Chapter Text
The doors opened with a quiet whoosh, and a group of five people in perfectly pressed suits stepped inside. The room was big, white and as sterile as could be. Examination tables peppered the blankness with an eerie metallic sheen, and scent of antiseptic permeating the room did nothing to make it more comfortable. Here is where Alluka Zoldyck stood along with her brothers Killua, Illumi, and her sister Kalluto, headed by their father. Illumi and Kalluto were positioned respectively up and to either side while Alluka and Killua lingered farther behind, sticking close together.
“This is the examination room. You won’t be spending much time in here; it’s mainly inhabited by the lower class people collecting specimen samples.” Alluka could feel Killua tense up in the slightest of ways. She brushed her hand against the back of his to calm the rage bubbling barely underneath the surface. They both despised the way their father talked about the lower class workers as if they were some different species entirely, like they were disposable parts that had no real meaning or value. The sample collectors were the foundation of the entire organization, without them there would be no data to examine, nothing to gain. The group continued through an identical set of doors and up and elevator (all of these requiring codes and security badges) before arriving in a finely decorated hallway with offices bearing name plates.
Illumi Zoldyck- Head of Field Operations
Killua Zoldyck- Head of Specimen Studies
Alluka Zoldyck- Head of Communications
Kalluto Zoldyck- Head of Defense
An inner door linked Killua and Alluka’s offices, since their jobs were heavily connected. Killua collected the final data and looked it over for any errors before handing it over to Alluka so she could dictate what was disclosed and what was not.
“This concludes the tour of the facility. My office is on the top floor, if you have any questions, think over them first before asking me.” Their father stalked back towards the elevator, looking each of them directly in the eye before punching the top floor button. The doors closed, and all the Zoldyck siblings released a little tension. Illumi’s phone rang, breaking the silence.
“Illumi.”
“Bro! You’re finally in the company.” A tinny voice whined from the speaker.
“Yes, Milluki. We all are. What do you want?”
“Tell everyone to check their desktop emails for their first assignments. Oh, and can you get someone to send me some snacks? The vending machine down here is all empty and I’m starving.”
“Got it.” Illumi ended the call, and the group split into their offices.
Alluka looked around the room. It was monochromatic, strictly business with nothing even remotely entertaining inside. A sleek black couch and a fine coffee table were the only furnishings in the room other than her desk (chair, desktop, and office supplies included), company posters and a single bluetooth speaker. She sighed. Some color would have to be incorporated; it was going to be her office. She gently placed her bag on the chair and unzipped it about halfway.
“You can come out now, it’s safe here.” A tiny head popped out at the request and stared at Alluka before squirming frantically, wiggling its way out of the bag. She lifted the small being up very gently and setting it down in her palm. Wide golden eyes accompanied a glowing smile so big it looked like the little guy’s face would split. A tail as long as its body swished gently and finlike ears perked at Alluka’s grin. The connecting door opened and Killua stepped in.
“Wow, it looks just like my office. Great. They don’t even have a joystation in here! This is anarchy! I’m gonna get so bored that I’ll electrocute something by ‘accident’, I swear!” Killua looked like a cherry tomato, cheeks puffed out and face red with irritation. His grump streak broke when a tiny tinkle of laughter came from Alluka’s palm, and Alluka herself soon joined in. “Oh, great, now both my sister and Gon are laughing at me. Not only a human, but also the thing we’re trying to find a cure for!” He heaved a sigh. “I guess he’s one of the better mutants I’ve seen, though. I wonder what he’d look like as a straight-up flat-out person sometimes. How’s he doing?” Alluka had regained her composure save for a wide grin, but Gon was still rolling with chimes of laughter.
“He’s doing really well. I expect that he’ll start growing rapidly within the week, given the size mutants normally grow to. He can’t have been more than twelve or thirteen when the virus hit him though.” Alluka’s eyes saddened slightly, as did her tone. “Hopefully we can find a cure soon, before the mutations become unbearable and he succumbs to it. I mean, just look at him! He’s so happy and cheerful, just like a person. He’s even starting to talk.” Gon had stopped laughing and was focused on Killua. He pointed a minute finger at him, and inhaled as deeply as a tiny mutant could.
“Kiwooah!” Gon yelled, so that the sound would be audible to normal-sized people. He pointed at Alluka next. “Awookah! Gon woves Kiwooah an Awookah!” Alluka’s gaze softened further.
“We love you too, Gon.” The little boy radiated joy, tail furling and unfurling. Alluka gave him to Killua, who entered a staring contest with Gon. She turned back and started the computer, looking over her first assignment. Her eyes narrowed and brow wrinkled in confusion. Surely, this couldn’t be right. This must have been meant for Illumi, not her, but the email was addressed to her. “Hey, Killua, come look at this...” She read over the letter again. Killua set Gon down on the desk (he climbed onto the mouse and played with the trackball, trilling quietly) and scanned the screen.
“Alluka,” he began, “I think we’ve been found out.”