A/N: Err... *clears throat* this is my first time ever to join the KuroKura week on Tumblr! Uhm, I only have a very limited time to work on this and I'm honestly nervous (I don't even know what on earth I was writing ) buuuut here you are! This is a multi-chaptered fic I made for three consecutive prompts which are Panic, Present and Failure. I don't know if I broke a rule by creating this kind of format but I did my best. I hope you enjoy and comments and kudos are much appreciated!
Beta: None.
It was taking Kurapika tremendous amount of willpower and self-control to stop himself from pouncing on Kuroro Lucifer now sitting across him to wipe that smug smirk off of his face and punch him until he bled to death.
Okay, maybe the vibes he gave off as he sipped on his coffee so calmly like this was just one sunny morning was another point to take into account. For one: this Kuroro wasn't like that man Kurapika captured months ago, beat to pulp and left stranded helplessly in the middle of nowhere. Twice stronger, more menacing, more confident and if anything, more arrogant. This version of Kuroro Lucifer was far more intimidating, and Kurapika's guts were telling him he shouldn't jump the gun and wreak havoc here.
The place had to be taken into consideration as well. They were in the dining lounge of the VIP decks of Black Whale. There were people around, quite a lot of them, with names and titles amongst the society. One wrong move and it would cost him his post as one of the legit bodyguards of one of the Kakin princes. In fact there were a number of factors that preventing him from letting his anger get into his head more than it already had.
He was having his short coffee break in the lounge when this bastard casually approached his table and asked for the vacant seat. He almost lost it there and then upon seeing the distinct dark eyes and hair with a bandage around his forehead covering a cross-shaped tattoo on it. But when he was about to get on his feet, Lucifer spoke with his deep and brusque voice, eyes sharp and warning, aura ferocious and roiling about, killing intent directed right into him that had Kurapika frozen on the spot, instinctively wary and disbelieving.
Oh, god. This couldn't be.
The Judgment Chain had been lifted…
"Stay still. Sit back and let's talk, if you please," the unnervingly good manners and the smile plastered on his face contrasted the bloodlust he was shooting exclusively to him. Kurapika grew more unsettled but he sensed the eyes around the lounge that began to turn towards their direction, likely because of his sudden movement or they were sensing Kuroro's oozing dark aura.
He sat back down his chair, eyes not leaving Lucifer's that were looking back at him. Kurapika mustered all the discretion he could sap out of himself and breathed in, deep but not visible, to calm himself down.
Question started to flood his mind once he believed he could think straight. How come Lucifer had the chain lifted and he didn't know? What on earth was he doing here? And why the hell did he become so much stronger than he was before?
Silence settled between them as they regarded each other contemplative looks. Kuroro beckoned the waiter and made his order while Kurapika studied him from head to foot with glaring eyes that threatened to shift into scarlet any moment by now. Kuroro spared him a glance that told him that his reactions amused him with a 'you really hate me, don't you' mocking narrowing of his eyes.
The bastard was making fun out of his temper and Kurapika couldn't do anything about it. His sheer existence brought raging wildfire of wrath enough to burn hell to crisp, and that bled on his entire expression. But he had to keep it cool because he couldn't afford to lose it here; not now that he had gone this far, with his opponent twice or even thrice much stronger than him sitting so casually across him. Thanks to growing up and becoming a young boss and a leader to his fellow bodyguards, he learned how to manage his anger and keep his mind in check else he would have chocked Kuroro with his nen chain.
Lucifer's coffee arrived shortly, and that was when Kurapika decided to break the ice.
"What do you want?" His voice was flat yet edgy.
"Relax, boy. I mean no harm," he shot him a piercing stare that sent chills down Kurapika's spine and shit, he really had gone into a whole new level. "There's no need for hostility. I just want to talk, really."
"Really? Your nen says otherwise. Don't waste my time. Do you want to fight me and finish this once and for all? We have an unfinished business after all, but I'm afraid we're not in a suitable place. We can—"
"Like what I keep saying, I mean no harm," Kuroro smiled at the apparent attempt of the blond to pull him out of the lounge; despite turning into a ball of pure loathing, was still mindful of having innocent casualties of his blazing fire. "In fact, I have a good offer for you. Say, how does a truce sound?"
"Truce?" Kurapika enunciated the word with the coldest voice possible.
"Yes. A ceasefire you can say, from both sides."
"Okay," Kurapika wasn't buying it but he played along. "And why should I agree with this truce you are offering me?"
"Because Genei Ryodan is busy with work as much as you are, Mr. Newly Appointed Zodiac Member."
Kurapika was alarmed but not surprised. He didn't even bother wondering how the bastard knew that. "You must be mistaken, bastard. Chasing after you is a part of my work as a Zodiac and a Hunter."
"But not as important as protecting a Kakin prince and keeping Beyond Netero from breaking free once the ship reached the Dark Continent as of the moment. Moreover, you have Tserriednich to deal with. There are so many on your plate and you can't possibly chew them all at once. So before you jump on any of us, I might as well wave the white flag temporarily and prevent any unnecessary fights."
"And what, of all things, made you think I'll accept the offer?"
Kuroro chuckled. "I know you won't concede that easily so of course I've prepared an ace or two up my sleeves for you. Let's start with the classic threatening. You know damn well that with one command, I can have your friends be held hostage again, right? Ah, I think I saw that friend of yours, Leorio, isn't it? I have asked one of my comrades to watch over him. Pretty weak, he can be easily outdone by any of us. Yes," upon seeing Kurapika's knuckles curling and eyes changing slightly to crimson, Kuroro smiled. "We are all on board. Secondly, I found that you are guarding the youngest and the weakest prince of the Kakin royalty. A baby girl and her mother. I wonder what it would be like if they get into danger due to your negligence since you're busy working on your personal errands. I don't think that'll do any good. Lastly, Tserriednich. You are after him, right? Have you gotten any closer to him?" The silence Kurapika subconsciously ensued broke Kuroro's grin wider. "I bet you haven't. Well, let me tell you something: he's one of my targets, too."
"What—"
"As much as I want to get rid of you all for good, I judged that this is not the right time and place for it. We're going to an unexplored land with so much danger and if we'll see things technically, we're more or less on the same side on this expedition. I won't call it comradery because I know you'd rather die than to think of this that way. So instead of wasting our energy fighting a useless fight, why not preserve it for the upcoming battle on the continent? We all do want to go back to the mainland, safe and sound, after all. Once we're back, you can go all out again. Well in my opinion, whether we fight on the continent or in York Shin, the result will be just the same. I'll win, and you'll die. It's just about how soon or how late."
They both knew that Kuroro didn't say that out of conceit. It was true, and Kurapika understood it.
"But just like what I said, I won't waste my nen for that. So for the time being, why don't we just cool it off? Who knows, we can even work together to get Tserriednich: I'm sure he has something valuable with him when he boarded. Maybe that includes the eyes you are so badly looking for."
"Now that's being delusional," Kurapika tried to mask his infuriation at the suggestion with a sarcastic frown. "There's no way in hell I'll be working with you."
"Yeah right. If you say so. Okay, next is bargaining. I've figured you might be unfazed by my threats but I have here something that you likely will think very interesting."
"But nothing is as interesting as you dying while choking on that coffee you're drinking if you ask me. But I'll humor you while I'm at it. Convince me more, Kuroro Lucifer." Kurapika narrowed his eyes, tilting his head up a little.
"You know Ms. Neon Nostrad, do you?"
"I do. What about her?"
"Then you should be aware of her ability—"
"—which you stole from her. I know tidbits of your ability, thanks to Hisoka."
"Good, then," Kuroro then stuffed one hand inside his pocket, fishing out a folded piece of paper and a pen. He placed the items on the table and pushed it towards Kurapika. "I don't have to elaborate things anymore. Write down your full name, date of birth, and blood type."
"What the hell—" Kurapika was about to snarl when realization hit him. "—you are going to make a prophecy for me?"
"Free of charge should you agree on my offer."
"No, thank you," Kurapika deadpanned, shoving the paper back to the man.
"Aw. Don't you want to know if you'll be any lucky to get closer to Tserriednich, if the prince you are in-charge with will get into the continent safely and if your refusal to cooperate will cause death to the ones you are close with within this ship? Come on, you should know that your boss used to rake in money with how accurate and reliable his daughter's prophecies were."
"Why do you want to make a prophecy for me to begin with anyway?"
"Because I think it's fun?"
"Not only delusional, you're also utterly nuts."
"I don't mind if I'm a certified one, being normal is boring anyway. So, what do you think? Do you want to know what lies ahead on your journey to the continent?" Kuroro gave him an amicable grin.
'What lies ahead on your journey to the continent,' now that had Kurapika thinking. Recollection of the past events on their first days in Black Whale played in his mind.
Swarming parasitic type nen monsters wielded by fourteen princes all over the VIP deck. Fellow bodyguards dropping dead and getting killed by another one who seemed oblivious of what he did. Mizaistom told him that the conditions on the lower decks were getting worse, well the same goes for the upper decks actually. Kurapika's team had gone weaker than it already was and he couldn't trust Woble's parasitic nen beast to be strong enough and cooperate to back him up and protect his employers. Heck, he couldn't even tell what it really was. He barely managed to take down Sairid which he was sure was manipulated by the nen beasts into killing his comrades. The abilities and defenses of these monsters were complex and unknown; he couldn't just take them easily. To think that they had to face these terrifying creatures and they had yet to arrive at the Dark Continent, Kurapika couldn't help but fret about what this journey's outcome would be.
As much as it was hard to accept, Lucifer had a point. At this rate, the possibility of all the passengers of the Black Whale getting in danger or worse, killed by the other passenger on the lower decks and the nen beast on the higher floors was highly likely. And indeed, the situation sort of called for a truce.
In fact, it was somehow a relief in Kurapika's side that Kuroro offered it first. Should he have seen the guy first, he must have attacked him and they could have ended in a deadly fight. Kuroro must have thought of this thoroughly. Kurapika's guts were telling him too that there must be something else that was bothering the Genei Ryodan head, more than the dangers the expedition posed.
But in a bigger picture of things, Kuroro was right. He didn't have time for this. He couldn't deal with them now. It seemed he had no other choice as of the moment, anyway.
"… We need to set terms," he said sourly, flicking his eyes on the man and seeing the pathetic lit up of his expression. "Conditions and the extent of this truce."
"Of course. I've set three thus far. Feel free to ask more it you deem it's needed."
Kurapika crossed his arms on his chest, gesturing Kuroro to continue.
"So first, tell your friends not to attack and stalk on any of us should they see a member. The same goes for you. Leave us to our own device, and so would we. We'll act as complete strangers.
"Second, do not tell anybody that we are the Genei Ryodan, and that we are on board. Do not tip the Zodiacs and the other hunters about us. Well, I've figured that you guys have more than what you can handle to bother yourselves with small timers like us. Mind you, there are more dickheads down there on the lower decks so that 'I'm a Hunter and I have to catch you' card you're playing is considerably useless because strong men, whether they are good or bad, is an asset to this trip as long as they pose no harm to the other passengers. I'll tell my comrades to behave and avoid killing only if you do your parts well.
"Third, do not interfere with our operation. I know this part sounds impossible in your case so I'll make it detailed. You cannot apprehend us just because we are Ryodan, in other words, whatever we do, as long as you don't catch us stealing and killing with your eyes, you can't stop us. You cannot interfere. Not that we will mess up and get ourselves caught. But as a precaution since you tend to go ballistic with a simple sight of Spiders, I guess making things clear with you is needed. That is all. Do you have any objections?"
Kurapika threw him a dirty, studying look. He seemed to be processing what he heard while observing Kuroro's sincerity, discerning if he was being serious here through his beaming face. Seconds later, he heaved an impatient, discreet sigh.
"Not only stealing and killing; should we find you doing anything against the ship's rules: entering prohibited areas, hurting and harassing people, bringing out weapons and making a scene, creating rucks and destroying anything in the premises, we will arrest you and take proper action."
"Roger. We will act as clean and quiet as we can. Any other add-ons?"
Kurapika glared at him, pissed at his carefree demeanor. "We will not stalk on you but I'll alert the securities about the possibilities of some burglars that might sneak to the upper decks so they can heighten their guards. I'll inform my friends about your presence so they can watch out. And again, once I catch you—any one of you—doing out of bounds actions, I will do everything to stop you. I'll make sure you'll get kicked out of the ship and I'll see to it personally. Or much better, I'll get rid of you for good before throwing you all out into the ocean."
"Death threat duly noted. So, as for the bonus," Kuroro pushed the pen and paper back to Kurapika. "Your full name, birthdate and blood type, if you please."
Was Kurapika really going to do this? He didn't know anymore. He peered down at the blank paper, pulling a straight face but deep inside, he was still indecisive. A big part of him didn't want to take the pen. It was telling him to decline the offer, leave and practice how to bottle up his anger for the sake of his friends and missions. He didn't want to get involved with this jerk in any way. There was a small part, however, that was curious of what kind of prophecy Kuroro would unfold for him. Thinking of the pros and cons of learning what was waiting ahead weighed on him. His fingers twitched, he could feel that small part growing bigger and winning over.
"If you're worrying about me making prophecy for you to know what your next actions would be and take advantage of it, let me tell you that one of the conditions to be fulfilled for me to make the prophecy is that the information must be written by the person himself, and I need to see your face either personally or on a photo. And really, I'm not interested in using such tactic. All in all, I can't, and won't, make you another prophecy unless you ask for it yourself."
Kurapika lingered his fiery, suspicious eyes about him, seemingly not convinced. But there was curiosity lying beneath, and Kuroro could see it, clear as ice.
Kurapika must be showing a hint of interest on his face for complacency bled on Kuroro's features. Well damn it, it was true anyway.
He wanted to know.
With a sigh, he uncrossed his arms and hurriedly picked the pen up and scribbled his personal information, all the while worrying if giving them to Kuroro could cause harm. He put the pen down and pushed the paper to Kuroro before his mind could change and reflexively rip the sheet apart.
"Nice penmanship," Kuroro commented as he perused his handwriting. Kurapika rolled his eyes away, leaning back on the chair and absently rested his tensed shoulders.
Kuroro had another sip of his coffee (this frisky mien of his was getting into Kurapika's nerves) before reaching for the pen and twirling it on his fingers. On his right hand appeared a book, the Skill Book as far as Kurapika knew, and he opened it on a page. "I don't get to show this ability off to everyone so, enjoy," he beamed before raising his left hand with the pen suspended in the air. Through gyou, Kurapika saw as a green wisp of aura reeked out of his hand to form a wriggly semi-transparent little creature with its arm wrapped around Kuroro's hand.
Kuroro's eyes looked blank, as if he was dazed or possessed, and his face was wiped off of any emotion. His hand then lowered to the paper and he began scribbling continuously.
Kurapika tentatively watched him as he wrote, eyes bouncing from the pen, to the monster, to Kuroro's face, until he was done seconds later. The monster dissipated into thin air, Kuroro's eyes retained its conscious state, and he closed his Skill Book with a thud. It, too, disappeared from his hand.
Kuroro looked him straight into the eyes, face plastered with the same amused smile he was wearing seconds ago.
"Done," he folded the paper first before sliding it towards Kurapika, eyes still on his. Kurapika glared sharper at him and tilted his head a little. He took the paper.
Kuroro watched with enthusiasm the shift of Kurapika's expressions that he failed to conceal. Confusion to comprehension to repressed disbelief, his eyes filled of astonishment with every swipe of his piercing glower on the paper. Kuroro chose that moment to explain.
"The prophecies are in metaphor forms and usually composed of four to five quatrains, each verse representing a week of the current month. The first stanza tells something that already happened. It kind of works as a proof that the prophecy is true. Let me tell you that aside from knowing that you have become a Zodiac, that you are after Tserriednich and you're Prince Woble's bodyguard, I don't know anything about you anymore. I don't have the time to check on you all the time to prove that the prophecy is real, truth to tell. It's now up to you to believe me or not."
The confounded and doubtful looks on Kurapika's eyes was replaced with… the widening of his eyelids, furrowing of his brows and slight tightening of his grip on the paper. His eyes slid a little lower and there definitely was a paling of his face and ever so slightly hitching of his breath. Kurapika was trying to compose himself but it was too late; the change of his emotions didn't go unnoticed by Kuroro's keen observation. And what that keenness told him had more Kuroro more interested and intrigued with what Kurapika's prophecy unveiled.
The Kuruta was… panicking.
"I'll guess that the prophecy gave you some bad news with how shaken you look. And by the way, just to save your paranoia. I didn't look into your prophecy. I didn't read a single word so I can't use it against you. Think of it as me founding a small base of trust between us. I'm not interested to know your future, just so you know."
Kurapika's eyes froze then fluttered menacingly at Kuroro, telling him that he was not believing what he said last. Kuroro gave him the flattest look that implied that he was really telling the truth and he didn't care whether he believed him or not.
"I don't exactly know or understand what this crap of a prophecy means but I judge it's useless. All it contains is—"
"Hold it, I mean what I said. You are not obliged to tell me. Explaining what the prophecy says or warns is not a part of our bargain. Feel free to interpret it in any way you want. So, now that we've come into a temporary agreement, I guess I better leave so you can study that prophecy," Kuroro pulled out a bill from the inner pocket of his coat and placed it on the table. He got to his feet. "Though I vaguely wonder if I'm somehow mentioned in your prophecy." At that, Kuroro caught a quick flicker of surprise on Kurapika that hinted him that he guessed it right. "I hope not to see you around. Have a good day."
With what was said and done, Kuroro spun to his heel and left with a little lilt of a charming smile on his face.