Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“Onii-chan...” Whispered Alluka, grabbing Killua’s hand tightly.

Killua looked down at him. His younger brother’s face was pale, and his entire body was shaking. This was not like him at all.

“Don’t worry, Alluka. Onii-chan’s got you.” Killua said to him, trying to give his best confident smile. “Just be close to me, and you’ll be fine. Okay?”
“Okay.”

But his face didn’t change.

No wonder. Today was reaping day, and it was Alluka’s first reaping. He couldn’t blame him. He had been the same his first time, too. All pale and shivering, praying and praying and praying that he wouldn’t be picked, that he wouldn’t be picked, that he wouldn’t be picked, it would be someone else.

And it was never him. It was some other boy, a boy he didn’t know. And at last, he wold breathe a sigh of relief, and let his heartbeat slow.

He would make sure Alluka would be the same. Not picked. Safe and sound. Away from the games.

Besides, Alluka had only one slip of paper in there. One slip in thousands. Because he was twelve, and his family didn’t need to get tesserae, (because they were the richest family in district 1) he had no danger of being picked. The chances were so slim. So, so slim.

He told Alluka that.
“I, I know...” Alluka whimpered. “But still... And besides, I’m worried about you too.”
Killua patted Alluka’s head. “It will be fine, Alluka. It’ll be fine...”

It was true, he had to worry about his own safety. He had three slips of paper that had his name on it. It was also a slim chance, but he saw a boy with also three slips get picked once, and Killua was really not that jealous of him.

Of course, his family could threaten the mayor for having no slips at all, but his parents wanted them in the hunger games. Because winning meant eternal fame and fortune. And since they were a family of assassins, they’re chance of survival was 100%. His older brother Illumi had once been in the hunger games a few years ago, and he had won after two days. But Killua didn’t like his job as a assassin like Alluka, and he would appreciate it if his life was not a in a threat twenty-four hours a day.

They reached the square, where they were forced to part. Looking at Alluka descending toward the pack of twelve year olds, Killua gave him a one last smile and walked to the fourteen year old kids line.

The opening was a blur. Somethings about our country, Panam, and the Capitol, the history of the hunger games, etc. It was the same boring story every year. Then in a flash, it was time for the reaping.

Killua tried to grab Alluka’s hand then realized he wasn’t there. He was with the other kids. But it was always ladies first, so he had a few more seconds to pray.

Please not me or Alluka, please not me or Alluka, please not me or Alluka...

He didn’t catch the girl’s name who had been picked. He was too busy praying. He was not the only one.

Please not me or Alluka, please not me or Alluka, please not me or Alluka...

“Now, for the boys!”
His heartbeat raced a million times per second when the plump lady with a Capitol accent and lots of makeup put her hand in the boys bowl.

Please not me or Alluka, please not me or Alluka, please not me or Alluka...

The woman cried out...

Please not me or Alluka, please not me or Alluka, please not me or Alluka...
Please, please, please...

“Alluka Zoldyck!”

Killua’s knees buckled.

What...? How...?

No way. There was no chance of him getting picked. No chance at all. The odds were in his favor, surely. Only one slip. Just one slip in millions. No. He must have heard it wrong.

But then he saw Alluka, pale as a sheet, walk slowly toward the front. His eyes had lost focus. His movement was like a statue. Looking at him, Killua stood up like he had been electrocuted.

“I volunteer!” He gasped. “I volunteer as tribute!”

Alluka spun, looking at him with shock and horror. Killua ran toward the front and repeated, “I volunteer!”

“Ahhhhhhh!” Alluka’s scream pierced the air. “Onii-chan, Nooooooo!”
He raced toward him and started to punch Killua with his little fists. “Noooooooooo! Don’t! Oni-chan! Nooooo!”

“Alluka, let go.”

“Onii-Chan!”

“I said, Let go, Alluka!”

“NOOOO!”

Tears started to swin in his eyes. His lips trembled. Killua lowered his head. I will not cry. I will not cry. I will not cry...

“ALLUKA!” He shouted, grabbing him by the shoulders. “LET GO!”
Alluka did, weeping. “Onii-chan...”

The peacekeepers started to pull at him, forcing him to the stage.

I’m sorry, Alluka... He thought. I’ll win for you. I swear I will.

He gritted his teeth, ignoring the sobbings of his younger brother, and climbed onto the stage.

Chapter Text

Killua sat on the red velvet couch, staring at the wooden floor, his hands laced together. Someone had put a golden bowl full of candies and chocolate for him to eat, but he was not even recognizing it. Which was a major thing, since he was often called a chocolate addict by his family.

A peacekeeper was standing guard by the doorway. But soon he didn’t need to because the door burst open, and another peacekeeper came in and said:
“You will have a short visiting time with your families and friends. Be sure to end every meeting in three minutes.”

Three minutes? Killua thought. That’s too short!

But he nodded anyway. It seemed pointless arguing.

The peacekeepers stepped out, and immediately Alluka ran into the room. “Onii-chan!” He said, half screaming and half sobbing.

Killua ran toward him too and embraced him fiercely. “Alluka...” He said. “I’m so sorry...”

Alluka looked up. His cheeks were wet with tears. “No, it’s my fault, onii-chan! I got picked! Th-this is all my fault!”

He started to wail, and Killua quickly put his hand over his mouth. “Shh... It’s no one’s fault. It was just bad luck, okay? Just that. And I’m going to win anyway. I’m a assassin, right? I’ll win this and come back home as soon as possible.”

Alluka stared into his older brother’s eyes. “Promise me.”

Killua smiled and held up his pinkie. “I promise. Pinkie swear.”

They intertwined their pinkies together.

Alluka sobbed again, but more smaller this time, and grasped Killua like he was his lifeline. “I love you, onii-chan...”

Killua’s eyes started to fill up with tears, too. “I love you too, Alluka...”

He pressed his lips on Alluka’s forehead. For a long time, they stayed that way, holding on to each other, feeling each other’s warmth.

Killua had tried to be less emotional, but he just couldn’t help himself. This may be the last time they see each other again. He might die. In the hunger games. Playing as the forced puppet, giving entertainment to the audience. And Alluka will be watching him, too.

He didn’t want to imagine Alluka’s face when he died on live TV.

No. He then thought. I promised him, and I’m going to keep it. I am going to win. I am going to see Alluka again. I will be the victor of the 77th hunger games!

He clenched Alluka more tightly.

I’m not going to lose.

“Ah, I almost forgot!” Alluka said. He raised his right hand, and pulled out a ring from his index finger.

“Here.”

He handed it to Killua. Killua frowned. “What’s this for?”

“It’s a token. Wear it on the arena, okay?”
Killua stared at the black and silver ring. He remembered it. It was the ring Killua gave to Alluka for his birthday present. He had gone to the jewelry store himself to buy it. On the ring, the words: ALLUKA & KILLUA were printed in white.

“Alluka...” He whispered.

Alluka smiled. More tears started to wet his cheeks. Killua cupped his face with his hands, brushing the tears from his face with his thumbs.

“Thank you.” He said.

Then the peacekeepers opened the door. “Three minutes are up.”

“No!” Alluka cried. “Just one more minute!”

But the peacekeepers had already grabbed his shirt, steering him out.

“You have to win, onii-chan!” She shouted desperately.

“I will! I will, Alluka!”

“I love you!”

“I love you, too-”

The door banged shut.

Killua slumped onto the couch, but even before he could feel miserable, the doors opened again and his mother Kikyo, his father Silva, his older brother Milluki, and his younger brother Kalluto came in.

He quickly stood up, wiping the tears from his face and pretending he was fine. He didn’t want to get pity from his family. Not at all.

“Oh, Killu, my dear!” Kikyo shouted, opening her arms and rushing toward him. “I am so proud of you!”

In the background, he saw Milluki rolling his eyes. “Here it goes again.” He muttered.

Killua didn’t hate his mom, but it was true she was annoying. He immediately tuned out when she started to blabber something about his bravery and sacrifice.

“You’ll win surely!” She promised. “This year’s tributes are all weaklings!”

Killua didn’t know how she got the list of this year’s tributes, but he wasn’t surprised. That kind of thing was normal in the Zoldyck family, getting information a step ahead than the others.

“Well, I have to admit I didn’t see that coming.” Milluki said. “Alluka had only one slip of paper! I lost my bet! All of them did, actually. No one betted Alluka.”

Kikyo gave him a look that said, Shut up!

Silva cleared his throat. “Well, we’re proud of you, son. I am sure you will play a great role.”

“Um, thank you, father.” Killua said. “I’ll make sure I win.”

It was the required line, not the one that came from his heart.

The door creaked open. “Three minutes are up!” The peacekeeper said in a bored voice.

“My, already?” Kikyo screeched, but eventually they left, saying one last goodbye. Kalluto was still standing on his place, though.

Killua raised a eyebrow at him. “What?”

Kalluto just stared at him, like he was trying to memorize his face.

“Why are you still standing there?” Killua asked. “You have something to say to me?”

At last, Kalluto spoke.

“Onii-san,” he said. “Be brave.”

Then he was gone, leaving a confused looking Killua.

Be brave? he wondered. I’m not scared!

Just then, a tall man with long black hair stepped in, and Killua forgot all about Kalluto.

“A-aniki.” He stammered. “I didn’t expect you to come.”

Illumi studied him with his pit eyes. “Why, of course I would visit my brother. This is the last, after all.”

“You don’t believe I can win, do you?”

“Hmm.” Illumi said, not answering his question. “Do you want a tip about winning the games, Killu? I am a victor, after all.”

Killua swallowed hard, then shrugged. “I... guess?”

He guessed it wouldn’t hurt.

Illumi stepped closer to him, and whispered something in his ear. Killua’s face paled.

Illumi stepped back. “You understand?”

“Y-yes.”

He smiled. A cold, meaningless smile. “Good.” He said. Then he turned, and walked out.

Leaving Killua to stare at his back until he disappeared from sight.

Chapter Text

Killua had never been in front of a camera, and it terrified him.

When he had seen through the window of the Justice Building, he saw cameramen everywhere, holding black cameras with lenses bigger than their bodies. It sort of freaked him out. Being in the center of a huge crowd was not really his type.

He quickly examined his face, and was relieved when he saw no sign that he had been crying. Killua followed the peacekeepers in front of him and stepped out the door. Immediately the cameras gained on him with their huge lenses, and Killua quickly ducked his head, staring at the ground as he walked.

“Hurry up, hurry up...”

The peacekeepers formed a human shield, and guided him through the banquet of people. Obviously they were used to this. So Killua let them guide him, let himself get swayed back and forth between the shuffles of people and the hands of the peacekeeper’s gloved hands.

He made the mistake of glancing upward, and a camera nearest to him got a good shot of his face. He knew this because he saw his own face frowning at the camera on the screen.

Killua cursed and quickly lowered his head again.

Meanwhile, a girl beside Killua who looked about two or three years older than him (probably the girl tribute from district 1) was having no trouble with the crowd. She was smiling her prettiest smile with perfect makeup, answering the reporters’ questions and making poses for the cameras. She didn’t look awkward at all. She more looked like she had spent her whole life surrounded by cameramen. But Killua doubted it, because he had never seen her on TV.

As he finally reached the car that was supposed to take him to the train station, the door opened automatically and he jumped inside. The girl came in next and sat on the seat next to him.

“Hi!” She shouted happily. “I’m Neon! Neon Nostrade. And you are?”

Killua stared at the girl. Thoughts rushed into his head. His first thought was:

Nostrade?

Of course, he knew the Nostrade family. They were famous like the Zoldyck family, but in a different way. The Nostrade family was president Snow’s right hand. They were the richest family in Panam, eighty years before or now. That would explain her non-awkwardness with the cameras. Then why was she here? Surely she would have gotten volunteers. Her father would had made sure she did! He would never risk losing his one and only daughter.

Why?

His second thought was:

Idiot.

Didn’t she realize she was going to die a few weeks later? Didn’y she know she didn’t have a chance of winning? Or was she too stupid to know? Or maybe she was faking? Acting like she was happy, because if she lost that smile, she would break to pieces? That made sense. It was his own way he held himself together. Being cocky and rude as possible. Or he was afraid he might show his weaknesses. His achilles heel.

But no. She looked innocent.

Just a girl with a flower pot for a head. Killua decided. That’s all.

He managed a thin smile.

“Killua Zoldyck.”

“Oh, right!” The girl named Neon clapped. “I heard your name in the reaping!”

Killua was not sure how to answer to that, so he just kept his mouth shut. But Neon didn’t stop talking. She kept on talking about the clothes she wore in the reaping (which she was wearing now) and how cute it was, and how much money she had bought it. Then the subject drifted to the materials of the dress, and which materials were the best, like velvet and so on, blah, blah, blah, and by this point, Killua was starting to regret he didn’t bring his Mp3 player.

It was a short trip. But when they arrived, Killua had technically become the master of dress materials.

“Hey, Killua!”

Neon, who had gotten out first, called to him cheerfully, like they were best friends in the world. “We’re in the train station!”

“Mmm hmm...” Killua mumbled, desperately wanting to go hide under a warm cover and take a long nap.

“I so wish we’ll have a chance to visit the Capitol’s fabulous stores!” Neon giggled with joy. “They are so gorgeous...”

“What about ‘I’ll’, not ‘we’ll’?” Killua grumbled.

“What did you say?”

“Oh, nothing...” Killua shrugged.

Chapter Text

Okay, I'm sorry I didn't post for a while, but in our school it's the final exams soon, and I have to get ready for the test. So, I'm really sorry :( but I am afraid I will not post for a while. I am so sorry, everybody. Hope you all understand. D:
*waves hand* See you soon! Sorry again!!! :(
And wish me luck with the exams!!!! *whispers (please...)*

-From a South Korean middle school girl who cares very much about her grades. *sigh*