The woods are a peaceful place during the early hours of morning, just as the sun begins to rise. The animals remain quiet, eager to maintain the serenity. Only the soft blow of the wind rustles the leaves.

What a boring way to die, Hisoka thought as he looked as his surroundings.

He sat with his back against a tree looking toward a small creek. After his fight with Chrollo he had been severely injured and, though he fought knowing the probability of his death, he never imagined he'd actually die. At least, he'd always imagined killing his opponent before he died himself.

In a rare show of emotion, Hisoka scowled at the memory of the last moments of the battle. He'd suffered a deadly blow to his abdomen that wouldn't stop bleeding, even through the makeshift bandage he made out of his Texture Surprise. That was probably one of the properties of the Ben's Knife that Chrollo expertly stabbed between his ribs. The contents of Chrollo's Bandit Secret were far more vast than Hisoka originally assumed, and he was unprepared, leaving himself open to the attack.

His typical attacks could not find purchase anywhere on Chrollo, which had forced him to improvise. He'd shaped his aura into an elastic rope which had been gradually wrapped around Chrollo's neck. After removing the knife and assessing the damage, Hisoka decided with much chagrin that he couldn't draw-out the fight any longer and shrunk the aura around Chrollo. Hisoka had been pleased when he saw his Bungee Gum biting into the neck of his opponent.

The pleasure was short lived. The red-eyed boy broke through his aura with those interesting chains and carted Chrollo away before Hisoka knew what was happening. Quite a respectable feat.

And that left him to wander a little farther into the woods toward the creek before he could admit to himself that the blood loss was taking its toll. It would be an anticlimactic death for him, to have had such an exciting battle and die hours later, in the midst of butterflies and furry creatures.

How depressing

Gon had been traveling all hours of the day and night, resting only when fatigue made him. He had been beckoned back to Yorknew City by Killua, who had finally returned to the continent after years of traveling with his younger sister, or brother, Gon still couldn't get it straight. Eager to arrive, Gon had pushed through the evening, missing supper in the process. As the sun peeked over the horizon, the hunger pains in Gon's stomach became abundantly clear and he was forced to head toward the creek.

He rustled through his backpack to find the collapsible fishing rod he'd gotten to replace the one from his childhood. He'd grown quite a bit, though at 16 he still had a ways to go. With a flick of his wrist the collapsed rod flew forward and locked into place just as he reached the shallow bank of the creek. Gon hung his backpack on a tree branch and scouted the best fishing spot.

Three steps south and he stopped in his tracks. There was a presence, very faint, but indeed there. And it was close. Gon had made sure on this particular journey to conceal his presence with extra care to avoid unnecessary confrontation. He could tell this nen user was using zetsu, but they either weren't very good, or were distracted.

Gon was about to turn back when he noticed some familiarity about this person's aura. I've felt this aura before, he thought, torn between finding his lunch and investigating further. He stood, contemplating.

If I know this person, and their zetsu is so weak, they could be in trouble. On the other hand, it could be someone dangerous who just doesn't care whether they're found.

Gon's personality won-out, leaning toward option one, and checked his zetsu once more before vanishing silently into the trees. Even without zetsu most people would be unable to detect him, given his childhood. His steps left no sound.

As he neared the aura his sense of familiarity grew, he'd definitely been exposed to this aura many times. When he was twenty feet away, he allowed himself to peek through the leaves. Instantly he recognized this person and felt fear and worry simultaneously. Fear was a normal reaction he had when encountering Hisoka on his own. But the worry was not for himself, it was for Hisoka.

Even from a distance Gon could see the wound and the stain it left on the tree Hisoka leaned in to. Obviously, he didn't have much longer, even Gon knew a person couldn't survive after losing that much blood. His fear slowly abbated and he stood.

A movement to Hisoka's right caused him to look over in surprise. A boy, wait, a young man stood almost seven yards away, half hidden by the foliage. I didn't sense him...he smiled, 95...he would make a good opponent. His thoughts were incredulous, given his current situation, but he couldn't help himself. Maybe his death wouldn't be so boring.

He felt the stranger release his zetsu slowly and recognition blossomed, "Gon! My young fruit has ripened. "

"Hisoka." Gon said in response, still wary.

"Oh, come now, is that any way to greet an old friend? " Hisoka cocked his head to the side and smiled.

Gon stepped out of the brush and with one quick hop he was across the creek and less than five feet away from Hisoka. "You're hurt."

"I see you've enhanced your skill in stating the obvious," Hisoka said, slightly disappointed. He'd hoped for a much more interesting conversation. He looked away, and tried to focus on the small fish in the stream, but they kept blurring. Not much longer now...

"I would say 'wait here' but I don't think you can stand." he heard Gon say and looked back only to see Gon's figure retreating at an impressive pace. Hisoka sighed and closed his eyes. He kept them closed even when Gon returned, though he could tell he carried something.

"Take off your shirt." Gon said, causing Hisoka's eyes to spring open, he looked to Gon raising an eyebrow, "How am I supposed to treat the wound otherwise?"

He can't be serious... Hisoka fought a look of surprise off his face and though he was extremely confused, he obliged and removed his shirt.

"Thought so, your blood isn't clotting. And coupled with this wound, I'd say a Ben's knife? I know they have some weird properties about them," He didn't wait for Hisoka to respond and continued thinking out loud, "Without knowing exactly what was used to stop clotting, I can only guess how to treat it, but I'm pretty sure this will work."

Gon pulled some herbs from his pack and chewed them before smearing them onto the wound. He didn't talk again as he worked, taking a cloth and cleaned the blood from Hisoka's abdomen to see clearly. When he saw the blood-flow noticeably slow, he chewed more herbs and packed them around the wound. In a few hours, after the herbs dried fully, they would come off easily and reveal a scab.

Hisoka watched Gon take his bloody shirt and rinse it in the stream, his confusion growing. Looking down at the herbs stuck to his body he realized that Gon had grown exponentially from when they'd last met on Greed Island. When he thought about the game of dodgeball with Razor his confusion ebbed slightly. Gon was the type of person who did what he thought was right, and he would do it his way. Even as a child, once a decision was made, he followed through to the best of his ability. So, thought Hisoka as Gon hung his clean, damp shirt on a branch nearby, Gon has decided I must live.

He continued to watch in silence while Gon pulled out his fishing rod once more and sat at the edge of the bank with his back to Hisoka. "Why Gon, such trust in me! How do you know I won't attack you? " So naive, despite his experience.

Gon turned his head and smiled, looking at Hisoka, "I don't think you like to attack someone who isn't prepared, that's not challenging enough. Besides," he turned toward the creek again and his voice lowered in pitch, "you don't know what I'm capable of." He said, thinking back to his fight with Pitou. The intensity and darkness in his voice made Hisoka's smile broaden, the boy really had changed.

A second later, Gon threw a decent sized fish at Hisoka's feet, "You're feeling better, make yourself useful." His voice was direct, but relatively cheerful.

Hisoka, having decided to accept Gon's actions without further thought, pulled the fish to him, "I don't have the proper tools."

"Oh!" Gon exclaimed, forgetting Hisoka was a minimalist in regards to weaponry, wedged the fishing pole between two rocks and began digging through his pack. Hisoka was slowly reviving and could now focus more on the boy, watching his movements. Gon had grown substantially in height and muscle definition. His easy crouch was reminiscent of an animal, an assessment which excited Hisoka. The fruit was no longer green.

Withdrawing a small knife from his bag Gon handed it to Hisoka. Their hands brushed each other briefly, but in that second an awareness hit them both like a jolt of electricity. Visibly surprised, Gon stood abruptly and returned to fishing before either could let out the breath they'd unconsciously been holding in. Hisoka flexed his hand before attending to the fish keeping the bulk of his attention on Gon.

His fish was gutted and cleaned when Gon caught the second. He built a fire and skewered Hisoka's fish on a spit before cleaning his own. As he retrieved the knife he focused on avoiding skin to skin contact, though it did little to help. Gon's awareness of the man in front of him was so strong it was almost painful. It scared him, this unidentifiable feeling.

They ate in silence, Gon's eyes downcast. It gave Hisoka an extended opportunity to study him. He was shocked and displeased with himself for his reaction earlier. Years before, when he'd first met Gon, he felt a pull toward the boy that he could identify as an eagerness to experience the full potential. Which is why he'd waited, and waited, despite many opportunities. He liked the challenge or, more accurately, he needed it as Gon so shrewdly assessed earlier. This pull, what he'd felt when their hands touched, was different entirely. It was that fact causing him displeasure enough to make him frown.

There was no reason for Hisoka to travel with anyone. If he respected them enough, he'd eventually want to fight them which was fine and even desirable to him. But thinking back, he'd spent a large amount of time with Gon on Greed Island without a single thought of a fight. His frown deepened.

Gon threw water on the fire after finishing his meal and took a deep breath. He knew it was time to check the pack over Hisoka's wound and dreaded it. He looked to Hisoka who was looking at the dying embers, scowling. "Hisoka," he said trying to sound as nonchalant as possible, "I should check your wound again."

Hisoka said nothing and, without so much as a glance at Gon, repositioned himself so Gon could access his side. Closing the gap, Gon felt like he might suffocate on the tension, but his hands were steady as he tested the pack. Finding it was dry enough, he took the cloth he used to clean up the blood to wash away the herbs. He inspected the scab and saw slight redness around it which could have meant there was an infection. In full first-aid mode, he felt the pink skin with the back of his fingers to test the temperature.

The second his fingers connected a pale hand circled his wrist and threw him back with surprising force. Gon gracefully came to ground ten feet away, "You don't have an infection." he said simply, noting he had Hisoka's full attention, "I still need to wrap it, the scab is fragile and the wound could open again." Without waiting for a reply he went back to his bag and pulled out his small roll of bandages. He could feel the hostility in Hisoka's aura but continued anyway.

"I won't touch you," he said softly. The hostility broached itself in Hisoka's eyes as he glared at Gon and still, Gon continued. He crouched next to Hisoka and waited for him to cooperate. Finally, Hisoka leaned forward and rested both hands behind his head in a deceptively relaxed position and Gon began to wrap the bandage. He pressed on the wound with one side of the cloth and brought it around Hisoka's back, overlapping the origin so he could free his hand. Contact with a barrier seemed to be manageable. After twice wrapping the bandage he cut a few inches in excess and handed it to Hisoka so he could tuck it beneath the wrappings at his chest.

Standing up, he retrieved Hisoka's shirt and threw it on his lap before packing his backpack. He cast a glance at Hisoka, who's rage had abated somewhat, "I'm staying until I think you can defend yourself against someone as strong as me." With that, Gon leapt quickly to the branch above Hisoka and settled in.

The tension did not decrease with distance. Hisoka could feel Gon's every movement and every breath. It was irritating. What was more was his lack of blood lust. How many times had he envisioned his final showdown with Gon? And yet here he was, allowing himself to be cared for by him, granted he would have died otherwise. Even so, the boy had power over him.

I should have let Illumi kill him after the Hunters Exam. Losing such young and exciting prey would be more desirable than his current situation. Even then his possessive nature toward the boy was inconsistent with his personality. He resigned himself to rectify the situation the next day. His wound was healing at an alarming rate considering how near to death he'd been just this morning. After hours of rest his body began to regain strength and he knew he'd be ready for a fight in just a few more.

He glanced up at Gon once before allowing himself to sleep.

Gon knew the moment Hisoka fell asleep. The horizon was vivid with purple, orange, and red as the sun set and the physical toll Hisoka had endured caused the fatigue that lulled him into unconsciousness. Gon had felt the change in Hisoka as well when the rage left his aura and all that remained was calm. He knew that meant Hisoka had made a decision on how he would deal with this unusual situation. Most likely the decision was to finish what he'd started so many years ago during their fight in Heaven's Arena.

He calculated the amount of sleep he'd need to stay ahead of Hisoka until he reached Yorknew. A little under two hours would suffice if he wanted to travel constantly for the next two days. The problem was that the city was more than four days away. In two days, Hisoka would be fully healed and Gon would no longer have an advantage over him. On the other hand, if he left now, he'd be able to make a day and a half of headway before he'd need rest, and likely, he'd be too far for Hisoka to track.

With inhuman grace he sprung up the tree and reached the top in seconds. He felt guilty, leaving Hisoka asleep and unguarded, but he knew if he stayed he'd have a battle tomorrow and Gon was unsure of how he could fight Hisoka after all that had happened.

He thought, slightly torn, about what he could do to ensure Hisoka's safety even after leaving him and remembered a technique that might help. Neferpitou's En had a massive range and since experiencing it, Gon had practiced projecting his En farther away. Of course there was no one who could match Pitou's, but Gon one day wanted his to surpass Zeno's, Killua's grandfather. Though he could no longer see Hisoka, Gon felt his aura and focused on that. If he could wrap his En around Hisoka he'd be able to project without him knowing.

Gon felt power building up inside him and released it away from him, maintaining a small distance from Hisoka. A white, glowing erruption burst forth and stretched farther than it ever had before. Satisfaction formed a smirk on Gon's face. He'd definitely be stronger than Killua!

He stayed still for an hour, testing his stamina. After another thirty minutes, when Gon still hadn't grown weak from exerting so much aura, he knew he would be able to hold his En for a few more hours until he needed to release. he focused the epicenter around Hisoka and set off through the trees. He'd gone about sixty meters before he reached the end of his En.

This was something he'd forgotten to think through. If he had to release his En after sixty meters what was the point! Exasperated, he sat cross legged on a branch and wracked is brain again for a solution. He knew that most people could only extend their En about as far as he had, and that Zeno's stretched about five times farther. Even Pitou's at it's lowest point reached around a hundred meters.

Understanding trickled through Gon's brain. If Pitou could extend his En in tendrils, it was possible for Gon to as well. He hopped back a few trees and pulled in his aura. A forty meter radius should suffice if he could wrap some around himself and extend it with his movements. Gon tried to picture the elasticity of Hisoka's aura as he jumped forward. He felt his aura try to pull him back in and struggled to jump to the next tree. His breath came in heavy, desperate pants and he looked back to the glowing dome ten meters behind him. His aura extended from the dome in a tube shape until it met his body, where it hugged him tightly. Now that he could see how it worked, he could manipulate it better.

He jumped from tree to tree, slowly at first, but reaching his normal speed after a few hours. Every inch he put between himself and Hisoka made the tube connecting him to his En dome smaller and smaller in diameter. Though his body was physically able to continue at his current pace, he wasn't sure how long he could maintain his aura.

His answer came just thirty minutes later, after he'd gone a few miles, when the sun crept into the sky. He paused and released his aura just as he felt Hisoka enter it. The feeling of Hisoka's presence felt so close, though miles separated them. Something clenched in Gon's stomach, making him feel sick and excited at the same time. He took a deep breath and gave himself a few minutes to recover some of his energy before he continued, this time pushing himself faster than before.

Hisoka woke when it was still dark out, though the aura around him was brighter than the midday sun. He was instantly alert, checking the open space around him before studying the aura once more. It was far enough away from him that he hadn't been woken by it as he slept, but now that he was awake he knew this was En. What he did not know, was why it was encircling him.

He didn't sense Gon in the tree above him, nor in the ones nearby so he knew he'd left. It is possible that he left while I slept. But then, who's aura is this?

There were many ways for a nen-user to keep tabs on someone. Just being in close proximity was enough to tell where someone was. But if you wanted to know the exact moment someone moved nearer to you, En was the best option. The most likely reason this aura surrounded Hisoka was to track his movements. It was cleverly placed around him, a smaller dome of free space inside a massive dome of aura. No matter which way he chose, no matter what he did, they would know exactly where he was.

If this nen-user wanted to ambush Hisoka, it certainly would make for an interesting game. He glided to his feet in a fluid movement and tested his wound. Whatever Gon had used was very effective. There was no more pain, though there was sure to be some internal damage that still needed time to be repaired. That weakness aside, Hisoka felt more than up for a little action.

He boldly stepped forward into the aura, daring his opponent to show himself. The moment he touched it compassion and caring coursed through him shocking him, rendering him immobile. Upon his entrance, the En dissipated, leaving him alone in the morning light, still as a statue.

What...

Gon, who hadn't anticipated such an intense reaction from Hisoka, still pushed himself further and further away. Desperate for the distance and hoping with enough miles he would feel better. As he leapt for another branch he was surprised to find his legs give out instead of propelling him forward. As he fell to the ground his exhaustion hit him. He'd been traveling for more than twelve hours at break-neck pace and his body would not continue. He used a final burst of strength to push him above the leaves and barely secured himself to a branch before vaguely hoping he'd be well enough hidden, and fell into a deep and immediate sleep.