Chapter Text
You scale the top of the building as the soft fall breeze whistles through the small cracks in your gear, fingers clutching your phone.
Tonight it’s quiet.
You don’t let the glittering stars above distract you from the job at hand, and slip your phone into your back pocket before shimmying down the large metal pole and onto the floor below you.
Last night, you’d received an urgent call from a, particularly annoying person, begging you to accept the job he had to offer.
“What do you want now, Markie? I’m busy,” you’d snapped over the phone as you sat up in bed. “If you’re calling to beg me to kill your company competitor again, you already know my answer-”
You could hear the nervous breathing from the other side as the man cleared his throat, “I’ve got a new job for you, I swear. But I need you to get it done by tomorrow, it’s an emergency.”
“I can tell by the sound of your voice, Markie,” you had snorted. “You sound pretty worked up.”
“I’ve heard from some of my inside men that my company competitor has hired a very…..dangerous assassin to eliminate me. Listen, I know you’re on a break, and I hate to ask you this but-”
“How much are you willing to pay?”
“Billions,” the man had breathed, voice strained. “Please, please get rid of him for me. Please, Y/n.”
You’d taken a moment to think and though you were exhausted, the deal was just too good to give up.
Billions of dollars, you’d thought with a small smile. Fine.
“Text me the rest of the information. I’ll do it.”
And that had been that.
Now, as your feet land on the balcony of the second floor, your eyes catch a fleeting movement on the floor below you.
It’s there, and then it’s gone.
“Ah,” you grin, bringing your hood lower over your head. “Bingo.”
It’s been two years since you’ve been free from the clutches of the man who had saved you on the streets when you were a child. He’d taken your entire childhood from you, and yet, he’d also given you something special. He’d given you strength and power like none other. He’d helped you hone your skills and turned you into something else. He’d fed you, trained you and kept you alive. And yet, no matter how badly you wanted to hate him, you couldn’t.
You simply could not.
BANG .
The sound of gunfire jolts you out of your reverie and spurs you into action. You have one job, and that’s to catch the assassin hired by Markie’s enemy and kill him before he kills Markie. Normally, you would be jumping with excitement, limbs thrumming with action. But tonight, something is off.
You grab the ledge of the balcony and swing down, rolling on the floor to minimize the impact of your fall.
Woosh .
There it is again, that similar movement you’d seen before and it’s heading for Markie’s office.
Swearing profanities under your breath, you activate your nen and slip a knife into your palm before making your way towards the door to break into the office building.
You pause.
The sliding door has already been opened.
“Shit.”
You slip inside, your footsteps silent against the polished tiled floors. You are hit with a smell of a strange cologne, slightly too expensive for your tastes, making you frown. Taking a steady breath, you step closer to the walls, allowing the shadows to hide you as you watch a tall figure step out from behind the opened door of the office.
Oh.
Illumi Zoldyck.
His long black hair cascades down his back as he toys with a small round-headed needle in his hands, wide black demon eyes staring right into your own. He looks calm, and almost slightly bored as if he had better things to do than chase down a fat old man who smelled too much like rotten cheese.
“And who are you?” he asked, his smooth voice carrying out in the empty office room, the shadows on the white walls shifting.
You step out of the shadows, letting your hood slip down to reveal your face, “someone who’s here to kill you.”
There is a long pause before Illumi lets out an absent-minded chuckle, “yes, yes. I’ve heard that many times. But why are you really here?”
“To….kill you?” you make a face. “Are you deaf?’
“Oh,” he frowns, making his way towards you, his footsteps cold and silent against the floor. “I am afraid you are wasting your time.”
You eye the assassin where he stops, flipping your knife in your hands, “enough chit-chat, Zoldyck. I get cranky when I miss dinner.”
You do not wait for the assassin’s reply. You attack.
You’re fast, but he’s faster. As you move towards him, your knife angled towards his right bicep, he wooshes away from you, arms crossed over his chest as he leans casually against the wall across the room.
He tsks , almost as if he is disappointed, “what is your name?”
“My name won’t matter when you’re dead,” you smile coldly.
You need your knife to pierce his skin. Just once. The moment your knife draws blood, you’re going to be in charge. There will be nothing he would be able to do.
“Hmm,” Illumi says, eyes slightly darkening as a gust of wind blows through the open door. “It’s quite late. Why don’t we-”
You take this chance to move towards him as fast as you can, fingers grabbing for his right shoulder as you put your knife against the cold skin of his exposed neck. His eyes fall to the necklace around your neck, and his eyes flash almost in anger.
Illumi suddenly smiles, eyes growing wider, “you really are fast.”
“If you were expecting a thank you, forget it,” you grit your teeth, fingers tightening on the hilt of your knife.
Illumi sighs, almost as if he is bored, “how about a….deal?”
You are not stupid. You know if he wants, he can escape your grip as easily as a blink. He’s toying with you and he’s finding it quite entertaining.
“I don’t make deals.”
“But you’ll like this one,” he whispers in your ear, breath fanning your cheek.
You scowl, angry eyes turning to meet his dark gleeful ones, “what could u possibly have in mind?”
“You want money, and I want Markie dead. I can be a good little boy and play dead for you if that’s what you want,” he says, a smile growing slowly on his lips. “It will be a win-win for the both of us, don’t you think?”
“You want me to lie to Markie and tell him I killed you, let him deposit the money to me, and then let you kill him?”
“Precisely,” he smirks, a small strand of hair brushing his cheek. “You are such a smart girl.”
Your left hand itches to slap him across the face, but you can’t help but notice his sharp jawline even in the shadows and the way he intensely stares at you with his black demon eyes.
And you must admit, his offer is quite tempting.
“And then, when the job is done, we can grab a drink,” he drawls, blowing the small strand of hair from his face. “Your call.”
Partner up with the crazy Zoldyck assassin or slit his throat?
Ah, but the first one sounds just oh so tempting.
Fine, you think. Two can play a game.
You slowly step away from the long-haired assassin, a devilish smile growing on your lips, “be a good boy and get on the floor, Zoldyck. You know what you have to do.”
Illumi’s smile only grows bigger to match yours, “as you wish.”
You watch as he slowly gets on his knees, eyes still locked onto yours. You watch as his body changes, the skin curling over layer over layer and yet, the smile on his face remains unmoving.
You look away.
When you turn back, his body is curled up onto the floor, a small pool of blood glistening from his neck. He no longer looks like the man you’d seen moments ago. He has turned into a completely different person.
You quickly pull out your phone and snap a picture before uploading it to Markie.
I want my money, you type, fingers quickly gliding over your phone.
Markie’s reply comes instantly, thank you. I’ve sent the money your way.
And as you type the word ‘goodnight’ and press sent, you cannot help but smile as Illumi slowly gets to his feet.
“Ah, how interesting,” he hums, making his way towards the door. “This was just so much more fun, wasn’t it?”
You cross your arms over your chest, staring intensely at him, “I suppose.”
“Tell me your name.”
“Y/n.”
He smiles and lets out an absent-minded sigh, “good girl.”
And then he begins to make his way out the door, his long hair flowing behind him.
You cannot help but call for him, “hey! Illumi!”
“Yes?”
“Martins Food and Grill, tomorrow, at five p.m. Don’t be late.”
You watch his demon eyes meet yours once more before he smirks, “I simply cannot wait.”
You watch as he disappears from view and you can’t help but let out a loud contentful sigh.
What a truly interesting night it has been.