The boys entered the large building and shook the snow from their hair.
"What floor did Bisky say?" Killua turned to Gon who was standing in awe of the enormous Christmas tree in the hotel's lobby.
"Hmm? Oh…uh..." He pulled out his phone and scanned his text history. "Ah. She said ninety eight."
"Mm. Ok." The ex-assassin stretched his legs. "Let's have a race."
"Eh?" Gon blinked.
"You take the elevator, I'll take the stairs." Killua grinned, his agile limbs itching for a challenge.
"Ok, I guess we can.." The spiky-haired boy was reluctant to accept. There wasn't much skill involved with riding an elevator.
"When the second hand hits the twelve we go." Killua crouched, ready to propel himself towards the stairs with just a hint of electricity crackling in his aura.
"Wait are you going to-"
"Go!" The silver-haired boy disappeared in a flash and Gon looked around frantically for the elevators.
With anything but agility the tanned boy's snowy boots sent him slipping and sliding past the three elevator doors and he scrambled back to push the first button. To his great dismay nothing seemed to be happening so he quickly pushed the two other buttons and finally one of the elevators opened with a pleasant chime.
Killua was practically at the ninety eighth floor when he rounded a corner and nearly tripped over Hisoka, who had been sitting on the stairs. The boy skidded to a stop and stumbled backwards in surprise and alarm.
The colorful man looked up and smiled at the Zoldyck. He lifted a card for Killua to see: the ace of diamonds. The boy grimaced and used Gyo to see that Hisoka had already attached a string of bungee gum to his hip.
"Shit!" Killua turned to dash down the stairs only to find himself hopelessly caught in a web of the dreadful aura.
Hisoka stood and gazed down at the little fly caught in his trap. He couldn't help but chuckle as his captive struggled in vain.
Killua resented the laughter. "What do you want?" he spat angrily.
"Shhh." The jester wound the boy up tight and threw him over his shoulder.
"This is it!" Leorio said, removing his gloves as they entered the lobby.
"Hmm. I wouldn't have guessed it, but I suppose I don't go out much either," Kurapika mused at his tall friend's side.
"Best pasta in all of Yorknew City! Come one, it's this way and I'm thirsty."
The blonde sighed. He had agreed to join his friend and fellow Zodiac for dinner on Christmas Eve, but he had a feeling that it might be mostly drinking for Leorio rather than eating. He would just have to make the most of it. The Kurta really never did go out anymore.
Machi had been waiting for half an hour when her phone vibrated to indicate a new text received.
"-Please meet me on the top floor instead.-"
The pink haired woman sighed and pushed the call button for the elevator. 'That jerk knows just how to annoy me.'
There was a chime and the doors slid open revealing a young spiky-haired boy she had encountered a year ago. He was standing there alone and holding a bottle of tequila. Machi's last impression of this kid was what Pakunoda had revealed in the memory bomb. The nen seamstress noted how this boy and his friend had honored the late Ryodan, and how grateful Pakunoda was.
Gon blinked up at Machi slightly confused and surprised. Without a word she stepped in and pushed the button for the top floor.
"What will it be tonight, sirs?"
"I'll have a bottle of the best red you have," Leorio responded cheerfully.
"The vegetarian pasta and cream please," Kurapika added quietly.
"And to drink, sir?"
"Water will be fine, thank you."
"Uh, he'll have a glass of your finest chardonnay," Leorio interjected quickly.
The waiter bowed politely and left.
"You didn't have to do that," the blonde muttered.
"It will enhance the dish you ordered, trust me on it," the taller man dismissed as he glanced around to find and attractive woman to look at.
Kurapika couldn't help but smile at his unique friend's odd ways. It was refreshing to be in his company again and he was thankful to know Leorio even though he could be quite foolish at times.
"Kurapika?"
Both men glanced up at the young woman who had pushed past the maitre'd and now stood panting and slightly disheveled at their tableside.
"Neon-sama?!"
The former body guard was stunned. He stood and guided her into his chair.
Leorio pushed his glasses up and looked from his friend to the pretty girl in disbelief. How come this never happened to him?
"I'm sorry but I forgot your name!" Gon said pleasantly once the elevator began to move again.
The female made no response. Was she ignoring him? The boy didn't sense any threatening aura from her, so he tried again.
"I'm Gon, in case you had forgotten mine. What a strange coincidence we should meet like this! You see, I'm having a race with my-"
"Where did you get that from, kid?"
"Huh?" Gon looked down at the bottle in his hands. "Oh, this? I found it."
"You expect me to believe that you just happened to find an incredibly expensive bottle of tequila?" Machi continued to keep her eyes down as she leaned back against the wall.
"I was in a hurry and I didn't notice it until the elevator started to go. It was just…on the floor." Gon smiled up at the pink haired woman who peered suspiciously at him from beneath her eyelashes.
She stepped forward and snatched it out his hand. Machi glared at the label and back at Gon, who stood there blinking at her innocently.
"Do you have any idea how valuable this is? You don't just find-"
She was cut off by a loud scraping noise. They both took a defensive posture as the elevator came to violent halt. Machi still held the tequila as her and the boy's auras manifested.
Hisoka entered a dark hotel room and tossed Killua onto a fir tree in the far corner. The boy landed awkwardly with his limbs cast out and stuck to the evergreen. He was glad that the jester was no longer carrying him around like a weakling, but this was even more humiliating.
"What a nice little decoration for my tree," Hisoka cooed and winked at the Zoldyck, causing him to blush.
Grabbing the television remote, the painted man sat down on the couch with his back to Killua as he started to flick through the channels.
"What is the meaning of this?" the silver-haired boy demanded.
Hisoka had stopped on a channel and leaned forward. He released a trace of dark aura in his excitement and didn't seem to hear Killua. The boy's attention turned towards the television.
"Is that…Gon?"
The ex-assassin was confused and alarmed. He could see his friend and a member of the phantom troupe standing tensely in what looked like an elevator. He was certain that they were using ren even though it wasn't visible on the screen.
"Hisoka! What are you…?" He wrestled in the tree, making a futile attempt to free himself. "What are you planning on?" Killua snapped finally.
"Just relax…" Hisoka sighed without taking his eyes off of the two figures in the elevator, "..this should be amusing."