A/N: This story was heavily inspired by the PVRIS album: All We Know of Heaven, All We Need of Hell. This is the reason for the story's name. Therefore, all chapter summaries and the occasional transition are lyrics from songs from the album, and will correspond to the part that inspired it. That being said, this is not a Songfic. That album has so many beautiful songs that really fit KuroKura in my opinion.
I live in New York City right now, so all the places in YorkNew I reference are based on real places in the city. Also, I don't know Police talk or protocol, so I made it up. I don't know what an 808 or 654 is, but Kurapika sure does! It's creative writing, not a research essay, haha. Also note that in this AU Kurapika has pretty scarlet eyes all the time, and wears brown contacts to cover them up. Please enjoy Chapter 1! ;)
I know it's so wrong but I'm so far gone
Don't need you to tell me I'm so cynical
Quit being so over-skeptical
Don't need a metaphor for you to know I'm miserable
Song: What's Wrong -PVRIS
1:25 PM, YNPD, 13th Precinct, Square Union Office
The big bay windows spilled light onto the wooden desk, illuminating the red globe paperweight like a disco ball. Red reflects of light bounced off of Kurapika's brown contact lenses, and all over the reference manual he had been using for yesterday's patrol recap. The distracting color made it impossible to focus. With a click of his tongue, Kurapika stood up to close the blinds, shutting out the glaring sun from his modest office at the Yorknew theft and fraud prevention police department. He had only a short while before patrol and was scrambling to finish this report before he had to leave.
Kurapika, being the reliable man he was, would have had the report turned into the Sherriff before anyone else even got to the office, but today was an exception. Last night there had been $200,000 worth of fine jewelry stolen from Brittany and co. in Jersey City. No evidence had been found by the local police there besides a small spider graffiti symbol, tagged on the front window of the store. Kurapika had spent the first half of the day scouring every article he could find about the event, since the spider symbol wasn't just some insignificant token slapped on by edgy teens. No, a heist of that caliber could only mean one thing: The Phantom Troupe. Those words alone made his hands fists and his chest tight.
Kurapika returned to his seat, typing the rest of the report hastily, eager to re-check his news sites. He finally finished with less detail than usual, sending the email to his Chief Officer. A few clicks later, and he was back in business.
It was rumored that the real Troupe only rarely left their mark, and even then, they only mark when they want to make their presence known; either some sort of omen, calling card, or joke, mocking the government. Organized crime was on the rise in Yorknew, and plenty of other groups had started using the spider symbol for small, house thefts. However, Kurapika had seen it all at this point, and could easily tell an amateur theft group from the real Spiders. The real Spiders never lowered themselves to petty house thefts, where the risk of being seen was too high for the reward of only one person's humble belongings. After years of somehow evading all forms of repercussions, the Troupe stuck to a few high-profile heists per year. This lead was one Kurapika was going to try to follow through to every possible dead end. Every time there was a chance to find them, Kurapika needed to be there, searching every corner, lifting up every rug, reaching for any information he could get on them.
After all, the whole reason why he was even in the YNPD was to catch the bastards who murdered his entire village.
Partway through yet another vague article with very few details, Kurapika's left hand was clenched in a fist on his desk, eyes sharp and brow furrowed. He was completely lost in rage filled hyper-focus when suddenly there was a hand on his shoulder and he heard his name being yelled loudly.
"What?! Oh- hey Leorio. Good morning," he said curtly, eyes quickly following the hand on him up a shoulder to make brief eye contact with his partner before turning back to the article.
Leorio sighed. "Pika, I've been calling your name for 5 minutes. It's time for patrol. Let's go."
"Right, sorry. I'll be ready in five. I've just been doing some research about the Jersey Heist last night."
"I know. They didn't find any evidence this time either, Pika. Just give it a rest for a bit, will you? You can't keep acting like this every time you hear the word 'Spider'. You already missed half of my texts, haven't answered any of your emails today, and your half of the patrol report was a mess. The Sherriff is asking me if you're coming to work sick again, and I can only cover for you so many times before he stops believing me. If he finds out that you're obsessing over dead-end cases outside of our jurisdiction again he won't let us off easy, you know that," Leorio said, almost yelling, exasperated and shaking his head. He put his palm to his forehead and sighed again. He then grabbed Kurapika's shoulders. "I want you to have your justice too, and it'll happen soon, okay? But today you need to get your shit together, and be out in the car in 5."
Kurapika sat in silence for a minute as Leorio made his exit. His partner was a cursing hothead, but Kurapika couldn't help but feel bad. Kurapika knew that recently he was getting desperate when it came to the Troupe, and it was affecting his performance and worrying his coworkers. Hell, he had hardly been able to sleep lately.
The passionate rage that kept him going during the day faded into panicked guilt filled nights, where all he could think of was his whole town in a frenzy, parents backed into a corner in sheer terror, the unspeakable things they had to suffer before their early deaths, eyes gouged out and set on fire without so much as a single book or heirloom left intact, save for the scarlet eyes. An entire culture, an entire people, all but forgotten, reduced to one body part. It was absolutely horrifying.
Kurapika grabbed his utility belt, bulletproof vest, and open carry and made his way to the parked car on the busy street, resolved to live in the present for the rest of the day. He couldn't help but chuckle as he saw Leorio idly reading a book while waiting for him. His face was scrunched up in concentration, his tiny glasses barely hanging onto the bridge of his nose. His leg was propped up on the dash, hunched over. He was too big for regular-sized car, and looked hilarious trying to fit. Kurapika was feeling extra appreciative for his caring patrol partner/best friend. He hopped in the driver's seat, ready for the real action that came with a job in the police force, and stepped on the gas.
"Look, Kurapika," Leorio said. Kurapika still seemed tense, and Leorio knew how worked up his partner was over the Troupe's recent appearance.
"Yeah?"
"They put in a new bookstore over there, and it has a café and a bar inside!" Leorio pointed to the place he was talking about, on the second floor of a tall apartment complex on 23rd street.
"Oh, yeah," Kurapika said without looking over, face still void of emotion. "I think I heard about that."
"It's great, isn't it? We should go check it out tonight after work if you aren't busy." The two friends would often go to different bookstores together when they were off shift, as Kurapika had a passion for reading. Leorio loved to have good conversations about books with Kurapika, always reading whatever Kurapika recommended. The two would sip coffee together and relax over good books.
"Can't tonight. Got too much work to do. Sorry," Kurapika said, and Leorio's heart fell. If even a new bookstore outing couldn't cheer his friend up, then Leorio was powerless. He knew exactly what Kurapika meant by 'work to do': he'd be up all night by himself in a guilt-ridden panic, searching for more leads. Every time the Troupe made a heist it was the same story. Kurapika distanced himself from everyone, shutting Leorio out, and leaving him alone again. It pained Leorio deeply to know he couldn't do anything to help. He couldn't make clues appear from thin air, and he couldn't seem to distract Kurapika from his past grievances, to convince him to take a break from this self-destructive behavior.
"Alright. Well, just let me know if you need anything. I'm always here." Leorio said. "By the way, Gon and Killua are coming into town this weekend. We're all going to the Thomasburg flea market bazaar."
Kurapika's expression didn't change. "Right. It will be nice to see them again," he said, making a left turn.
Well, at least that wasn't a 'no'. Leorio sighed, hoping that if nothing else, Kurapika knew that he could always turn to Leorio; that Leorio would always listen to anything his partner was willing to tell him. Hopefully Kurapika would be feeling better by the time Gon and Killua arrived. Leorio was willing to wait it out.
The two policemen sat in silence until they heard beeping from the receiver on the dash. Leorio picked it up immediately.
"Theft unit dispatch 13, are you 10-8?"
"Affirmative."
"Good. We've got an 808 up on 5th outside the Pear Store. Suspect is about 6'2", 200 lbs, middle aged. He's got dark hair, blue eyes, and is armed. We're going to need you to head over immediately. Be prepared for pursuit. Over." The dispatcher blinked green as it relayed the audio of the woman's voice.
"Well you heard the lady! Some bozo's trying to rob the Pear Store again. Ha! Because that's totally worked out for anyone before, ever." Kurapika gave a small snort at Leorio's sarcasm.
Leorio rubbed his hands together and grinned in excitement at Kurapika, hope glinting in his eyes that a little crime fighting could bring Kurapika back to his usual self. "It's about time we saw some action today," he added.
The pair had been patrolling for a little over an hour, Kurapika barely humming in response to any other attempts from his partner at conversation. The blonde was already flipping the car around, similarly hoping this call would be able to bring him out of his head.
Within 5 seconds of arriving the duo were out of the vehicle and on their feet, bursting through the glass doors of the Pear store. Kurapika was expert at following protocol: he picked up his receiver and said, "suspect and two accomplices spotted. Suspect wearing black pants and gray top and in position 654. Send backup."
Said suspect currently had the manager at gunpoint, making him walk with the keys towards the vault where they keep all the electronics. Other shoppers were scattered throughout the building trying to hide wherever they could. Muffled screams and cries could be heard from underneath tables.
Leorio was already yelling through his bullhorn, "STEP AWAY FROM THE MAN AND PUT DOWN THE GUN. WE WILL USE FORCE IF YOU DON'T COMPLY. I REPEAT: STEP AWAY FROM THE MAN AND PUT DOWN THE GUN."
"If you try to use force, I'll kill him, and shoot all of these people." The suspect shot the ground for emphasis, a couple screams could be heard from underneath wooden tables displaying uPhones and uPads.
Idiot. Kurapika thought. Surrender while you still have your life and your dignity. He knew the man was no match for a trained professional like him.
Kurapika sighed, delivering a quick but dangerously hard punch the man's ribs, which knocked him over, as Kurapika seamlessly picked up the suspect's gun, pocketed it, then pulled out his own gun and pointed it over the suspect's chest. Leorio had one of the other guys restrained within a moment as well, but the third accomplice shot through one of the glass walls and made a break for Park Central. Back up was just arriving and running into the Pear store entrance. He's not getting away.
"Leorio, you know what to do. Take care of the guy on the ground, while I grab the one that ran," Kurapika yelled, already sprinting out the door and across the street in pursuit.
"Roger."
Accomplice #3 was quickly disappearing into the crowd, until Kurapika caught a glimpse of a black clad figure on the edge of the red and gold trees lining the park. Gotcha. Kurapika started shoving his way through the crowd, and yelled, "Suspect on the loose, step aside."
The backup was out now, and had quickly figured out the situation. They created a gap in the masses, parting the crowd like the red sea to make room for the running policeman.
Kurapika made it across the street and into the park just in time to lock his gaze on the accomplice as he receded into the trees. He chased accomplice #3 all the way through a clearing, about 10 blocks up from where they started. He finally cornered the criminal at a landmark with a dead end, where the only thing one could see from any direction but the small path they had taken was giant rocks, too steep to climb. The man had nowhere to run and was now panicking. He pulled out his handgun and prepared to fight Kurapika.
"You're under arrest for armed robbery." Kurapika said calmly, his own gun already pointed back at the man.
The man was trembling now, and still hadn't fired the gun. Kurapika easily called his bluff, figuring the man only loaded the gun with a few bullets, and had used them all when trying to escape the Pear Store. "I'll shoot, I swear. If you arrest me my buddies will come after you."
"I'd be interested to see them try." Kurapika advanced towards the man slowly. "By the way, you might want to choose your words carefully from now on. Anything you say can and will be used against you."
"They'll come after your family too! Steal, rape, torture, and kill them all. Just you wait!"
Kurapika had all but closed the distance, but paused for a moment to stare at the man, a thoughtful yet grim expression on his face. The trembling had gotten so bad the man literally lost hold of the gun, and it fell to the ground.
"Family…? What family? … I haven't used that word in a long time." And with that, Kurapika punched the man in the face, knocking him out. He collected the man's gun off the ground, turned his body over, and put handcuffs on him.
Well, there was nothing quite like chaining up some bad guys to bring momentary satisfaction to our favorite blonde boy. He threw the gangly man over his shoulder and started heading back to the main crime scene.
Crunch. Crunch. Crunch. The autumn leaves underneath Kurapika's feet. Caw. Caw. The crows called from the bare branches. Swooooosh. The wind blew past the blonde cop's ears, ruffling his golden locks. Fall in Yorknew was beautifully noisy, and the habitual sounds combined with the autumn landscape of Park Central created a hypnotic effect. Kurapika felt all the adrenaline slowly drain and relaxed for first time all day, strolling leisurely with the handcuffed man in tow.
Suddenly, a buff looking guy with bright red hair and clown makeup appeared in front of Kurapika, blocking his path on the small dirt trail.
Did he just fall out of that tree?
Kurapika nodded to the man in acknowledgement and made to go around him, only to be intercepted.
"Excuse me officer, could I have a moment of your time?"
Man, these street solicitors must be getting desperate. This clown made a grand entrance just to hit up a police officer for some money? Kurapika really did not have the time to be bothered to donate to the circus that day, let alone with this criminal on his shoulder.
"Sorry sir. I'm in the middle of patrol. You have a nice day though," he said nicely, because as a public servant, Kurapika had to remain calm and civil when dealing with even the most audacious of circus freaks.
The clown grabbed his wrist, got in his face, and said "Are you sure, officer? I have an excellent proposition at an excellent deal." Kurapika noticed the bizarre makeup he had on: white foundation, a teardrop on one cheek, and a star on the other. Or were those tattoos?
Regardless, there was no more time to waste thinking about this creep.
"I said no, thank you. Now if you'll excuse me," he said brushing past the clown, pace quickening. After he had gotten several paces away, he heard the clown's voice again, this time from… above him?
"It's about the Spider, Kurapika."
Kurapika froze, a chill tickling his spine. His hand instinctively hovering over the weapon holster on his utility belt. "Who are you?" he said in any icy tone, looking around to find where the clown had appeared next.
Once again, the clown seemingly materialized out of thin air in front of him. This time in an unnatural, off-putting pose. The clown was bent over at a 45-degree angle, tilted sideways, with one leg behind the other. Both legs were rotated just a bit too far to the side; Kurapika was sure the average person wouldn't be able to mimic this pose. The clown had his hand extended, head tilted the opposite way as his body, and his yellow eyes looked Kurapika square in the face. "Ah," he said, "do forgive me. I am Hisoka Morow: magician, entrepreneur, and hopefully your new ally."
Kurapika ignored the extended hand. "How do you know my name?"
Hisoka lowered his arm to his side, body untwisting slowly to an upright position. His lips curled in a sly grin. "I was hoping I might extend an offer. I happen to know the location and time of the Phantom Troupe's next heist, and would be willing to share in exchange for something you have access to."
Kurapika narrowed his eyes. "And how do I know you're not lying?" he asked.
"I suspected you'd be wary. That's why I brought these." Hisoka reached into his pocket to pull out a glass jar filled with some sort of preservative. It had two round objects suspended in the jelly-like substance. You could see black pupils lined with red irises in the most beautiful shade of scarlet.
Kurapika's eyes widened as his chest constricted. "Those aren't… it can't be…" he choked out.
"Kurta eyeballs," Hisoka finished for him. "Considered extremely rare and valuable to body part collectors in the black market around here. These and the information I have are all yours, if you'll help me find what I'm looking for."
Kurapika's hand lifted on its own to grab for the jar, only to have Hisoka lift it up and out of his reach. "Ah, ah ah, Kurapika," the clown taunted, "first we must make a deal."
"What do you want?" Kurapika answered through gritted teeth, eyes still glued to the jar.
"Do you remember the Bungee Gum experiment in the eighties?"
"You mean that supposedly all-purpose pink stuff? Yeah, I've heard of it. It happened before my time though," Kurapika said. Back in the day, the government invested in several tons of this substance that was meant to replace everything from climbing gear to handcuffs. They tried desperately to make it catch on in Yorknew, equipping each precinct with 1000 liters of the stuff. Unfortunately, the Bungee Gum ended up a total failure, with criminals getting away and several uniformed officers dying from falls. The gum was discontinued after a few years.
"I want you to bring me whatever you have left of it. I need it for an… experiment of sorts."
"Alright. Deal." Kurapika answered immediately, not about to let this opportunity go to waste. With the first pair of Kurta eyes he'd seen since they were still on a human body in sight, his head was completely clouded with thoughts of vengeance, rage, and desire. He would do whatever he had to for his late brethren.
Hisoka flashed another unsettling smile. "Excellent. Meet me here tonight at midnight, and we'll make our exchange final. I look forward to working with you, Kurapika," Hisoka said before turning and walking away from the blonde cop to disappear into the trees.
"Nice glasses, pig. You look like a poor man's Agent Smith."
Leorio's patience was wearing thin as he waited with the cuffed criminals. He wondered what was taking his partner so long to get back to the patrol car.
"Shut up, asshole!" Leorio barked at the man who was taunting him. "I may be poor but at least I'm not stupid enough to try robbing a Pear Store in broad daylight!" The criminal cackled and it took every ounce of restraint Leorio had not to punch him in the face.
The backup officers they had called had sectioned off the surrounding area of the store, to deal with the victims of the crime, and record eyewitness accounts. Leorio and the criminals were waiting just outside of the area, next to a line of 3 police cars.
"Come on Leorio. Let's go."
Leorio's head whirled around to lock eyes with his partner. Kurapika finally showed up, escorting the accomplice he caught across the adjacent street. The accomplice was now lucid and forced to walk in front of Kurapika. Kurapika's face was pale and expressionless.
"Yo, Pika! You finally made it. What took so long? Is everything okay? You look like you've just seen a ghost."
"I'm fine," Kurapika said abruptly. "Get them in the car."
The two cops shuffled the handcuffed culprits into the car and shut the doors. Kurapika and Leorio then took their spots in the driver's and passenger's seats, respectively, and took off.
Leorio remained skeptical of Kurapika. Even on the worst of days, he never looked that bad while escorting a bandit back to the car. Something must have happened when they split up that Kurapika was keeping from him.
"You sure you're okay, man? Did something happen in Park Central?" Leorio asked.
"For Christ's sake, Leorio. I'm fine. Nothing happened really. I just- It's just been kind of a strange day," Kurapika lied, the image of the terrifying clown man who somehow knew things about Kurapika and his deepest secrets lingering in his head. The cop duo had just dropped off their culprits at prison and were heading back to the office.
"If you say so, Pika," Leorio said, unconvinced.
Kurapika groaned internally as they pulled into their precinct's parking lot. Leorio didn't buy it, and he needed his partner off his back if he was going to retrieve the Bungee Gum for Hisoka tonight. He needed to convince Leorio that everything was fine, so he forced a smile.
"I'm actually feeling a lot better after patrol. What do you say we grab a bite to eat? I need to grab a few things from my desk first, so why don't I meet you at The Winslow in half an hour?" Kurapika asked, attempting to buying himself some time, and convince Leorio not to come after him. He couldn't risk his partner seeing him go in or out of the outdated weapons closet.
Leorio's face lit up in delighted surprise at Kurapika's offer. "I would love to! That sounds great! I'll see you soon, then!"
Kurapika sent another smile towards Leorio, as warmly as his racing mind would allow as he watched his friend exit the car. Half an hour. I can do this.
Kurapika entered the office and saw that most people were packing up to leave for the day. A few coworkers congratulated him on stopping the Pear Store robbers. Kurapika absentmindedly thanked them as he made his way to his office. Gears were turning in his head as he tried to think of the best way to smuggle out the substance. This briefcase should be big enough…
He checked the hallway: the coast was clear. He walked as fast as he could to the closet labeled outdated weapons and police gear.
Old walkie talkies… Choke chains for K9 unit… Wait. Choke chains? Interesting. Kurapika grabbed one and stashed it in his briefcase, intrigued. This might come in handy one day. Mostly, he just thought they looked cool. He resumed his search.
Tear gas… The police force used to use tear gas?... Whatever—I don't care right now. Maces… LMGs… Aha! Bungee Gum. There were about 15 skinny cylindrical buckets left of the stuff. Kurapika grabbed 5 of them and got the hell out of there. It would have to be enough, as he couldn't carry any more. Besides, Leorio was probably already waiting for him.
He made his way to the restaurant. I've just got to get through this dinner. Just like he had suspected, Leorio was waiting at the bar, and noticed Kurapika enter. Leorio must have gone home to change, as he was now wearing a white long-sleeve button-down shirt and black trousers. Kurapika thought it suited him.
"Hey Kurapika. Thanks for coming to dinner tonight."
"There's no need to thank me. I invited you, didn't I?" Kurapika took his seat next to Leorio at the bar.
Leorio chuckled. "I suppose you're right. I'm glad you did, although I still wanted to check out that new bookstore." He flagged down the waiter. "The usual please. Same for you, Pika?"
"I'll just take the burger tonight, no beer. Thanks," Kurapika said, not wanting to drink before his shifty appointment with Hisoka tonight. "Well, maybe we'll go there some other time," he said in reference to the bookstore.
Leorio eyed him skeptically. "No beer tonight?"
"Not tonight. I'm just not feeling in the mood."
Leorio was not buying it. "Are you going to tell me what's up with you? You've been acting strange all afternoon."
Kurapika was getting frustrated at how well Leorio seemed to know him, and could tell something was off by even the smallest of hints, but he couldn't let him know about the events of this afternoon. It was too risky. Leorio would try to stop him from making the deal, and even if he didn't, Kurapika couldn't allow Leorio or anyone else to be put in any danger by his actions.
"Again, Leorio- nothing's wrong. Have you been reading that Stevon Kingly novel lately?" Kurapika changed the subject, hoping to get Leorio talking until they could eat. It worked.
Leorio had been going on about his thoughts and recollection of the novel, and the burgers were served.
"So yeah, I loved the symbolism in the part when Frankie and Sally fight the monster. By the way, do you happen to have any extra painkillers? My head's been pounding all day," Leorio started to reach for Kurapika's briefcase.
Shit.
Kurapika ripped his briefcase from Leorio's hands, panicking.
"What do you think you're doing? You can't just grab my briefcase whenever you feel like it," he snapped. Leorio retracted his hand and blinked, wide eyed at Kurapika's overreaction.
"Sorry, I just assumed, since you let me borrow them before."
Kurapika took a breath and nervously ran his hands through his hair, realizing how suspicious he just sounded. He needed to calm down. "It's alright. I um—I have to go now." He opened his wallet and threw some money on the table. "This should cover my half of the bill. I'll see you tomorrow," and walked quickly towards the door before Leorio could stop him.
"Pika…" he heard Leorio say as the door shut behind him.
12:00 am, Park Central, Sliding Rock Landmark
Kurapika was leaning against the rocks that made up Sliding Rock. A dark figure appeared in front of him.
"Ah, there you are, officer. Glad you could make it." Kurapika wasn't sure if the chill he felt then was from the crisp night air or Hisoka's abrupt appearance. "Shall we?"
"I want the information first."
"Very well then. The Troupe will be at the Met Gala this weekend at 10 pm. They'll be stealing everything from The Golden Art Gallery: Room 15 LL1."
"How do you know?"
Hisoka merely flashed a cunning smile and rolled up his sleeve, revealing a tattoo of a spider with a number 4 written on it. "Because, up until last month, I was a member."
Kurapika drew a sharp intake of air. Between the tattoo, the Kurta eyes, and his dark aura, Kurapika knew he wasn't lying. Kurapika could suddenly feel the danger in Hisoka's presence, and felt like he should leave as quickly as possible. As much as he wanted to know more about Hisoka's motives, he was now too afraid to ask.
"Here's the substance you asked for. I'll trade you for the eyes."
Hisoka pulled out the glass jar, and after what felt like an eternity, Kurapika finally got his hands on the eyes, making the exchange final.
Hisoka held out his hand. "Pleasure doing business with you, Kurapika."
Kurapika gave him a nod and a quick shake, and then turned to leave. After he was a safe distance from Hisoka, he started running to the train station, ready to be home and done with the day.
As soon as he walked into his apartment and pulled the eyes out from his bag, he couldn't hold back anymore. The tears started to fall down his cheeks.
The Met Gala. This weekend I will catch the Spiders. I'll kill them if I have to. The suffering must end with me.
A/N: Again, thank you so so much for reading! I have so much fun writing this! I love feedback and hearing from my readers, so please comment with any thoughts you might have! I'll try to update frequently-hopefully every week/every other week. I'm also a college student, so bear with me.