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They had quietly managed to collect a few of Illumi’s pins without the assassin noticing. Or at least, they hoped he hadn’t noticed. Surely he lost some every once in awhile. The little hunter had secreted themself away to a quiet corner of the grounds, one they hoped Illumi didn’t know they frequented. Even Mike didn’t have reason to come to this particular corner, other than the one time just to see what they were doing. After that the guardian beast had left them to their own devices.
They pulled out the yellow pins, four of them total. They little things were wickedly sharp and very bright. The small objects made them shiver slightly. They knew exactly what those pins felt like hitting skin and bleeding aura into their victim. Once upon a time they had been the victim, many months ago now. And it had only been recently that Illumi has allowed them to do much of anything without one of those pins compelling them to obey. Hisoka had laughed himself senseless at the little hunters reaction and told the assasin he had expected no less.
They clicked in what was becoming a habit in showing their distate for the jester. He was a nuisance, showing up where he wasn’t wanted, interrupting things. Eveytime they left the mountain it seemed like he was there. It didn’t help that there were several houses he and the assasin shared. What an odd duo, so close but ready to murder each other if not everyone else at a moments notice.
Instead of continuing in that vein of thought, they focused on their prize. They had been so careful in picking them up, retrieving these pins when they thought their teacher wouldn’t notice the absence of his tools. They were hesitant about Illumi’s weapon. Of course, it wasn’t like the pins were going to jump up off of the patch of ground they’d been set on and bite. Discarding the unease they had been feeling about the whole thing, they picked one up and held it. It was surprisingly heacy for a throwing weapon, but they did a lot more than that. The weight probably had its uses. The bright yellow metal was twirled between deft fingers, watching it flash brightly as it moved. They always knew to look for that little flash, but even still they missed it quite often and had too deal with the consequences. Maybe they could see why Illumi did like the pins so much. They were interesting, and useful. Deadly
The little hunter took care in the way they held the pin in their hand in an attempt to mimic how the assasin did. They attatched a small thread of their own nen to the thing, and then threw it at the tree that happened to be their unfortunate target. It barely sank into the wood and they had to question if it was because of their nen thread or something else. Maybe the strength needed for effective use was higher than what they had. Certainly Illumi was much stronger than they were as well as the damnable jester. Illumi made this look all too easy.
They pulled on the nen thread, pin resisting momentarilly before it streaked back to them. The other pins each got a nen thread attatched to them, and thrown in the same manner. Eventually the assasin would find out where they were, or send one of the butlers out to retrieve them. They should have been doing other things at the moment, more productive things. Getting ready for the next assignment they were to accompany on, refining their nen abilities, doing lessons. Instead they actually cracked a small smile and continued the pattern of throwing the pins and retrieving them. Even a few moments of quiet soft happiness in an action that was their own choice was more than they thought they were going to get for a long while. Or ever really. Nothing had been easy before, after wasn’t any different.
They threw another pin at the tree absent mindedly, putting a little more force behind it. Maybe this did count as honing their nen abilities. They were a transmuter by nature, but they could practice other things. Maybe they could use an enhancement ability to make the pin stronger, so it would sink deeper into the dense wood of the trees. It was hard to concentrate on it, and it didn’t hold their attention for very long when they weren’t being forced to actively do something they didn’t want to.
They retreived the throw pins again, starting over. The yellow bit of metal streaked towards the tree for the hundredth time that afternoon only for it to be knocked off its course by another pin. Another yellow pin. Illumi had found them.
The little hunter tensed up and threw themself to the side from where they were sitting as pins struck the ground they’d been on a moment before. They had to keep moving, pins still following them if they stopped for more than a breath of a moment.
“You missed your lesson” The shadows all around the little clearing danced, images of Illlumi moving silently around them. The eyes widened, movement stopped. The Echo
Of all the many things the assassin had taught them so far, this was not one of the things they had learned, or really even seen. He hadn’t used it on them in any of their training. The thought of there actually being more than one Illumi was unsettling.
They dove again to where they had let their pins drop, scooping them up a little carelessly in their hands to hold them defensively. The sharp ends were pointed out, held between each finger as they had seen the assassin do. They had five of them now if they included the one Illumi had thrown as their warning. All of their silly fun in the afternoon was no real help in what they could do with these pins, not against the person who knew the weapon the most intimately. The pins would be no good here. Which of the ever moving shadows was the real Illumi? His bloodlust flared, hair flying around him wild.
The little hunter shuddered as that aura washed over them. it made their heart want to stop right there, had made their heart stop before. They silently gathered their nen in wisps, attatching it to the pins they had in their hands now. One pin went flying at what they felt like was the strongest source of the aura.
“Wrong”
His voice was incredibly close behind them, so close if they stepped back they would step into him. The real Illumi had always been right behind them. They had no chance to move however before the assasin pressed a tiny needle into the base of their skull.
They gagged, falling to their hands and knees and curling inward. Blink several times, mouth opening and closing like they were trying to find their voice. Their entire field of vision swam before them in waves of dizzying colour. Hands opened and closed, clenching forcefully enough for their sharp nails to cut their own palms. It was more than they could handle, nothing like they’d ever expierienced before. Another wave of powerful dizziness stole what little hold they had left of keeping themself moderately upright. The little hunter collapsed onto the ground. Their breath was ragged and loud, having a hard time willing themself to take in air. Eveyrthing hurt, all culminating to a point of absolute fire at the base of their skull that their body refused to let them reach for. It was all they could do to even keep concentrating on breathing, one more breath. One more. This was no game, no bit of extra training.
Illumi was angry with them.
The assasin silently knelt down over them, perched on his own heels to observe. His face was impassive as ever as he watched his student struggle against the force of his nen. Their hard breathing started to turn in erratic gasping and their movements desperate. They clawed at themself leaving thin bloody furrows in their skin. This was it then. The assasin had finally gotten tired of them with this act of disobiediance. He would let them suffocate under the pressure of nen and compulsion and leave them to rot.
“Il......lu......mi.” In between gasps of air they rasped out the syllables of his name. It was the first time they had said it in all the time he had known this little hunter. He raised an eyebrow, curious about the choice of its use now. Was it because they felt as if they were dying? Did they expect him to lesson this punishment because of it? He wouldn’t. They needed to know where they stood and why there was so much more they needed to learn to do.
“Plea......se. Please" His students movements were growing weaker as their body became starved of oxygen. They were no longer quite convulsing so. Instead, they reached an arm out to him as the light in their flat eyes started going dim. Ah well, he didn’t want to kill them, that would be a waste. He touched the spot where the needle was, taking some of his nen back from their small body. The thought plagued him that Hisoka would have enjoyed this. Maybe he should let the annoying jester mete out punishments then. He certainly didn’t enjoy having to do it, but he was only doing as he had been taught, as had been done to him.
The little hunters body shook as they took in air, coughing and gulping in breaths. Their chest heaved with the effort and sweat had bloomed across their body. As their breathing became less laboured, they became more and more still, simply laying on the ground for a few minutes to both recover and not invoke anymore of Illumi’s unexpected and terrifying wrath. The assasin rolled them over knowing they weren’t going to move. Playing dead almost, it seemed to fit them so well. A wild creature using a wild creature’s defense. They weren’t able to completely bite back the high pitched whining hum the pain of being moved elicited. Eveything hurt so much, more than any of the training they had done so far.
Illumi held them down to the ground, palm flat on their chest and pressing forcefully as a warning not to try to get up. His eyes had the slightest of narrowing, anger and disappointment maybe what that conveyed. They weren’t good at reading Illumi, not like Hsoka was. Not like his family. The pressure made them seize in another violent fit of coughing. It was only once it subsided they attempted to relax their entire body one muscle group at a time. The pressure was hard to resist, every stitch of their being screaming to fight. It was a bad idea, one that would end up with more hurt. They provided no resistance. They even released their nen, letting it retreat to its natural almost zetsu like state. There was nothing protecting them if Illumi truly decided he had enough. The pressure of his hand didn’t waver at any of this.
“Mad.” They whispered into the silence. It was a frightening silence filled with tension. Illumi was quiet, but not like this. This silence was filled with sparks of anger. He nodded in response as he considered a further answer to their statement. However, they spoke again.
“ Why? Pins?” Their voice was pitchy, high and worried. Illumi thought it was interesting how much emotion his little pet project could put into so few words. Their tone when they spoke always said far more than the actual words. Maybe that was why they spoke so very little. It irked him somewhat that Hisoka had been correct about something yet again. This little hunter was hgihly interesting. Fascinating even, an a sort of school project manner.
“No. I knew you had them. I never leave them behind. It was logical that you’d taken them.” Their eyes widened at the fact. They really should have known better, expected better. Every single needle and pin was always retrieved.
“Knew?” The little hunters one word questions and statements grew tiresome. There was so much in what they said that could be left to interpretation.
“ Is it really so surprising to you? I’ve taught you we leave no traces behind.” Dissapointing to say the least. He had expected more form them at this point, although in the few short months that he’d had to work on them had produced startlingly effective results. Despite seeming stuck in their wild ways the little hunter was very malleable. In Illumi’s expert opinion they could grow into a useful tool over time. Maybe someday even a decent assasin.
“ I use the aura in the pins to find them. I’ve always known you keep them with you, and how many. I could even tell you when you took them.” Their breathing stopped momentarilly as they considered it. He knew they kept the pins on them? Of course he did, he knew everything seemingly. There was nowhere safer to keep things of importance than on their person where someone would have to fight them to take it away. It was unnerving to consider the implications of tracking his own aura. As long as they had the pins, he could find them. Why did it take so long for him to find them today? While their zetsu was admittedly impressive, they wouldn’t be able to hide someone elses aura.
“ Bring them here” Illumi commanded them in an even tone that held no room for arguments of any sort. He still hadn’t taken his hand from them, still keeping them held down uncomfortably. The little hunter moved their hands gently and with an excessive slowness to bring the pins closer. They wiggled closer like brightly coloured loyal hounds coming to their master. Illumi didn’t allow the pins to get close enough that his student could touch them. Not like they were going to try anything at this point anyway.
He finally moved his hand, sitting back with feet flat on the ground staring down at them almost curiously. He was waiting for them to move. When they didn’t he motioned for them to sit up, the closest thing they had seen to impatience flitting across his face.
The assassin examined his pins as if checking for damage. His student however had kept the pins like they were precious heirlooms, even cleaning them off and polishing them to brightness. He tucked three of the five away in his jacket and held the other two in each of his hands. He held one up higher, wiggling it.
“ This pin is the one I used to knock you unconscious the first time we met when I was myself. After the Exam.” He extended the pin to them watching carefully. Probably to see if they were going to spring an attack of some kind. They had no thoughts of doing any such thing at the moment having been bested so easily still. They took the pin slowly from him like he was going to stab them with it unexpected. It wouldn’t be the first time he’d done such a thing. They remembered all too well how they had been forcefully led into a trap by that damnable clown man with his stupid red hair and honeyed malice voice. It had been none too pleasant an expierience trying to hold their own even if Illumi had given them a backhanded compliment later about how well they had withstood his compulsions. It had let him know for later how much was too much or too little of it for their body and mind. Illumi hummed and it drew their attention back to his other hand and the second pin. What had this one done? Had it been another that was used on them? There had to be plenty of them that had. He twirled the pin once, twice, three times as they watched it.
“ I used this pin once to incapacitate Hisoka when he annoyed me more than usual.” It was said so caually, as if using pins on the jester was normal. Was it? Could it have been? It was a twisted idea, but in the two men’s twisted relationship it wasn’t that far out of character. Illumi could take care of himself, they knew that to be certain, but it was also very hard to imagine anyone besting Hisoka. They reached out gentle and took the second needle reverently like it was a precious gift. It was hope. Hope that mmaybe someday they could also best Hisoka as well.
“ I will let you keep those when you show me you are capable. Skipping lessons is not going to help you learn.” Their eyes widened at the prospect of having those two pins at their very own.
“ Learn? Teach?” The assasin didn’t answer immediately, considering what their questions meant. They were obvious questions, but there could be more? Although, for how very fickle his student could be, their questions seemed so straight to the point. He was going to definitely have to work on them about they way they spoke. At least maybe get the little hunter to use small sentences. Their speech patterns, or rather lack of speech, hadn’t been a hindrance until recently.
“ You will learn yes. Using your threads to throw physical objects is a good skill. These pins are light. I can teach you how to throw other things as well. I will also have Hisoka teach a few things to you. You need to practice more with the other aspects of you nen ability.” He threw that out to test the waters, expression still bland and revealing nothing. He had slowly been clued into the fact Hisoka had pushed and manipulated him into taking them as a student simply because he wanted something to relieve his boredom. Typical. The little hunter hissed at even the mention of the jester. They might not talk much, but their other vocalisations were plenty enough to get the point across.
How would he go about convincing them to speak properly. Illumi himself was a man of very few words, but not so few he was absolutely cryptic. He stood rather suddenly and his student scrambled to follow, clutching at themself from the pain that still echoed.
“ Find you way back at some point.” He said. His movement didn’t register, and the little hunter was on the ground, unconscious. There wasn’t anything on the estate grounds that would hurt them anyway. Mike was too hungry for that. His plucked the two pins from where they had fallen out of the little ones grasp, hummed to himself, and disappeared off back to do more productive things.