My Reason (KilluGon)

Hiding In Plain Sight

Gon realized just how hungry he really was as he bit into his toast and proceeded to gulf it down, licking the sticky crumbs off his fingers.

The road to school was very familiar. He'd taken this route since he first started school when he was just a child. It was a route only he knew about and only he took, which meant he was alone but he was happy with that. True, Gon is a social creature and enjoys the company of others but he also enjoys the peace and quiet of nature. 

He closed his eyes as he walked, relishing in the cool breeze that blew a few strands of his hair on his face. The sun was higher in the sky now, the swirling blues and purples from earlier were gone and replaced by bright goldens and oranges. The trees swayed ever so slightly with the wind and seagulls could be heard in the distance along with the sound of the roaring waves. The temperature was just perfect as well. Warm, but not unbearable and there wasn't the usual humid stickiness in the air. Gon was thankful for that since he hated how uncomfortable humidity made him feel. It caused his clothes to stick his skin and made him feel like he was being suffocated by an invisible blanket of air. 

Gon stopped walking when he got to a fork in the road. 

On the left side was his usual route to the Middle School through a path of trees he'd created due to walking through it everyday for 10 years. On the right, was the road to High School. It led out of the trees and onto the sidewalk ahead. 

He adjusted the straps on his book bag and took the right path. 

As he walked he played games such as 'Avoid the crack in the sidewalk' and 'kick the rock'  to keep himself from becoming bored. He could see the outline of the High School up ahead and quickened his pace, his heart already beating rapidly from nerves and excitement. 

Along the way he greeted everyone he saw with a wave and a 'Good morning!', even though more often than not, he didn't get one in return. 

He was nearing the High School grounds, a nervous pit in his stomach starting to gnaw at him, causing him to slow his pace. 

Like a godsend, he saw his favorite librarian, Rey Hinata. Gon had known her for 3 years. They weren't especially close but he'd gotten his school books from her and he'd often stop by the library to check in on her. As far as he knew, she lived alone and didn't have any children. If you asked Gon to describe her, he would say "She's a nice woman!" But then again, Gon thinks everyone is nice. 

"Why, Gon is that you?" She adjusted her glasses with her frail, wrinkly fingers and squinted her dull, grey eyes as Gon's figure got closer to her, becoming clearer. 

"Sure is ma'am! Good morning!" Gon exclaimed with a wide grin, earning a similar grin from her in return. Her smile was gummy and awkward since she was missing a lot of her teeth but Gon was just happy to make her smile. 

Meanwhile, behind a nearby bush, Killua was watching the exchange between his two targets. He pulled his hand out of his pocket. I won't get another chance like this. He had ideally wanted to save number 13 for last, but this was an opportunity he couldn't miss. He stepped one foot forward, ready to jump out and attack the unsuspecting targets when he froze in his tracks, eyes wide. 

Just then Gon had caught a whiff of a delicious scent. Thanks to his hypersensitive nose, Gon is able to pick up subtle smells normal people can't. He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, the scent filling his nose and making his head feel fuzzy. Gon couldn't pinpoint exactly what it smelled it like. It was like a mixture of gardenias and something sweet, akin to chocolate and blue jolly ranchers. It wasn't an overpowering scent, it was gentle to his senses. It was a new scent, something Gon had never smelled before. He could tell exactly where it was coming from as he looked towards the bush emitting the scent.

Target 13 had closed his eyes. From the distance Killua couldn't make out what he was doing. Then his eyes opened and he turned his head to stare at the bush Killua was hiding in. The blood in his face drained, leaving the pale boy even paler than usual. 

That's impossible. He felt as if Target 13 was staring at him, as if he knew Killua's intentions, as if he sensed him even though Killua was sure he couldn't see him or hear him. Does he know? 

Then Gon looked back at the old woman and continued their conversation. 

Gon was curious to know what was creating the smell and debated walking to the bush when Hinata brought him from his thoughts.

"Gon dear, are you alright?" She had a concerned look on her face, her hand reaching out to him. He rubbed the back of his neck, feeling guilty for ignoring her. 

"Y-yeah, sorry about that. Just nervous is all." He made an excuse which wasn't exactly a lie since he really was nervous. 

"Today's your first day, right? Have a good day in school, sweetie." She said in her smooth, kind voice. Gon often thought of her as a grandmother figure. 

"Thank you, I will!" Gon gave her one last smile and ran the rest of the way onto the school grounds, his nerves finally gone. 

Target 13 bid farewell to the woman and ran towards the school. Killua didn't know how long he stayed there, crouching in the bush until his senses started coming back. He shook his head and  glanced between the two fading figures. 

Without a second thought he rushed out of the bush and ran up behind the target at inhuman speed. He decided take out his frustrations on her as he dug his hand into the old woman's chest, covering her mouth with his other hand before she could scream and pulling her towards a nearby bush. He grabbed a fistful of warm, wet flesh and pulled out his hand, panting heavily. His bloodlust was finally fading, leaving him with the same empty feeling he'd grown used to. 

He stared blankly at the woman, glancing between his blood stained hand that was curled around a lump of flesh and her limp body. Her limbs were splayed out in awkward positions, her legs buckled underneath her body and her arms stretched out, fingers digging into the dirt. He dropped the lump of flesh beside her body and wiped the blood off on her flower dress. He tried  his best to clean his hand until it was just a light shade of pink. He shoved it back inside his pocket. Hopefully there's a bathroom inside. 

A few groups of people were starting to make their way to the school and he walked out of the bush, trying his best to blend into the crowd. He began making his way towards the school, giving himself a mental note along the way that he'd have to start killing his targets in a less messy way.