Kurapika was trying to comprehend what just had taken place. She was sure that they were in a blimp a while ago and was about to wait for Pakunoda to deliver Gon and Killua for exchanging hostages. But here they are after a flash of blinding light. It was as if they were transported into another place, an expensive apartment somewhere they don't know.
Leorio tried to call anyone but his phone never reaches, it's as if his network provider isn't even available in this place.
Senritsu on the other hand was anxious. She has an impending feeling of doom, as if this place was never theirs. It's as if the whispers in the air told her that this was not their earth.
A gasp. It was from Kurapika.
"It can't be!"
"What is?" Leorio asked. A bit of apprehension forming in him.
"The time and date! Look!" Kurapika pointed at the electronic clock placed on a coffee table.
"Shit!" Leorio panicked. How did they get here? What will happen to Gon and Killua?
A click from the door. Someone was getting inside, Kurapika thought, and was immediately on a fighting stance. Leorio followed suit and warily observed the opening door.
"What the? Why are you in here?" Said the man who entered the place.
Leorio and Kurapika were in shock. Blonde hair, hazel eyes, way taller but, definitely screamed 'I am Kurapika'. Even the voice of this man or was it a woman? The similar.
"Leorio." Said Kurapika's doppelganger.
"Y~you know me?"
"Of course you idiot! You're my friend! I thought you're in the middle of studying right now?" The doppelganger prodded.
"He's Kurapika." Senritsu stated. Her pale face told that she was serious and was confused at the same time.
"Oh, where is my manners. Nice to meet you. I know my friend here must have told you my name but, I happen to not catch yours." The doppelganger shook hands with Senritsu and Kurapika.
"Senritsu." She supplied gently. This doppelganger's melody was a happy version of Kurapika's heartbeat.
Kurapika, still confused shake hands.
"How?" It was their Kurapika who asked.
"I am not even sure." She told the she-Kurapika.
"Wow, Leorio, I didn't know your girlfriend looks exactly like me." The Kurapika doppelganger chuckled.
Leorio sweatdropped. Were they going to go on the ruse and pretend they know this Kurapika or tell him the truth.
"It's Kurapika." And Kurapika beat him to it. Tell the truth.
"Oh! And here I thought I have a unique name!" The he-Kurapika chuckled again. Funny it reminded Kurapika of her child version. Happy and friendly.
"Oh my god!" He gasped and stared past her. Kurapika froze, if they were transported from the blimp, then it meant, that Kuroro Lucilfer was with them all this time! She has almost forgotten about him worrying about Gon and Killua. What will this doppelganger do knowing their shared nemesis was here?
The he-Kurapika walked past her and stood in front of the Spider head. This male version of him was as tall as this man! She was smiling inwardly that somehow the accursed man didn't look intimidating if she was has that height. If only.
"It would have been presumptuous of me but," Her doppelganger's voice was full or mirth, of why? She has no idea.
"Do you happen to know, Kuroro? Kuroro Cruz?" His doppleganger seemed excited.
"I'm sorry, but no." Kuroro supplied politely and the gesture has miffed she-Kurapika how normal he can come off to anyone.
"Oh! That's too bad. You look like her I thought you're her brother or something! Oh! But she's a pretty one you know. Don't get me wrong you're attractive! But she's so out of my league." This doppelganger was starting to piss Kurapika. How naïve this Kurapika was.
"Anyway. Why are you here again?" He proceeded on walking towards Leorio, so eerily ignorant that a nen-less Kuroro can kill this Kurapika with his back turned unguarded.
"Uhhh…" Leorio don't know where to start. Why really?
"We're not sure really." It was she-Kurapika.
"This may sound crazy but we're transported from a blimp to here with a blinding light."
"Whoa." The he-Kurapika's face was cutely in awe with the statement.
"Didn't know you're so high in drugs! What are you giving him Leorio? I'm telling you humans shouldn't be test subjects!"
"What the fuck! She's telling the truth!"
"Ain't gonna believe it man! What the fuck? Are you high or drunk?"
"But!"
"Alright I'm gonna let you stay here till you all are sober alright?"
"But!"
"I have spare room for the girls. You guys will gonna camp in my room."
"Excuse me." It was Kuroro.
"Yes?" It was still weird for Kurapika to see her face looking so relaxed and friendly talking with this demon so amicably.
"I happen to not know where this place is. Just want to know how to get home commuting from here." How mundane she-Kurapika thought but really clever.
"Oh! Don't worry, we're in New York City and commute is relatively easy from here. Depends on where you're going but you can book a cab in front of this building."
Her doppelganger put his finger to his chin in thought. "But if you want to take the subway then it's fine. You can just walk from here, I can take you there tomorrow if you like."
"Oh no, I couldn't impose." Kuroro answered flawlessly.
"Don't worry its fine! I have no work tomorrow anyway!" Kurapika's doppelganger chirped.
"Thank you so much."
Kurapika can't believe her ears. Did this conversation really took place? Was this a nightmare? Someone slap her awake already!
"Alright! Let me just fix the room for the girls. Oh wait! Have you eaten dinner already?"
"I'm so sorry but we haven't!" It was Leorio.
"Oh ok I'll just get some food for you. What do you like?"
"You know what I like to eat already!" Leorio piped as if he already knows this he-Kurapika.
"Ok, ok, what about you guys?"
"Ours are the same as his. Thank you." It was Senritsu.
"Anything else?" Kurapika doppelganger cock his head to the side.
"Pudding."
A beat.
"Sure! I happen to know a place with the best pudding! Oh! I'll get one too! Excellent choice man! What is your name again?"
"You can call me Spider."
Kurapika doppelganger blinked. "Wow, that's weird you must be very high." He glared at Leorio.
"I'm going to sell you out to the cops soon with what you're doing with this people."
Leorio gestured a surrender. "Won't happen again dude I promise!"
"You have already told me that so many times! Anyway, have to go! Can't let the ladies starve!" he winked at Senritsu and Kurapika, the the latter's ire. This must be really a nightmare.
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After making sure that the doppelganger was gone. Kurapika proceeded on discussing the predicament to her friends and enemy, albeit she's trying not to strangle the man very very hard.
"So we're in New York, apparently an anagram for York New. So from there what I can only surmise is that…we're in another…world."
"That's the only plausible explanation." Kuroro confirmed. Kurapika was still baffled how this man can contribute to the discussion without even realizing that he was just under their mercy a while ago 'in another world'.
"I have a question though, do you happen to be able to still access you're nen. All of you?" He asked.
"Of course we can." A pause, as she tried to summon her chains, there was nothing.
She made a face and tried again. Still nothing.
"I can't." It was Senritsu, calm still despite not being able to access nen.
"That's very inconvenient. Whatever or whoever had caused this, it is very inconvenient." Kurapika glared at Kuroro.
"Don't look at me, I have no spider who can do this. I myself can't even."
"Whoa, whoa, Kurapika, I know you hate the spiders, but think clearly, why is he here if it was them right?"
"Right." Kurapika exhaled but the admission wasn't really convincing to Leorio's ears.
"Why did you ask if we can access our nen?" Kurapika scathingly asked. Suspicion bubbling up.
"Because what I can only assume is that, whoever did this can use nen. And maybe with some concentrated ten, zetsu or whatever, maybe one of you is a nen exorcist for all I know, we can get out of this predicament." She hates this assumption but he's right on, just like what her master would tell her about the basics of nen. Kurapika gritted her teeth.
"If our assumption is right. Then this world has its own Leorio, and Kurapika, possibly me, and this man." Senritsu discussed quietly.
"Maybe it's just a coincidence, he's a male."
"But he looks exactly like me Leorio, and he has a friend named Leorio too."
Kuroro would like to add something about the 'Kuroro Cruz' the chain user's doppelganger was asking about but the door has already opened, with the kuruta lookalike arriving with a happy grin in his face.
"You're a lucky man! I've just bought the last two pudding on the shop!" He grinned and handed one of the sweets to Kuroro.
"Thanks." The spider managed a charming smile. Which irritated she-Kurapika, basically everything will upset Kurapika if it was about Kuroro basically.
"Oh my god! You really look like her! God! That smile! You sure you don't know her? Like, a family member or something?" The kuruta lookalike happily asked. This version of her is so happy she doesn't know if the same fate has happened to him, but it didn't seem so with this attitude.
Kuroro affirmed a negative, "I'm so sorry, I hope I do."
"Anyway, you must be just high to not remember." He still glared at Leorio. "Humans are not test subjects, Leorio."
"I know, I know, let's eat alright?" He sat in the couch
"Leorio! We're not eating in the couch alright, we're eating in the kitchen, this way! Mom's gonna scold me if I stain this furniture gift from her you know!"
Kurapika perked up. Mom. She'd thought, so his mother is alive.
They proceeded on eating in silence. Senritsu was amused to hear a pleasant tune coming of Kuroro while the man was clearly enjoying eating this pudding. So this monster have some happy memory perhaps? Hopefully this would not mean that this man's first kill has something to do with pudding.
"I'll just fix the other room for the girls alright? I'll clean up after you're done eating." Pika-chan, this was the name Leorio thought to name this man to not confuse himself, excused.
"I'm so sorry for this mess."
"Yeah yeah I've heard it already."
And then Pika-chan was gone to the room.
"What do you think? What will we do next?" Leorio whispered to Kurapika.
"I think we need to find Senritsu."
"But she's here?"
"I know idiot, I meant the Senritsu from this world! I assume, I dearly hope, she has the same hearing as our Senritsu."
"Ok, why?"
Kurapika glared at Leorio's stupidity. Really?
"It's because if we tell her the truth then maybe this me version can help us." Senritsu explained for Kurapika who's hearbeat was already to the edge and ready to kill someone.
"Oh! Right! Shit! I'm worried about Gon and Killua!"
"Me too."
A sigh, and it was coming from the spider head. "You don't have to worry about them, Pakunoda has already agreed. She will comply." This was a betrayal to the spider, Kuroro thought how Paku can do this to him, but he should've known really. If it was Pakunoda he should've expected this to happen but he has overestimated the woman's loyalty to the spider and underestimated her apparent care for him.
"He's telling the truth, Kurapika." Senritsu quietly added. Pakunoda was not the monster Kurapika thought she'd be.
Kurapika bit her lip. This was too much to handle, what to do next? What will happen next? They don't know where to start with!
"Kurapika, I know this might sound crazy, but, we have to rest and talk about this tomorrow. Let's try with your initial plan. For now, we have to believe in Gon and Killua that they will be able to survive and escape." It was Leorio, trying very hard to convince Kurapika to do something reckless again.
She closed her eyes and inhaled and calmed herself. They must know why this happened first before they can plan on what to do next.
"Hey!" Pika-chan was back.
"If you girls are already done you can wash up in the bathroom inside my spare room, I apologize, my spare shirts are too big but maybe you can use it while drying your clothes."
"Thank you so much, you're a very sweet lad." It was Senritsu, she liked this version of Kurapika. So happy and carefree, and she bet that this boy has some mischief in his veins. Ah, this was what Kurapika could have been if not for vengeance, so happy and carefree, and pleasant.
"No worries Ma'am!" He chirped.
Senritsu took Pika-chan's arm and dragged the seething Kurapika in tow. "Maybe you can lead us there if you may?"
"Sure Ma'am!" They walked towards the room leaving Leorio and Kuroro in the table near the kitchen.
"Hey don't leave us." Leorio sweatdropped, apparently afraid of Kuroro with him.
"Blah blah, Leorio, stop being a baby."
Gulp. Leorio was scared and awkwardly looked at Kuroro who has finished eating pudding.
"This pudding is good. The best actually from what I've eaten already." Leorio didn't know what to respond to that.
"So you like pudding?" Leorio dumbly asked.
"Yeah, I like pudding." Kuroro seemed nostalgic for a moment. Leorio would like to think that it was only his imagination as the scene was only in a blink and the man's face was back to his stoic normal.
"So uhm…"
"I have no plans on killing you in your sleep if that's what you're worrying about."
"Well that's good to hear! But I don't think I'll believe you."
Kuroro shrugged. "Then suit yourself for not sleeping tonight." He stood and collected the remains of their food, apparently already cleaning up the table in front of him.
How mundane is this sight? Leorio thought.
"Oh wow, that's so nice of you man! I just hope Leorio will be influenced by you!" Pika-chan chirped as he was already walking towards Kuroro to help him with the clean-up.
"Why you're such a nice friend for stabbing me like that in front of others!" Leorio was sure this is Kurapika, what with the badmouthing against him to go by.
"Yeah I'm such a nice friend for letting you stay here, how'd you get inside? You picked my lock? Oh never mind! I'll interrogate you tomorrow."
They were done cleaning up the kitchen.
"So I hope you ain't picky about sleeping I've put some mattress on the floor of my room, hope you don't mind sleeping in it. Or you prefer the bed?"
"I prefer the mattress, than you very much."
"Can I just sleep beside you?"
"Jeez, Leorio, sure, don't try anything funny alright or I'll stab your neck."
"Such a sorry excuse for a friend you are Pika-chan."
"Tsk for the last time stop calling me that!"
Leorio inwardly laughed, and before he know it, they're already inside Pika-chan's room.
"Bathroom is to the right, you may use my pajamas here. Hope it'd fit you."
"Thank you so much for your hospitality." Leorio still find it weird for the ryodan head to be this polite.
"You're welcome!" Pika chan chirped.
"I like this guy! Hope you don't experiment on him anymore Leorio, you should take him as an inspiration see how good man he is!" Pika-chan whispered to Leorio.
If this naïve Kurapika only knew, what a good man he's really talking about.
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