Everything's gonna be alright

The Thing

Kurapika wiped the blood from his nose. I hope it's not broken. Damn, I'm tired. Where's Leorio?

He'd defeated the person who had assaulted him on the street, and he knew the secret behind their nen ability. He had to find Leorio soon so he could tell him, and they'd have a better chance of conquering their enemies and protecting their children.

Kurapika blinked hard as he walked down the street towards the hotel. When he turned the corner, he found yet another street lined with shops and housing. There was no hotel in sight.

No, it was this street. Right? He turned around to see a completely different neighborhood behind him. Could the blood loss be causing me to hallucinate?

Kurapika spun in a slow circle, no longer recognizing the street he'd wandered onto. He shook his head, then set off down the road he was... going before. This direction? Or was this where he came from?

I'm okay. I didn't lose that much blood. A simple bloody nose will not cause this level of disorientation. This must be a nen ability.

So Kurapika forged onward, gaining momentum as the panic inside him built. He needed to find his husband. He needed to protect his children.

-

Killua heard crying. He knew that voice. "Alluka?" He called in the dim hospital entryway.

The crying stopped.

"Killua, is that you?"

"Papá?!" Killua leaped over the reception desk where he could hear the voice.

Alluka and Papá were huddled under the desk, looking up at him with big scared eyes. Killua rushed forward and hugged his dad. During their embrace, he didn't forget his friend.

"Gon's broken his arm. It needs to be set."

Leorio stood, then slipped over the desk to Gon's aid. Killua hugged his sister close, hushing her cries and promising to never run away again. She was warm and real. When she was with him, the intrusive thoughts stopped.

Killua took off his coat and wrapped it around her shivering shoulders. She was only wearing her pink Sofia The First pajamas and mismatched Peppa The Pig socks.

There was a crunch, and Gon started crying again. That means Papa fixed his arm. Ouch. There was some shuffling, and Killua heard whispering, but he couldn't distinguish words over Alluka's soft crying.

Gon walked around the desk slowly to approach them. He still had his eyes on where he and Papá had been standing.

"Killua. Someone wants to talk to you." He said in a hollow voice.

Killua's blood felt cold. He slowly stood and faced the room. Gon, with his freshly set and splinted arm, huddled on the ground next to Alluka, hidden by the desk.

Illumi stood in the middle of the room, holding Papá in a chokehold, pointing a knife at his face. "Killua. I told you not to run away."

Not to run away. The words echoed.

"What do you want?" Killua tried to sound brave.

"You will either come with me, or Leorio will die."

Leorio will die. Illumi had used Papá's first name. He was going to kill him if Killua didn't agree.

"If I go with you, will you let him go?" Killua had a big choice to make.

"As soon as I have you, he will be a free man. There is no point in holding useless hostages." Illumi said coldly. "You must choose quickly."

Killua looked into his papa's eyes, then at the knife. What should I do? What should I do?! I wish dad were here.