Chapter 5

A/N: If I can start three chapters in a row with some variation of "eh!?" from three different characters, that is a glorious thing. (I probably need to start varying my chapter intro formula, honestly. It's all "jump into dialogue, wind back onto the settings, then just let things roll". Which is a fun formula tbh and probably not used enough globally. Gets you jumping right into the action if you use it right.)

Chapter Five

Late at night...

"Eh!?" Sencha exclaimed. "You're going to be famous?"

"In the news," Killua corrected grumpily. "So we can see if someone has a quirk that can help me."

They were hanging out in his new room - the Sencha's old guest room - sitting together on the floor. He had just gotten back from his talk with the news reporters.

"But still," Sencha said, eyes shining. "Famous!" Her hands flew into the air. "Oh, I can just imagine it. Our restaurant is going to get packed with all the people wanting to take a look at the famous Killua Zoldyck, the alternate universe boy, sweeping the floor."

Killua was disconcerted. "Do you really think that would happen?"

She paused, then grinned at him. "Maybe. Does one good to dream, though."

"Hmm. I suppose," Killua said skeptically. He paused then asked, in a lighter tone, "Ne, Sencha, why does your mom call you Kirko?"

Her eyes widened. "Oh! That's because that's my first name. Sencha is our family name. Is Killua your first name?"

He nodded. "So I've been calling you by your family name this whole time?" he asked, confused.

She laughed. "And I guess I thought I was calling you by your family name this whole time, when it was your first name. I did think Zoldyck was a bit of a strange first name."

"Well," Killua said, smiling. "If my parents had named me that, I might have ran away sooner."

She stared at him.

Something else he wasn't supposed to say?

"Er, they are…" He probably shouldn't mention they were assassins, by how her mother reacted when she heard he had just stolen something. And her mom was still acting funny around him too. "They're pretty controlling. They kept making me do things I didn't want to do and I decided I had enough. So I ran away." He smiled. "And when I ran off, I met Gon, my best friend."

"Huuh." She leaned back, looking contemplative. "It sounds like you really like him."

"Yeah," Killua said, smile growing wider, eyes more animated. "I mean, he even came to my family's to rescue me! Had to train to open a two ton door with one arm, got all beat up by my butler, but he still came! Even stood up to my brother for me. Can you believe it?" He laughed, smiling fondly. "He's crazy. My first friend, really."

Her eyes were wide. "It sounds like you both live a crazy life."

He thought he heard a spec of admiration in her voice.

"I know," he said, a touch smugly, leaning in as if to tell a secret. "And we're really strong, too. We got to the 200th floor of the Heavens Arena! I bought all the chocolate. 2 billion Jenny's worth."

Her mouth dropped open, then she closed it shut. "Jenny must be worth less than Yen, right?"

His eyes sparkled. "Nope! I checked; looks like they're about the same."

She stared at him. "I take it back. I don't know about your friend, but you're the really crazy one. How come your teeth haven't rotted yet?"

Killua was just about to cheekily say "special assassination training" but he stopped himself. Instead, he grinned, and said, "Secret."

She rolled her eyes. "Fine, fine. Keep your secrets. It's not like I won't be able to wiggle it out of you while you're here."

"You can try," Killua said, grinning in a way he hoped was menacingly. "But my lips are sealed. You'll never get it from me, Kirko."

She laughed. "Right. Don't worry, one day I'll steal your anti-teeth-rotting secrets, Zoldyck. You can count on it."

The next morning...

The restaurant was slam packed.

Kirko had been right. The news had brought them here.

"How did they find me?" he whispered to Sencha – Kirko. She looked just as terrified as he felt.

"I don't know," she replied, voice shocked. "I guess the media have their… ways."

Reluctantly, they both entered the restaurant, trying to treat the situation normally. Killua forcefully pretended that there were no eyes on him, that nothing was unusual, that this was how it always was. After some hours later of this, the whispers had finally begun to turn self questioning - "were the rumors really true?", "is that really the boy?" - and less eyes lingered on him.

He was relieved when the end of the day came, though he'd never admit it.

An hour after the restaurant closed...

"Wow," Sencha's mom said, approaching him. She looked somehow nervous, talking to him, but was smiling determinedly. "Never thought picking up a stray would give me this much trouble."

"Or business," Killua said, grinning back at her. She nodded, conceding the point.

Then her eyebrows drew together, and she lost the smile. She drew closer.

"Look, Killua, can I talk to you for a moment?"

Killua looked around. No one else was in the kitchen. "Sure," he shrugged.

She came even closer, speaking in a whisper.

"Look… I just want to make sure… that you never corrupt my daughter, you hear? If she steals something…"

Killua was confused.

"Don't worry," he said uncertainly. "I wouldn't want her to?"

Surprise flashed across the woman's face. "Oh, of course." She nodded, stepping back, clearing her throat. "Well, I'm glad." She straightened her apron then turned around, heading back upstairs, her steps stiff and awkward.

Killua stared off after her. What was that about?

These cultural differences were too weird, he thought.

Fifteen minutes later...

Killua was still in the kitchen, cleaning up some of the last dishes of the very busy day, when the window creaked.

Immediately on alert, Killua whirled around. His eyes widened as he recognized the intruder by her haggard, wrinkling features, red hair pulled into a long ponytail, a too-muscular physique.

It was the woman who had sent him into this world.

What - ?

"Killua Zoldyck," the woman hissed, not giving him time to wonder at her presence, her zetsu disappearing into a formidable ten. He raised his arms into a ready fighting stance, dragged one foot back for stability and easy mobility. He fed more aura into his Ten defense.

"What do you want?" he asked cautiously.

More importantly, how is she here? The cogs in his mind spun furiously. If she's here, could I...

"Prodigy of the Zoldyck family," she spat, ignoring his words, stepping forward menacingly as she spoke. Killua had to set aside his speculation in favor of maintaining his souped up ten. "Murderer of fathers at the age of six. I've finally found you, again, where no one will protect you. I just wanted to make it personal."

Killua stared at her flatly.

So this was all a revenge case, huh? Because of his stupid family.

But why send me here?

"I gave up assassination," he said cooly, not letting his growing confusion show. He couldn't get distracted. "You'd have had better luck going after the rest of my family."

The woman smiled tightly, then lunged. "The rest of your family didn't kill him!"

He dodged, but she had sent off a nen blast his way. It landed into the pots behind them, practically obliterating them. The remaining tiny metal scraps were sent flying around the kitchen.

I can't let that hit me, he thought, grimacing. This was a bad place to fight. Too cramped, and he didn't want the place to get destroyed -

The door to the kitchen swung open with a loud creak.

It was Sencha's mom, her face a picture of distraction. The fighters, just getting warmed up, both abruptly froze.

"Killua, I -"

Misses Sencha caught sight of what was going on in the kitchen, and went stock still.

"Well, shit," the crazy woman said, then, bursting into life. With a last angry glare at Killua, she turned tail and escaped out the open kitchen window.

It left Killua and Sencha's mom alone in the mess of a kitchen. Killua barely had time to feel relief or to wonder at the crazy lady's escape before Sencha's mom turned to him, wide-eyed, nearly hyperventilating, then, face all slack and numb, stepped forward and began pushing Killua bonelessly towards the exit door.

Killua could've resisted, but he didn't; he was too confused.

"Out!" Sencha's mom shrieked suddenly, voice hyperloud and shrill to his ears. "Out! You brought enough chaos to this house!"

Wide-eyed, Killua scampered towards the door and closed it shut behind him. Scanning the area around him, the crazy lady that had attacked him was nowhere to be seen. He turned back to the door, hesitating, hand pausing over the door handle.

Should I - ? he thought. Did she - just kick me out?

He had just decided to open the door again to apologize, hand closing over the handle, when he heard Sencha's mom abruptly crying through the door. He immediately relaxed his hand, dropping it back to his side, something within him falling at the sound. He took three steps back.

Then, stiffening his shoulders, he turned and walked away from the house.

And that was the end to Killua's "informal living arrangement" with the Senchas.