Pillai | Part ii

Kou was shaking as he put the phone down. He didn't know how he could tell her this. His little sister. How he could leave her almost immediately after telling her. And how would he feel if it actually happened and it was coming for him while he was dealing with the guilt. He looked over at her. His entire world and existence at this point in time. And he looked at the people surrounding her, laughing, loving and caring. He blinked, they became bloodstained and battleworn lying deathly still with her in the center, her head hanging as she bled out against the couch with a familiar head coated in dried blood on her lap. And then they were back to normal. "Let's go to the beach," Kurapika cleared his throat as he stood up, locking eye contact with Kou. He was one of the few people that knew the different ringtone Kou had set for family members.

~

"So what did they say?" Kurapika asked Kou as everyone else had finally gone into the water. It was Kou's last day and he had tears in his eyes as the group finally gave up on trying to coax him to swim. Kurapika would have loved to admit he knew or had an incline as to what was going on but he didn't.  He got no answer, Kou was shaking his head aggressively. Although Kurapika trusted Kou would have figured it out by the end of the day, he wished they had more time with him. "I'll miss her." Kou said. He was staring at his little sister as she played in the water. Killua ran up behind you and tackled you into a wave as you screamed in protest. He tensed immediately his eyes wide and searching. "She'll be fine. She's with us." Kurapika put his hand on Kou's shoulder. He guessed Kou was going to find it hard to leave her since he was the only one who stayed with her in the family. Kou shook his head. He packed up his things and brought them back to the hotel. Kurapika left him to it, assuming he was going to pack early so he could enjoy the rest of the day before he caught the blimp. It took a while for the gang to notice he had gone but they decided to spend as much time on the beach as possible. They were going to be leaving in two days however it wasn't giving the best weather and Gon was begging they checked out a funfair with giant rollercoasters they had seen before.On your way to the fair, you stopped to wait for a minute. Kou still hadn't come back out to see you all. It itched you the wrong way a little. He seemed so excited and determined this morning to make today a memorable one.

"I'll miss you soo much!" Kou picked you up as soon as the front door shut. You laughed as he spun you around, only stopping when you had kicked a Pringle can twice. "You'll miss me for the first two weeks, then adjust to me not being there, then when I come back you'll be trying to get rid of me asap!" You pushed him lightly before beginning to clean the table. You were full of excitement for the trip. No one ever got an opportunity like this, and if they did it wouldn't be so open. "I guess we'll find out this time next month." Kou said quietly, turning to put some glasses into the dishwasher. You paused while handing him a plate. His facial expression was a little sad. "It'll be fine! I'll call you all the time and if worst comes to worst I'll be back here after a month." You smiled. You had no idea how it would all play out, and Killua seemed intent on keeping a bit of mystery from you. "I guess it'll be fun having a tan when I'm home, with nobody here to make fun of me over it,"  Kou joked. You laughed. It seemed like the time would never come fast enough.

"Everything okay?" Killua asked, sliding up beside you. You bit your lip in thought for a moment. Maybe he just needed a few minutes more, you could send him a text on the way to the fair. "Yeah. I just hope he can come," you tried to give the boy a convincing smile. Killua tilted hid head with a unreadable stare. His hair was fluffy, blowing lightly in the wind after being drenched in seawater. "He wouldn't miss these last few hours with you for anything." He was so confident, so sure of himself. So you believed him. As the two of you approached the fair you couldn't help but notice how close Killua was walking to you. He didn't seem to notice it himself, but it felt reassuring to have him so close. His hands were in his pockets, and they appeared to be balled up. He was looking anywhere but in your general direction. The assassin's eyes were widened ever so slightly as he took in everything. While he studied the stalls, you studied his reaction. "Have you never-""Never. It's amazing." Killua turned his head to look at you while you both stood in front of the ferris wheel. He smiled like a little child, tears almost in his eyes. You smiled back softly. You appreciated that it was just you here to witness this first with him. "Do you want to go up?" Nodding your head towards the ferris wheel. He still hadn't taken his eyes off you and nodded vigorously. Killua insisted on paying, saying you're the only reason he's able to go up because he wouldn't go alone. But you thought he just wanted to make sure the both of you did it together.

"I see Gon!" You were only a few meters high and could spot the spikey headed teen. He was carrying some serious stuffed toys, and a bag of four goldfish. On top of that he had a bunch of glowstick bracelets. "It's hard to miss him," Killua laughed under his breath before sitting back in his seat. You studied the happenings below before sitting back too. Although aware of Killua's stare on you, you pretended not to notice and kept your gaze low. "Your hairs the same." He said quietly. "The same?" You grabbed a strand. It was the same color as always. You gave him a questioning look. "As the day we met." He blushed lightly, feeling embarrassed. "I just noticed because I liked it, sorry."You blushed too. The ride wasn't close to over though, you couldn't just walk away from this one. After glancing around for a few seconds you combed your fingers through your hair. "Thanks, you don't need to apologise." You looked at him shyly, "I didn't think you noticed that kind of thing."The only response Killua could give was a nod as he looked down at the fair. That was probably the most he would talk with you so openly , alone time was hard with him. It was silent for a while. It had stopped at the top and you locked eyed with him as the wheel stopped in place. Your breath had shortened a little, you were just a little bit afraid to look down. "That's okay, just keep looking into my eyes till it's comfortable again," Killua should've been taking in the view but he'd much rather look at you. You found your breathing naturally calm as the seconds passed like minutes. His look was full of confidence, with a hint of a smile. Neither of you were ready when the machine kicked into gear again. The two of you lurched forward, almost banging heads but stopped by Killuas fast grip on your shoulder and waist. It was silent as you both sat back down. He took in the last of the view before the ride ended, and helped you to your feet to get off.

"There they are! Where were you?!" Leorio cried after you had tapped his shoulder. You laughed nervously, not expecting him to get all worked up. "I'm serious! Kou would kill me! Then you," Leorio pointed to you. "THEN ESPECIALLY YOU!" He pointed to Killua. Gon was laughing. Leorio had obviously been worrying like a cat's mother, and didn't want to admit it. "What?!" Killua recoiled. "I was the only one with her!" "Exactly, you love to sneak off with her.  I won't let it happen anymore without permission!" Leorio stared down the younger boy. They growled at each other before Killua flipped his hair and made a 'tch' sound. "Whatever, I wont be with her a lot anymore." He walked away moodily. You stared after him, confused. First, what had he meant by that? And second, why did he take it so personally? Leorio seemed to rile up yet Kurapika placed a hand on his shoulder to calm him down.Gon started after Killua, knowing you would feel too awkward to do so. He left some of his prizes with you. "I'll talk to him." Gon went off. When he was out of sight Kurapika opened a large bin with a deadpan face. He gave you a wordless look. You made a sad face as you dropped all the prizes in but one, and Leorio gave the goldfish on to some kids walking by. While they were gone the three of you were silent. Each of you had different things on your minds, and Leorio was the easiest to read. He seemed a little regretful, probably planning on apologising to Killua. However that would mean admitting that he cared about him and you a little too much. "They'll be fine," you said to Leorio. He sighed and scratched the back of his head. "I was just worried Kou might not have had the chance to say goodbye if we didn't find you," the tall man admitted. He fixed his glasses while looking away to the side. Almost blushing, you thanked him for caring so much and assured him Killua would understand. You turned to look at Kurapika, but he suddenly pulled his phone out. "Let's go back and get Kou, I'll tell text those two." Kurapika had started towards the exit before he had even finished talking. Leorio hesitated before following, and you tried to find any sign of the two boys in the crowd before you left too.

When you had reached the apartment the lights were all off. Leorio entered first, searching the wall for a switch. Kurapika was emitting serious amounts of concern as the silence was so present you could almost hear each others heartbeats. "Kou?" You called, stepping forward. Had he missed his blimp? Left already? Maybe he didn't want to say goodbye.Almost ready to deflate and say goodnight reluctantly, Killua and Gon entered behind you. They seemed out of breath, like they had sprinted. "Hey," you greeted loosely. You didn't expect a response. "Hey." Killua repeated, giving you an apologetic smile. You hesitated before giving him a small smile back. "Talk lat-" Kurapika cut Killua off. "Someone's here." He said harshly. "Kou?" Gon asked. Before anyone could answer he went off towards the kitchen.  You felt uneasy and let everyone enter ahead of you, and even after that it took Killua gently beckoning you.  "Kou?~" Gon sang again, louder. As his echos faded away another sound replaced them. A motorcycle had pulled up outside the backdoor from the kitchen, it's engine purring and slowly shutting off. The group exchanged looks and watched as a figure approached the door. Leorio had stood in front of you, blocking your view. But you had already guessed it was your brother. Everyone had visibly relaxed, except for Kurapika. "What's going on?" He demanded. You were still visually impaired thanks to Leorio and tried to slip by him, tapping his shoulder but he seemed to try to block you even more. He knew what he was doing. Kou still wasn't talking, the four boys gazes were fixed on him and you could hear him move to wash his hands in the sink. Killua finally grabbed your wrist to pull you over to stand in front of him so that you could see. Kurapika was sill waiting on an answer. Gon looked like he was ready to fight, and Leorio appeared as though he was Kurapika's body guard. "It's his nen, it's so violent" Killua whispered to you. "And your brother just washed blood off of his hands." Your eyes widened. Kou had killed a man? With disbelief set in your soul, you looked up to your brothers expression. He was laughing. Hard. "She's a smart girl Killua! It's sad to see you belittle her so," Kou's right eye was slightly twitched more so than the left. As soon as the laughter started, it stopped. You thought you were here to collect your brother, to go back and enjoy the fair, to have a good last day. But this didn't seem like him. You had never in your entire life seen him so..rigid. "What's wrong? I thought you were going back to pack," Kurapika asked again, taking a more casual approach. He had visibly relaxed, probably sending out neutral nen vibes. However Leorio hadn't let up. The two younger boys shared a look, and Killua didn't even acknowledge you while he took a light grip of your wrist. All you could hear was the clock ticking as you stared at Kou. He was standing completely still, giving Kurapika a wide-eyed stare that would've made you quiver. Two ticks later he made a sudden jerk-like movement.

"Oh I'm all packed! And so is she." Kou said. Five sets of eyes turned to look at your confused ones. All you could feel was Killua's hand just disappear from where it had been, and your heartbeat increasing. "What? You're leaving?" He asked, his voice barely above a whisper. It took you three tries to get words up your throat and out of your mouth. Your heartbeat increased. "N-Not that I know of, what's going on Kou?" You couldn't look at Killua, already able to tell he was disappointed by his tone and you knew it would hit you like a physical force. "They're leaving us, before I decide to kill them. Then we're going home." Your brother spoke with a happy tone as if he had solved a maths problem that wasn't so simple. Gon laughed lightly, and you relaxed almost. Your heartbeat decreased. Almost hopeful the situation wasn't as bad as it seemed. Almost hopeful he was joking and everyone was in on it. "You'll hurt her," Kou's voice wavered. Everyone was looking anywhere but where they should have. He stared down at his hands, holding the same towel he had been approximately eight minutes ago. It had streaks of red all over it. "I want you to leave us. Then we're getting a blimp home," his shaking gaze turned to set on you as he tried to send a genuine smile. "You and me. Just you and me, and then mom and dad." He held out a hand to you, placing a hand on the counter. The group exchanged looks. Gon stepped forward, reaching up to Kou's shoulder and began to say with a small laugh, "Kou, it's jus-" "I SAID LEAVE" Kou shouted, cutting Gon off mid sentence with a look that could kill and probably had killed. Now without a body between the two of you, Kou reached forward and yanked you behind him. He didn't let go despite your struggling and the grip on your wrist was already so tight it hurt. He glared down at the floor, like he didn't want to be here, forcing this situation. "Did you kill someone Kou?" You asked, trying to piece together everything. He stared them all down like a dog protecting his territory. All you could see was Killua off to the side of the group, staring at the painful grip Kou had of you. "I'm not the murderers here." Your brother spat almost too quickly, barely understandable, his stare fixated on the gang. There was something they'd never seen before in Kou's eyes. It was beyond human comprehension, and fear. He gave them all a stare that made five minutes feel like five hours.

Kurapika knew what he had to do. He stepped forward, hands up where the man could see them. His brow was wet with sweat, as he thought over the situation. "Kou, what was said on the phone?" There were immediate mixed reactions. Yours being confused. Kou had been on the phone today? Kou responded in milliseconds, with haste in his voice including voice cracks to go with it -"he said they were gunna kill her. He said you were gunna kill her." Your brother grabbed you and pulled you to his side tightly. Grabbing a knife off the counter he held it up threateningly, "I won't let you". Your heartbeat quickened again. You could hear footsteps, the way Killua was sucking and biting his lip, Leorio's fists clenching and unclenching, but you could also hear the fear in Kou. Kurapika almost thought he was joking, everyone did. However the tension in the room was undeniable. All of the hunters opposite you had taken a step back into a fighting stance since he drew the knife. You felt sick to your stomach. "This isn't right Kou," you began. He didn't acknowledge you. "They're my friends, yours too.""Is this because we're taking her away for a while?" Gon asked. But everyone knew deep down it wasn't that simple. Rain began to thunder down, smashing against the house and filling the silence rather than the drain. "No." Kurapika answered. "Why would we try to harm her?"Footsteps could be heard outside the windows again. Kou laughed psychotically, making you wince. You couldn't look at him. And Killua couldn't look away from him. The silverett was just waiting for any sign of danger to snatch you away. "Look at us all. It's too easy for you," Kou was getting quieter the more he spoke. His wide unblinking eyes were focused on nothing. Nothing at all. However his mind could not unfocus. "You gained our trust, he said its so now you can just kill her anytime you want as soon as I'm gone." Leorio made a noise of obvious disagreement, "we wouldn't hur-""We wouldn't hurt [Name]." Killua stood up straighter. He was almost hurt by the level of sudden distrust, and the pleading in your eyes made him feel awful. "Kou, whoever said that is trying to manipulate you." Kurapika stepped forward with hopes of Kou lowering the knife. His hopes were set too high. It made your brother tense even more and you yelped as his grip became painful. It echoed throughout the kitchen. This wasn't meant to be like this.

Killua was almost growling. Gon was glaring. Leorio was holding back a punch.

However Kurapika was listening.

"Theres hostiles all around the house." He said in a low voice while watching the windows. As soon as everyone was aware, it became obvious. There were sounds of guns clicking, heavy footsteps and the pang of metals. All of you unaware thanks to the unfortunate situation right in front of you.

"It's too late," Kou whispered. "You didn't leave quick enough! Everyones going to die!" He shouted the last part at the group. Everyone stepped back into a circle, Killua's eyes trained on you. "It's too late!" Your brothers voice broke as he screamed. Noone saw it coming. Kou turned to you, pulling you down onto your knees with him. He gave you a wide smile as he lifted his heavy hand to match his heavy heart. "Promise you'll follow me." He whispered.

And as he whispered, it was like the gates of hell had been unleashed.

A knife headed for dear Kou's heart.

A boy headed for you.

A group headed for the door.

Bullets headed for everyone.