying aura around him and Kalluto who squeaked, and broke into a full sprint with Speed of Lightning.

As he ran back away from the abandoned flat and Gon, he could only feel he had left his pride, friendship and soul back at the doorstep where he had encountered Gon.

He had never felt so much like a failure.