*This is set in the Yorkshin Auction Arc*

*Togashi's characters belong to him*

Warnings: None

I blinked slowly, awakening after a long sleep. My arms stretched above my head of their own accord as the rest of my body shifted, loosening every muscle which had grown stiff as a corpse. The entire building shook again and my eyes fluttered wide open to take in my surroundings more clearly. I was in a dark room, most likely underground, and it was filled with sealed crates. Dust was everywhere. No one had been down here in a very long time…

Clamoring ungracefully to my feet I dusted myself from head to toe to clear my own coating of dust away. From the sheer amount I could assume I had been sleeping for upwards of five years, I was covered in the tiny speckles. As I watched them fill the air around me I coughed, inhaling too sharply and getting a mouthful of the dust in my lungs.

Scraping my long fingernails along my scalp I yanked the knots from my overgrown hair. I needed a shower. I felt disgusting. But first thing's first; I needed to get out of this basement and see where I was and what the heck was going on. I should never have awakened. Something was definitely going on and whoever was involved had to be some powerfully sick puppies to rouse me… and if they weren't they were about to get the ass kicking of their lives because I loathe being woken up so damn rudely.

My back arched, the bones popping and cracking back into place and I felt as if I was made of water again. Damn I was feeling good. I went through the motions of cracking every other part of my body, stretching my neglected muscles and felt my heart pumping blood strong and even. Though it had been years I knew without a doubt I hadn't grown weaker, just a little rusty. A fight would be a good warm up right about now…

Closing my eyes, visualizing my surroundings (as dark and gloomy as they were) I pictured the crates and the faint light they would give off. Everything gave off a light, if it had been a living creature the colors were muted but still visible. If it still was a living creature the colors were brighter and easier to recognize. If it was an inanimate, non-living creature, like a rock, it would only ever give off different shades of grey light. Everything else had a personal color, depending on what or who it was. The crates, having once been living trees, glowed auburn, some chestnut, but they were all some shade of brown. I inhaled slowly and took my time to adjust. I could feel the thousands of items the crates held - pottery and jewels mostly - everything was giving off a sickly grey color… this room and everything in it had been neglected far longer than I was… A lone tear rolled down my cheek as I felt something grip my heart. It hurt to know that these beautiful and valuable treasures had all been placed here never to see a loving owner again.

I opened my eyes. Faint lights still traced along every surface, glowing faintly, and using that light I weaved through an unseen path until I came upon the thick steel door. My right hand was placed against the cold metal and I pushed lightly. My muscles protested the strain but I kept pushing until I heard a creaking noise. The metal now protested, forcibly bending under my strength until the top hinge gave way and the door flew open. I was free!

Stepping over the lip of the vault, as I know realized where I had previously been sleeping, I walked down the dank corridor following only the sound of my echoing footsteps. The air was so musty it was like inhaling stale crackers… How far underground was I for the air to be like this? No living creature in their right mind would come down here.

The bare soles of my feet softly padded along, echoing back to me as I traced my path. Once in a while I would run my hand along the wall, feeling the cold wet stones and without any other guide hoping I could find an exit. Noises from above had settled, still audible but growing fainter. I was having to strain my hearing a little to even catch them now. Nothing like this had happened in years. Not since I had first fallen into my sleep.

Finally I came upon a soft glow at the far end of the tunnel and I wanted to rush forward, hoping it was an exit. But my pace remained even. My joy was cut in two as the closer I came the more I realized there was going to be difficulty getting out of here. The soft light I thought had been an exit had been nothing more than the light above an elevator. To open it one would need to swipe a card…

My chin rested against my chest as I breathed. I was going to be doing some climbing so early after being woken up… now someone was really going to get their ass kicked for making me do this.

I forced my nails into the thin seam of the double doors. They were much simpler to open than the steel door of the vault so before I knew it I was peering into the elevator shaft. It was darker in there than in the tunnel but I was able to see the cables I needed. A quick glance up and I nearly gave up the idea all together – it was going to be a long climb.

Wrapping a cable around my lower left arm I pushed off with my feet just enough so I could climb using the wall. Walking up a wall was such a weird feeling, and annoying as the cold metal of the shaft caused my feet to go numb and I soon felt pins-and-needles crawl up to my ankles. There was still a great length to go.

I forced open a crack in the fifth set of double doors I came to and peered through to see a normal hallway. Dark green carpet covered the floor and bright lights allowed me to see the entire way until it branched off to the left and right. Doors lined both sides at regular interval and everything seemed to be ordinary. Nothing out of place except for the loud shouting noises… I hadn't heard them in the elevator shaft but multiple men were screaming, gun shots rang out and a cacophony of other unrecognizable sounds came to ear. What the hell was happening?

The doors were pried open enough to allow me to slither through without too much trouble. My muscles were sore from constant use but I was quickly adjusting to the feeling. I raked my nails once more through my hair and settled the strands away from my eyes. A passing thought of wishing I had something to tie them back with entered my mind but I didn't dwell on it. Fighting in any situation when required was something I was used to.

Picking my way down the right side of the hallway, since the heavy gunfire seemed to come mainly from the left, I halted once I reached the cross section. Now the real question: left or right? Do I investigate the gunfire or head towards the quiet?

I closed my eyes just as I inhaled a deep breath. I needed to know what I was getting into. I visualized the hallway, expanding my search out from there and feeling for the lights. Swathed in grey it was a shock when I felt the first living form I had encountered in years. It was a masculine color… I frowned as I tried to place a name to it but couldn't. He was strong, definitely strong. I kept searching until I was jolted aware. There had been another two men, their intent was to go after someone, and both had dark purple light surrounded by red. An unusual combination.

No way in the seven realms of Hades and Hell was I going towards them. I was confident in my fighting abilities, but also confident in the fact that any confrontation between those three was likely to get my head severed from my neck in the blink of an eye. So left it was.

I kept my body low as I worked my way forward. The farther I went the more destruction I came across. Small bullet holes had penetrated the walls, larger holes formed where the smaller ones were condensed. Bodies were beginning to litter the carpet with their open and staring eyes as blood soaked into the carpet. Many were clutching the weapons in their hands as though they may be useful in the afterlife. Regardless of the multiple dead I moved forward, keeping low and crawling over the deceased when I had too. It was like an old fashion battlefield… only without the animal scavengers.

Continuing my way along it wasn't very long before I came to what I presumed was the main lobby. It was filled with men, all of which were dead. The glass panels separating the indoors from the outdoors were all completely shattered, broken pieces crushed underfoot until most was dust. Fires raged just out front, cars were burning and more corpses had dropped where they died. Such a sight! Whoever was doing this was making a damn show out of this destruction, I liked it. A smile lit my lips as I made my way back, looking for another way to go. The walls were like a maze.

In my search I found other dead men, these ones weren't dressed in suits like the previous few hundred. They were dressed in individual apparel, some more unique than others. All I could sense from them was all had been killed recently, swiftly, and their colors were all tinged in red hues. What were so many of their kind doing here? I reigned in my rage, dissipating my presence completely. I needed to find out what was happening. A damn battle was going on around me and I was now in the middle of it.

I ducked my head back out as I came to a room filled with men dressed to the nines in high class suits. Their very presences told me they all thought highly of themselves and that they should be respected, their self-confidence seeped from every poor until I choked on it. These were men who were used to being obeyed. What the hell were so many of them doing in one place at a time like this? What the hell was I missing?!

When I peered at the crowd once more my breath was stolen from me as I recognized the blonde hair and yellow hemmed blue outfit. Was that…? I tried to look closer, lungs constricting, but alas his figure was lost in the sea of black before I could confirm it. There was no way… My hand covered my lips to contain my voice. I wanted to shout at the top of my lungs and call him back. I thought I had lost him forever on that day! So how could Ruapi be here? Crystal tears slid from my eyes… He was supposed to be dead, no one had survived that day… no one could have survived that brutal slaughter. So how?

I hugged myself. Every memory of my beloved clan came back in one fell swoop. The Kurta Clan had been wiped out… their deaths were why I wanted to sleep. I never wanted to look upon a world without my beloved clan, but had I known or even suspected even one had survived, had climbed from the burning buildings and defiled bodies, I would have stayed awake. To have left one so alone…

My head snapped up the second a loud impact came from the room. My eyes blinked as I saw at the top of the staircase were the two men I had sensed earlier. Not only were they coated in purple light their clothing choices were purple in color as well. I hadn't realized that had approached. I had to leave. Ruapi was my first priority. If he really was still alive then I had to see him, needed to be beside him.

Sprinting away I cast about in search of more lights. Every time was getting easier to use my ability again. It still required a little focus but for now it was all I needed. I followed the softly glowing blue light that should have been Ruapi, every Kurta gave off that same soft feeling. He had to be from my clan!

I followed his light, closing the distance as he walked around the building. Soon I felt the man from earlier, the color I couldn't name. I wanted to shout out to stop, to not approach but Ruapi seemed determined to face him. NO! He would never survive the confrontation, not as he was. I tried to run faster, wanting to catch the back of his shirt and pull him to safety. I had thought I had lost him once; I couldn't bear to let that happen again. This time I would protect him.

He stopped at the top of the staircase, facing a line of doors. His shoulders tensed… I reached out my hand to grab him when from the corner of my eye I saw someone. His light was subdued, nearly hidden so I couldn't feel him like I should have been able to. Killing intent seeped into my awareness. He was aiming for Ruapi!

A ringing sound penetrated the silence, it was Ruapi's. My eyes darted back to the unknown man. He was getting ready to do something! Ruapi's hand dropped as the call ended, and just at that moment did the assailant line up his gun. He was seconds away from Ruapi and he didn't even know!

I opened my mouth to scream as he pulled the trigger. Ruapi turned to face me and I saw his face for the first time. It wasn't Ruapi… No it wasn't him but he was still a member of my clan! I would protect him!

I saw the bullet aiming directly for his head and I dodged around the Kurta to block it. I was fast, but I was almost a second too slow. The bullet bit into my throat. Pain tore through me as I fell. I landed heavily on my side as the man lowered his gun and cursed. He had missed and he didn't know why but there was no time. He sensed more people coming. He could kill the blonde later, just as his boss Zenji ordered.

Kurapika turned his head at the sound of stone breaking. There on the floor beside the mostly intact wall was a stone statue of a woman. She was carved with straight long hair and a sorrowful look on her features. Her hands were clasped in front of her chest as though she was in the middle of praying. Her attire resembled something the woman of his clan may have worn but with slight alterations.

How sad, Kurapika thought as he noticed her head was cracked and broken away from the rest of her body, someone's stray bullet must have hit her. He turned to face the stairs and slowly descended. His boss Light Nostrade had called him back to guard his daughter, though what Kurapika really wanted was to push open those doors and face the man who was so patiently waiting behind them. He clenched his fist, his chains rattling, as he paced his steps. He was a bodyguard; he would use Nostrade as his connection to other people in the underground. He would return the eyes of his brethren to their rightful places and kill the Spider. He had sworn this on that day five years ago and every waking moment since.

Hope you liked.