Chapter Text
The first time Killua opened the door to Hisoka playing cards with Alluka on the floor, he’d nearly short circuited. Hisoka’s painted lips twisted into a manic sneer as he looked up to meet Killua’s murderous expression. At the same time, he threw down four aces making Alluka wail in protest.
“What the fuck are you doing here!” Killua yelled before he could censor himself. He felt his adrenaline spike as thoughts raced through his head at a million miles per second. There was no way Hisoka found him on accident; not after everything he had done to cover his trail. Zephile had been the one to transfer all his funds into an untraceable account and the appraiser had sworn that nobody would be able to track the spending. He’d also been relocating with Alluka once every two to three weeks (he’d move more often but he does still need to take jobs, especially since Alluka was dependent on him). Nobody had been able to locate him without his permission for two years, but if Hisoka could find him, it was only a matter of time before his family did as well.
“Oh, don’t look at me like that~” Hisoka said, folding up his hand. “You’ll upset your precious sister. She’ll think you don’t like me.”
Alluka dropped her cards and jumped to her feet, her thick chestnut hair framing her cheerful smile. “Welcome back big brother!” she chirped as she bounded forward and threw her arms around Killua's neck.
Still in a state of shock, Killua wrapped one arm protectively around his sister. The nails on his other hand lengthened into claws as his survival instinct kicked in.
“You Zoldyck siblings are all so adorable~” Hisoka slowly rose to his feet, “But as fun fighting with you may be, I haven't the motivation and you haven't the time.”
Killua’s eyes narrowed at Hisoka’s words and he glanced down briefly at Alluka’s innocent expression. She didn’t appear to be hurt or traumatized which eased the knot in his stomach slightly.
“How did you find us?” He asked again, more composed this time.
Hisoka’s smile grew wider. “A magician never reveals his secrets. Besides, if I tell you, I may not be able to find you in time next time. And believe me, you want me to find you.”
“Why the hell would I want you to find me?” Killua snapped. He could feel his temper flaring up now that he was fairly sure Hisoka wasn't here to hurt him or Alluka. But his anger was short lived as Hisoka’s next words made his blood run cold.
“Because if I don't find you first then Illumi will. In fact, he’s on his way right now.”
Hisoka watched with glee as the color drained from Killua's face.
“It's been two years. It's only natural your brother would get serious about getting you back. He loves you more than anything in the world you know.” Hisoka reached into his pocket and withdrew two airship tickets. “They say the cherry blossoms in Jappon are lovely this time of year. Alluka told me she’s never been there before.”
When Killua failed to move from his spot in the doorway, Hisoka waved the tickets at him as if beckoning to a dog with a treat. “You might want to hurry. Your big brother will be here in an hour. Your flight is in 20 minutes. I’m sure you can make it if you run.”
Killua felt the familiar tendrils of dread grip his gut as the memory of Illumi’s soulless eyes filled his mind. Was this it then? If Illumi could find them once, he would definitely be able to find them again. After two years of not having heard his oldest brother’s name, Killua had foolishly thought that maybe he was in the clear. He was an idiot for thinking his brother would give up that easily but he couldn’t help but wish. It was just like Illumi to allow him a glimmer of hope, a glimmer of happiness, before ripping his agency from him. Now that Illumi had found his trail, running would only prolong the inevitable.
The feeling of Alluka struggling against his grip pulled Killua out of his thoughts. He loosened his arm and she pulled away, quickly running to the other side of the room.
“Don't worry big brother!” She exclaimed cheerfully, “Mr. Hisoka said he’s going to help us. He's already helped me pack and clean up so we're ready to go right now. We even found that necklace I lost last week!” She smiled infectiously as she dragged two black duffel bags out from behind the bed.
For the first time since he walked in, Killua noticed the sparsely furnished cabin he’d rented had indeed been cleared of the paraphernalia that naturally spreads from everyday use. The mahogany desk and dresser had been wiped down, the bedding had been changed, and even the wooden floor appeared to be a bit shinier than the last time he’d seen it. He and Alluka had relocated enough times that she knew the routine for erasing all evidence of their stay. He had no doubt that she already had Nanika remove all the hair and other evidence they’d left behind. Alluka stood by the bags and waited expectantly.
Killua looked at Hisoka again. A lot of things still felt off. Everything about the clown’s expression seemed suspicious, but then again it was impossible to know what that perverted psychopath was thinking.
“Why are you doing this?” Killua asked tensely.
Hisoka shrugged, “Why do I do anything?”
Killua knew better than to press a hopeless case. He glanced again at the tickets in Hisoka’s hand, “How do I know you’re not selling us out? How do I know Illumi won’t be waiting when we get off that airship?”
“Why Killua, I’m hurt that you think so lowly of me~”, Hisoka pressed his hand to his chest in mock offence, “Where would the fun be in ending this chase so quickly?”
Killua suddenly felt the overwhelming urge to separate Hisoka’s head from his body. The situation suddenly became a lot clearer and he did not like it at all. Heavy thumping from across the room distracted him from his bloodlust.
As was her nature, in the minute he’d taken to sort out his thoughts, Alluka had grown impatient and was now struggling to drag the heavy duffel bags over to the door. She gave a quiet huff and fixed Killua with a determined look, making it clear that it was two against one. Killua sighed. He had finished his job here so they didn’t have a reason to stay any longer anyway.
Against his better judgment the white haired boy strode into the room and quickly snatched the airship tickets from Hisoka’s outstretched hand. The sticky sweet aura around the clown made him want to gag and he backed away as fast as he could.
He tucked the tickets in his pocket slung the bags diagonally over his shoulders, tightening the straps so that they would not bounce against his back while he ran. He then leaned down to gently scoop Alluka into his arms. It had been a while since he’d had to run while carrying her and it definitely wouldn’t be as easy as the last time. He had grown normally in the past two years but she had hit a growth spurt and was now nearly as tall as him despite being nearly three years younger. She giggled as her body tingled from Killua’s electrified aura.
“One last question.” Killua said as he readied himself. A crackle of electricity rolled up his body making him glow with an inhuman incandescence. “How did my brother find me?”
Hisoka licked his lips as a tremor of pleasure ran down his spine. It was moments like these that made life worth living. He relished in Killua’s exasperated expression as he pulled the joker from his deck and flashed it at the young Zoldyck heir. “I told him~”
Killua now understood the anger that drove Gon to recklessly fight his way up Heaven’s Arena all those years ago. In that moment, he was ready to risk his life just to sink his fist into Hisoka’s smug face. Instead he ran.
The applause was still ringing in Hisoka’s ears when he received the text. As a floor master, Hisoka didn’t have to fight, but the challenger had been a Chimera Ant and he’d been curious after everything he’d heard about those. The humanoid alligator had been an interesting change of pace but hadn’t lived up to hype surrounding the mutant creatures. It seemed that the strongest ants had been taken out by the Hunter’s association. What a pity.
Hisoka grabbed a towel from the back room to wipe the blood off his hands before checking his phone.
13:46 Illumi: The lead you gave me was a dead end.
13:50 Hisoka: Well that’s disappointing. That lead was expensive *-_-v
13:51 Illumi: Will you tell me where you got it now that I know it’s fake?
13:55 Hisoka: Hmm, I bought it from a charming wandering mystic with a lovely blue crystal ball. Rumour had it that she can see anyone, anywhere~
13:56 Illumi: …
13:57 Hisoka: What? Don’t you feel curious about the wonders of the world?
Illumi’s anger was almost palpable through the phone.
14:00 Illumi: Please refrain from wasting my time in the future.
14:01 Hisoka: Don’t be so cold Illu~ I’ll buy you dinner to make it up to you? Anywhere you want
That was a calculated bet. While Illumi was perfectly capable of getting by living in a literal hole in the ground and hunting for food, his actual preferences were quite expensive. Nobody that didn’t know him well would have guessed that Illumi was, for lack of a better term, a foodie, but Hisoka had studied the eldest Zoldyck son more thoroughly than anyone, barring the man’s own family. The only thing preventing Illumi from habitually indulging in gourmet food was his iron-clad self discipline. That being said, a free meal with no price ceiling was sure to be a tempting offer for the assassin.
Hisoka began to feel restless when 30 minutes had passed and his phone failed to display any new notifications. Toying with his fans on his way out of the stadium had been fun but now that he was back in his room, he was bored again. He idly massaged his sore cheek. The alligator ant had managed to land a lucky blow because Hisoka wasn’t used to his opponents having powerful armored tails. Well, the alligator had a powerful tail. The memory of the creature’s blue blood gushing from the gaping wound made Hisoka press harder at his throbbing cheek, the delicious ache distracting him from the lack of response from his phone. Maybe he’d jack off while he waited. His phone pinged.
14:37 Illumi: 19:30 at Le Papillon next Saturday.
14:39 Illumi : I expect a real lead as well.
Hisoka glanced at the calendar on his phone. Next Saturday was almost two weeks away, plenty of time for him to plan his next move.
14:42 Hisoka : I look forward to it *^_< v
Hisoka grinned. It was a good feeling when a gamble paid off. He wouldn't be bored for a few days. He quickly made the reservation at Le Papillon . Then he went through the contacts on his phone and made a call.
The phone rang three times before the other side picked up.
“Hello, Palm? How are you? I’ve missed you.” Hisoka said in a charming voice.
Hisoka listened to Palm’s response and hummed once in a while.
“Yes, same request as last time. I'll pick you up Friday at 3. We can go anywhere you like.”
He made a little more small talk before he ended the call. Playing the part of a gentlemanly date was a small price to pay for information on Killua’s whereabouts.
Le Papillon was located on the top floor of the mammoth hundred-story luxury hotel La Tremoille. It was unique in several aspects. Firstly, each table was given its own room, complete with private servers and a stunning view of the city. Secondly, the floor to ceiling windows were bulletproof and the entire top floor was secured using state-of-the-art technology. Thirdly, reservations could only be made if the personage was deemed a very important person (on any side of the law). The restaurant served crime lords, celebrities, and presidents alike, often on the same night.
Hisoka stood by the front entrance and checked his watch. It was 7:28, two minutes before Illumi would arrive.
He’d abandoned his theatrical fighting costume for a more socially appropriate three piece suit. The linen of the suit was soft to the touch and tailored show off his broad shoulders and trim waist. It was also the palest shade of pink, complimenting his fuschia hair, which was tastefully slicked back instead of gelled up. Around his neck, he wore a maroon and pink striped tie. To complete the look, he’d drawn a simple but sharp black line across each eyelid in place of his usual face paint.
At 7:30 exactly, a sleek black BMW pulled to the side of the curb. The back door opened and Illumi stepped out. The assassin was less flamboyant but equally becoming in an elegant black suit with a forest green tie. He nodded at Hisoka in greeting and the pair stepped into the hotel together.
Neither spoke until they’d been seated in their private room. Le Papillon only served one set multicourse meal per night so the only thing they could actually order was alcohol. To Hisoka’s surprise, Illumi spoke before he could.
“We’ll have a bottle of the strongest liquor you have, no ice.”
The waiter nodded and bowed before leaving.
Hisoka quirked an eyebrow. “Tough night?”
“In a manner of speaking.”
“Trouble with a job?”
Illumi leaned back in his seat, dark eyes betraying nothing, “No. There’s just been some”, he hesitated, “trouble at home. Any new information on Killua?” he asked before Hisoka could press further.
“Yes.” Hisoka replied. He took a moment to gauge the atmosphere before saying anything further. “but we have all night. I paid an arm and a leg for this reservation so we might as well enjoy ourselves for now.”
A flicker of irritation flashed across Illumi’s face but the he quickly suppressed it. There was a power exchange in this kind of game and as much as he despised wasting time on unnecessary struggle, he had far too much dignity to appear desperate. “You’re right. We can talk about that later. Oh good, the alcohol’s here.”
Hisoka turned around just in time to see the waiter walk in with with a bottle of Bruichladdich and two whisky glasses.
“We can serve ourselves thank you.” Illumi said as the waiter moved to pour their drinks. The waiter bowed again and excused himself. Hisoka watched in mild amusement as Illumi poured himself a full glass of the pale gold liquid and drank it down like water.
“Feeling a little better?”
Illumi reached for the bottle again.
“Now, I know you despise the idea but they say that it’s healthy to talk to a friend when something is bothering you.” Hisoka said as Illumi gulped down another glass.
Illumi scoffed, an uncharacteristic sound. “I didn’t take you for the the talk-about-your-feelings type. Besides, we’re not friends.”
“We’ve worked together more than once and I’m not an easy person to work with. Since you’re still here, you must see some value in continuing our relationship.” Hisoka grabbed the bottle before Illumi could take it again and poured himself a more conservative two fingers. “Since I’m helping you in a mission right now, I think I’m entitled to know about anything that might cause you to act in a way that would endanger me in the future.”
“You’ve never complained about being in danger before.” Illumi countered.
Hisoka smirked. “You’re right, danger really gets me off, especially when it involves you. But I’ve put in a lot of effort into this mission and I’d hate for all my hard work to be ruined because you have some unresolved issues, whatever they may be.”
Illumi looked down into his empty glass. The ambient light from the chandelier above them filtered through the fine crystal, casting a little rainbow onto the silk tablecloth. The colors side by side reminded him of his mother’s dresses, organized by shade into a massive rainbow in her closet. She used to be a brilliant jewel in their dreary stone mansion; a blur of sound and energy in an otherwise silent household. Now, she wore nothing but black and hardly spoke.
“Mother’s becoming...unstable.” he said at last, not meeting Hisoka’s eyes. “She killed three butlers today. The first one made a passing comment about Killu in her presence and the other two died trying to calm her down. She thinks Killu is never coming back, but Father won’t let any of us focus on finding him.”
Hisoka sat back. That would explain why Illumi suddenly called him three weeks ago and asked to team up despite having been out of contact for almost a year and a half (though not for a lack of effort on Hisoka’s end).
“Is that why you need me to hunt leads for you?”
Illumi nodded. “Father continues to insist Killu will return because he's his son. And after what happened with Alluka, he does not wish for us to interfere. He would not respond well if he were to find out I’ve been acting on my own.”
The magician studied Illumi through narrowed eyes. All the pieces were starting to fall together but there was still something he needed to verify. “I wasn’t aware you were close to your family, emotionally.” Hisoka said, placing special emphasis on the last word.
Illumi looked up, “Of course we’re close. Loyalty to the family is part of what makes us so strong, but,” he paused, “but if Killua doesn’t come back, our family won’t be able to go on.”
“Why not?”
“Because Killua is the heir.” Illumi replied as if it were the most obvious answer in the world.
Hisoka sipped slowly at his whisky, enjoying the way the alcohol burned down his throat and warmed his stomach. An opportunity he hadn’t planned for was presenting itself and he weighed the pros and cons of following up on it. Pushing Illumi’s buttons when the other was this visibly stressed was a terrible idea. If he pushed too hard they might come to blows. That wasn’t the outcome he had in mind but it definitely wasn’t a bad alternative.
“Why does the heir have to be Killua?” he asked, playing dumb.
“Killua has the most potential out of all the children this generation. It’s only natural that the strongest child would succeed the family.”
Bingo. Hisoka set his glass down and leaned forward to stare into Illumi’s inky eyes. “He may have the most potential but you are stronger than him right now. You’ll be stronger than him for a while yet.”
Illumi frowned. “It doesn’t matter if I’m stronger now. As long as he doesn’t die, he’ll be stronger than me eventually and at that point, he’ll be a threat if someone else takes over. ” Especially since he also has Nanika at his beck and call , Illumi thought. But there was no point in saying that much.
“As things stand right now, that doesn’t really matter does it?” Hisoka pressed.
Illumi’s frown deepened. It was the right of the strong to take everything. This was a concept he expected someone as powerful as Hisoka to understand.
Killua was sure to overpower him someday. It might take longer since his training outside of home was filled with holes like swiss cheese but the end result was inevitable. Illumi felt his heart tightened a little at the idea of Killua developing, growing into an adult, without his supervision. The alcohol must be getting to him.
“Hisoka,” Illumi said slowly as if speaking to a child, “the Zoldyck family can’t be lead by someone easily defeated or influenced.”
Hisoka laughed, the sound loud and unrestrained in the polite atmosphere.
“I fail to understand how any of this is funny.” Illumi said, voice dripping with irritation. He waited impatiently while Hisoka composed himself.
“Dearest Illumi,” Hisoka began, pretending to wipe a tear from his eye much to the assassin’s chagrin, “I don’t think you understand just how much influence you have over Killua.”
“He has removed the needle. I can no longer control him like I once did.”
“Hmm”, Hisoka hummed, “You’re the manipulator here. I’m sure you know that nen is not the only way to control someone.”
“Yes but--”
“From what I’ve seen, you did your job too well. Your brother may never be truly free of your influence.”
The memory of Killua’s terrified expression upon hearing that Illumi almost found him flashed through the magician’s mind. Illumi was really underestimating his own abilities if he thought that he wouldn’t have any power over the young heir when the child took over the family.
Illumi’s brow creased, and against his better judgment, he grabbed the whisky and drank a good third of the bottle. He then stood abruptly and walked to the tall windows. The telltale warmth of a buzz was finally creeping through his chest, taking the edge off of the dark emotions swirling in his chest. It wasn’t safe to be so unguarded around someone as dangerous as Hisoka but being around Hisoka always made him act recklessly for no apparent reason.
Neither of them spoke for several minutes. In the silence, Illumi studied the headlights of cars creeping around like fluorescent ants on the ground far below. It was fitting, seeing how easily crushed those commoners were. The lumpy spire that was Heaven’s Arena twinkled softly against the night sky in the distance.
Hisoka was the one to break the silence. “You’d make a good head, the best out of all your siblings. You should give it some thought.”
“It doesn’t matter. Killua is heir, has been since he was born. All I should be thinking about is how to get him back.” Illumi replied, stubborn.
“That lie’s getting old. I know you. I know you’d kill to be in control of deadliest family in the world and I know the real reason you want to find Killua is because you miss him.”
Illumi’s dark hair fanned out around him as he whirled around and sent a needle flying in Hisoka’s direction. Hisoka dodged easily and caught the projectile between two fingers.
“You’re wrong.” Illumi said quietly, dangerously.
Hisoka smiled. “You’re lying.”
Illumi blew a huff of air out of his nose like a laugh.
The time to play his trump card was now or never. Hisoka twisted in his seat to face Illumi more squarely. “He still calls you his brother, you know.”
Illumi’s eyes widened slightly, the bloodlust from a moment ago dissipating. “When did you talk to him?”
“A while ago, back on Greed Island.” the magician lied.
Illumi’s shoulders fell almost imperceptibly and he turned to face the window again.
“But you haven’t done much to him since that you haven’t done to him before. I’m sure he hasn’t changed his mind. You’re the closest family he has after all.” Hisoka offered in comfort.
Illumi closed his eyes. It was a really bad idea to be so vulnerable in such dangerous company but he could hardly care at this point. Across the room, he heard Hisoka’s chair scape along the marble floor as the pink haired man stood and walked to his side. He didn’t open his eyes as strong arms enveloped him from behind in a hug. Illumi didn’t lean into the embrace but he didn’t pull away either. The entire evening was a mistake. He would allow himself this much more.
The sudden sound of the door opening made Hisoka pull back, ending the moment.
“Food’s here.” Hisoka announced as he walked back to his seat.
Illumi followed wordlessly. As much as he loathed to admit it, Hisoka was right. He did feel better after talking. As long as he was forgiving himself, he might as well mess up hard and accept that Hisoka was more to him than just an acquaintance.
Thankfully, the topic of friendship or succession didn’t come up again as they ate. Illumi was in good spirits and divulged personal information more freely than he would have normally.
During the appetizer, Hisoka learned that Illumi liked green because villains in his childhood story books always wore green and he’d always like the villains. Talk about the color green quickly led to Gon and after five minutes, Illumi knew more about Hisoka’s thoughts on the little mountain boy than he thought was appropriate. But hey, inappropriate small talk was what friends did right?
Hisoka’s most entertaining discovery of the night came when the main course was served. The specialty that night was veal, cooked to a perfect medium rare and artfully arranged around a small garden of greens and carrots.
Hisoka began eating as soon as the plate was put in front of him. Illumi pulled out his phone.
“What are you doing?” Hisoka asked around a mouthful of meat.
“Please don’t talk with your mouth full.” Illumi chided as tilted his plate and snapped several pictures from slightly different angles.
Hisoka chuckled. “I didn’t take you for a takes-pictures-of-your-food type.”
“I don’t get to come here often.” Illumi defended, face a little warm (again, the alcohol). He tucked his phone back in his pocket. “Anyways, is this a good time to talk business now?”
“Sure, Killua is in Jappon.” Hisoka replied without any hesitation.
Illumi blinked, surprised that Hisoka gave up the information so easily.
“I trust you got this lead from a reliable source this time?”
“Of course.” The magician winked, “I wouldn’t disappoint you twice. Can’t have you thinking I’m impotent.”
Illumi ignored the innuendo, already lost in thought planning his itinerary. If he hurried, he could get out on a flight that night. Jappon wasn’t a very large country but to search the entire country would be difficult nonetheless. The least populated areas were probably the best place to start.
“Illumi” Hisoka said, reaching across the small table to snap his fingers a few times in the assassin’s face. “Stop thinking so hard.” He pulled two airship tickets out of his pocket and placed them on the table. “I know more specifically where he is and I’m coming with you.”
Illumi blinked. He shouldn’t have been so quick to shoot down the idea, having a friend was surprisingly useful.