Two boys floated on the pool, lying on their backs and gazing up at the distant ceiling.
Each had an orange-and-white-striped inflatable float, allowing them to drift lazily across the crystal-clear water. From a distance, the two boys were little more than a pair of visible specks against the otherwise undisturbed surface.
The gentle sound of flowing water and occasional splashes echoed throughout the enormous pool. With nothing else to do for the moment, they simply relaxed, allowing themselves to enjoy the unusual sense of peace and tranquility that surrounded them.
No one was there to disturb or lecture them. Most importantly, they had the entire place to themselves.
Their urgency to find an exit hadn't diminished, but the tranquil atmosphere of the poolrooms had given them an opportunity to rest. For now, they allowed themselves this brief respite.
Killua Zoldyck, however, remained mentally active, constantly thinking of ways to escape their prison. He had initially considered the possibility that the place had been created through Nen, but he was no longer entirely convinced.
The main issue was its immense spatial dimensions. The place wasn't an illusion or a hallucination, and they certainly weren't dreaming.
Everything was tangible and could be interacted with, yet there were no visible mechanisms or other obvious explanations for its existence. Furthermore, the place didn't appear to loop back on itself.
The only noticeable anomaly was the occasional eruption that seemed to affect the entire environment. Since their arrival, they had experienced several earthquakes, during which the walls and floors glowed with a phantasmal shade of green.
It had happened while they were in the old office complex, and it had occurred again in the poolrooms. Despite his attempts to make sense of their surroundings, Killua still had more questions than answers.
He sighed, temporarily setting aside his thoughts before glancing at Gon Freecs.
A soft snore reached his ears. Gon had already fallen asleep while floating on the water. His inflatable float bumped against Killua's before slowly drifting away.
Killua gently splashed the water with both hands as he stared at the ceiling, engaging in his usual fidgeting.
"He really can sleep anywhere. I envy him sometimes."
A loud clang echoed from somewhere in the distance, immediately putting both Killua on alert and waking Gon. They both fell silent, remaining perfectly still. Then came another clang.
The sound wasn't random. It followed a distinct rhythm, and Killua quickly recognized what it was.
"Those are footsteps, Gon."
Killua said, his anxiety gradually mounting. He had grown accustomed to the persistent ringing in his ears caused by the surrounding silence, but something new had finally broken through the monotonous sound.
"I figured as much." Gon muttered as he slowly made his way toward the pool's ladder.
"Let's check it out and conceal ourselves with Zetsu." Killua suggested.
...
...
...
The metallic footsteps grew progressively louder. Whoever was making them wasn't attempting to conceal their presence, but the boys soon noticed something else. Each step sounded unusually heavy, as though the individual responsible was either injured or carrying burden.
Killua and Gon cautiously advanced toward the source of the noise, keeping their Zetsu active to conceal their presence. After some time spent following the sounds, they eventually reached a corridor where a messy trail had been left across the floor.
A viscous black liquid.
A white liquid.
And, in some places, a mixture of the two.
However, what attracted their attention the most was a massive footprint imprinted on the floor. There were no visible tread patterns or other markings, only a large, hollow impression left behind by an enormous foot.
A loud cough resonated from somewhere farther down the corridor, followed by heavy breathing and incomprehensible muttering. Judging by the voice alone, the boys suspected that whoever was ahead of them was a man, and an injured one at that.
Killua glanced at the trail.
"What is this guy? A robot?"
"That's oil right, Gon?" Killua asked as Gon crouched down to touch and sniff the strange liquid.
"Some of it is but I don't know about the rest. There's no blood or anything."
As they continued creeping toward the source, the familiar sensation of being watched returned. Both boys immediately turned around, only to find an empty corridor stretching behind them.
There was nobody in sight.
Nevertheless, they couldn't shake the feeling that someone was nearby, perhaps concealed around a corner. They couldn't quite explain the sensation, especially since whoever was observing them didn't seem to harbor any malicious intent toward them.
At least, not yet.
"Killua... what should we do?" Gon asked, gulping.
"We have two choices Gon, either we turn back and possibly face whomever is watching us or we continue to move forward and see whoever is walking ahead."
Killua muttered as he glanced forward. "I have a feeling that whoever's watching us may be responsible for the current state of whoever's ahead of us. Remember, this place has a lot of corridors and hallways. Meaning, there are plenty of ways to escape through. We can also hide in the pool to get rid of our scents."
With that, Gon motioned for him to continue forward, nodding in the direction of the trail they had been following.
They kept their focus on the road ahead and moved carefully, deciding to disregard the eerie feeling of being observed for now, remaining extremely vigilant.
Eventually, they caught up with whoever had been leaving the trail.
What they saw left both boys deeply surprised. They had arrived in another enormous room filled with pools, though the water here appeared considerably deeper than in the previous areas.
The figure they had been tracking was a hulking humanoid robot, standing approximately three meters tall. Both of its arms were missing, with electrical sparks and strange fluids periodically leaking from the damaged areas.
Most of its body was covered in a black metallic sheen.
However, its enormous frame was also scarred beyond recognition, with visible marks and scratches covering nearly every surface. It looked as though the figure wore a suit of armor that had been permanently implanted into its body.
The two boys peeked from the open entrance.
"It looked like he barely survived a battle. What is he? A robotic human?"
"Is he even human?"
The robotic figure suddenly turned around, revealing part of its face. The two of them managed to hide behind the wall in time. A skull with glowing red eyes stared back.
Its face was badly blemished, and whatever remained of its original features barely resembled those of a human. It was almost entirely metallic, with hardly any visible traces of blood.
"Show yourself you fucking asshole. I will tear you out a new one."
The figure roared, its voice a disturbing mixture of synthetic and human sounds. However, its voice was failing. Its throat appeared to have been nearly torn apart, with electrical sparks occasionally escaping from the damaged area.
Gon and Killua exchanged glances before shaking their heads.
They couldn't understand what the robotic figure was saying. Even if its damaged vocal cords hadn't distorted its voice, they still wouldn't have understood him, as he was speaking an entirely different language.
"What? Two fucking brats? All organic? Eat shit you fucking meat bags."
The two boys remained hidden behind the wall near the entrance. It wasn't until Killua heard a distinct click, followed by the sound of something launching, that he reacted.
He immediately grabbed Gon and leaped away. The wall they had been hiding behind was eviscerated, blown apart by a powerful explosion.
"A rocket?" Killua muttered.
"How is he doing that?" Gon answered as he rose to his feet and stretched his muscles.
"Well, Killua? Are we going to face him?"
(The next chapter is intense yuri.)