Hello!

After recent HxH chapters I just couldn't get the idea of Kurapika meeting the Phantom Troupe again (especially their leader!) somewhere on the Black Whale ship or the Dark Continent out of my head, and it started to take form, and I just had to write it down, throw it out of my system, or I wouldn't find peace, hahaha. HxH is actually one of the first mangas I wanted to write a fic for, but never came around to do it, but finally here it is! Oh, and I always wanted to name it in the form of 'Something x Something x Something' :D So yeah, I couldn't resist.

Disclaimer: I don't own Hunter x Hunter. This is just my wishful thinking.

Warning: Spoilers up to the chapter #358.

Note: English is not my first language, so please excuse any mistakes or awkwardness!

I intend it to be a one-shot, but who knows... This piece focuses mainly on the dynamics between Kurapika and Chrollo, their 'chemistry', though there's no romance (I wouldn't mind them getting a little bit more buddy-buddy later on – not too much, though ;)). You can expect Kurapika's tantrums and Chrollo being a smug jerk. It's a little bit silly, too.

I hope you'll enjoy it!

朝霧 -Asagiri-

Tension x Apprehension x Suspension
by Asagiri

It was the first Sunday on the Black Whale after the departure and the dining hall slowly but systematically filled with people – The Princes and their guests: the nobles, the rich and other people that thought were more privileged and in consequence better kind of humans, if not an entirely different superior species, than your average person. Kurapika far too often had to deal with them in his line of work that he no longer even cringed inwardly, unless it was something excessively superficial or obscene. He developed a case of indifference towards their affairs, scandals, sick pleasures, bigotry, contempt and general ignorance.

It was easier this way as he kept involving himself in their world as their bodyguard and an acting leader of once prominent family, the Nostrades. Thanks to him they'd avoided a total ruin once it became obvious Neon lost her power of prophecy. The pay was substantial – he found that handy, but what was most advantageous was information, connections and access to places he wouldn't normally be able to obtain.

His current situation was a perfect example. He was able to get on the ship heading to the Dark Continent. Here was also his target – the Prince that had not one but few pairs of Scarlet Eyes. Kurapika would soon be quarter-way through his life mission. One by one he'd managed to retrieve twenty-seven pairs so far, and he was determined to fulfil his life mission until the last of his brethren received their due respect and was put to rest.

Then he could finally rest too.

Kurapika pushed away the vengeance on the Spiders from his mind after what had happened in Yorknew City, at least for the time being. His hate for them hadn't diminished, but it had changed a bit. It no longer was feverish and reckless and it no longer was fuelled by desire to crush them at any cost. Instead it was cold and calculating. He wanted them dead, but he wouldn't sacrifice everything for that purpose. They did not deserve his anguish.

His irises still occasionally turned scarlet whenever he saw spiders, though.

Kurapika kept his eyes open and his ears to the ground for any information on them. They kept quiet, though. Even after their boss had got his Nen back, he hadn't heard any rumours about their movements as a Troupe. Only his own nightmares harassed him reminding him that they were out there somewhere, fouling the world with their existence.

Observing the dining hall the blond spotted his target – prince Tserriednich. He was a tall man, laid-back and confident. He would even call him charming, if he didn't know it was simply a façade. Deeper layers were something completely different, ugly and revolting. After all the man collected body parts and there were also rumours that he had people killed for them or his other sick pleasures.

The banquet went on without any incidents. People ate, drunk, gossiped, laughed... everyone seemed to have a good time. Nothing in the air indicated, that the succession war had already begun.

Kurapika looked at the Prince and her mother he was body-guarding. He couldn't say much about the infant. Woble was too small to be aware of being put into a macabre game as she just gurgled and cooed at her mother. Oito on the other hand understood the stakes, and he could tell that she was nervous, overwhelmed, as she knew other Princes bested her and her child in everything. All she had were her bodyguards and her wits. Kurapika knew she didn't even dare to hope that they would ascertain Woble's safety, least the throne. In fact, she didn't care about winning – all she wanted was for her and her daughter to survive.

Yet the blond hired himself as their bodyguard and thus he had every intention of keeping them alive while he would retrieve the Scarlet Eyes.

He checked his watch. "It will soon be our turn to leave the hall," he told Oito. "Ten more minutes."

She nodded and he could tell she looked forward to returning to their suite.

Kurapika scanned the hall and saw nothing suspicious but he doubled his guard knowing that the transit of his client from place to place brought about higher risk. He instructed the Queen's female attendant and two other bodyguards that accompanied them to get ready to move.

A gong sounded and it was their cue to leave. Their group was the first one among the Princes. It was still fairly early in the evening, but Woble needed her rest, after all.

Oito stood up from their table slowly, gracefully, and made her way towards the exit in a calm and casual manner as he had instructed her. Walking confidently beside her the blond took notice of familiar faces, though he didn't acknowledge them – Melody, Basho and Izunabi. Hanzo and Biscuit were nowhere to be seen.

Then a glint on a small, blue, round surface somewhere in the crowd caught his attention – a familiar earring. It stood out in his eyes and his mind, even more than the pink hair of a woman standing near it.

Kurapika froze in his spot and everything turned red.

Impossible! It cannot be! Why here?

A discreet but firm nudge by one of the bodyguards broke him out of his stupor and he quickly resumed his steps as if nothing happened. He quenched his Nen, although he wasn't sure if the Spiders weren't already alerted by his killing intent, even if it lasted less than a second. At the moment all he could do was hope that they didn't realise it was directed at their boss and that the crowd concealed his identity. Clenching his fists tightly until his knuckles turned white, Kurapika inwardly cursed his foolish behaviour.

In that second he had counted three Spiders, but he had to assume that all thirteen were on the ship. He didn't know if they'd got a replacement for Hisoka, Uvogin and Pakunoda yet, but it'd be better to assume the worst when it came to them.

What were they doing here? What was their objective? Did they know he was here? He once again cursed his inability to control his anger when they were involved.

Finally prince Woble's group reached their suite.

"Is everything all right?" Oito asked once inside the rooms, worry evident on her face. "You paled suddenly back there."

"Yes. I have to make a phone call, please excuse me," Kurapika said assuringly and went out on the suite's terrace. In his head he was frantically forming a plan.

He had to call Leorio. And Melody, too. They could be in danger if the Spiders recognised them. The Zodiacs would be interested in the infamous Troupe too – it would be wise to notify them as well. Also his other associates and companions boarding the Black Whale could help him keep an eye out on them too.

He dialled Mizaistom's number first. He could be most useful in capturing them, and he definitely would want to know of the notorious thieves and murderers aboard the ship.

"Mizaistom," the Zodiac member picked up almost immediately.

"It's Kurapika..."

"How was the banquet?"

"It was fine, I think today the Princes wanted to assess each others on the battlefield, but from now on the war of succession begins full out." Kurapika spoke quickly, so the man wouldn't interrupt him. "But more importantly – I noticed someone in the crowd you might be interested in, as a Crime Hunter."

"Who?"

"They—"

With surprise the blond noticed he no longer held his phone and a soft beep informed him that the person that appeared out of nowhere next to him had him just hung up on Mizaistom.

"If it isn't the Chain Bastard," the man drawled with a smirk. Kurapika to his horror recognised Chrollo Lucilfer.

"You!" he growled, seeing red. He jumped away to increase the distance between them. The Spider's boss must have followed him to the suite and he in his shock and distress at finding out that the Troupe had boarded the Whale hadn't noticed it. He cursed himself for the third time this evening.

"Quite a coincidence, isn't it?" Chrollo asked, his voice calm, but Kurapika sensed mocking undertones.

"Hasn't Hisoka killed you yet?" he spat vehemently in return.

A shadow passed across the man's face for a second and there were dangerous notes in the way he said, "Actually I killed him, but he refused to stay dead. Our little game of tag hasn't ended yet."

"I hope he finds you soon," the blond hissed as he carefully readied the Chain Jail.

Chrollo raised his eyebrows, but his voice remained cold. "I didn't take you for someone that has others do their dirty work for them."

He ignored the remark, "Or I'll just text him your whereabouts."

Kurapika in disbelief observed as the Spider's boss took a swing and threw his phone far up, many yards into the air and given the angle, he most definitely managed to throw it overboard the Black Whale. The blond could swear he heard it hit the water surface with a loud splash.

A cocky smile on the older man's face sent him into a fit of rage.

"You bastard!" he hissed and charged at the Spider with his fists and kicks. Chrollo agilely evaded and parred his blows as if it was his evening exercise. He still wore that infuriatingly confident smirk, which to Kurapika's satisfaction faltered a bit when his Dowsing Chain land a hit square to the back of his head. Using that split-second opportunity, he entrapped the man in Chain Jail and jumping up to him, he punched him in the face just for the good measure.

It didn't seem to affect Chrollo much, as he only cocked his head to the side and spoke conversationally, "I admit, I'm a little bit confused. You didn't come after me when I had your Nen blade removed, and of which I'm sure you were aware. I didn't even hide after that, becoming a Floor Master in Heavens Arena. And now, you're not going for the kill, you again just try to neutralise me. Why?"

Kurapika narrowed his eyes. "I have better things to do than pest control."

A genuine frown of puzzlement appeared on Chrollo's face. "So you gave up on your vengeance?"

"I did not say that," the blond growled and again punched him, this time in the pit of his stomach. As his enemy doubled over, he questioned, "What do you want? What are you doing on this ship?"

After few coughs the Spider's boss wheezed, "Well, we are thieves, so we came to steal, obviously."

"How original," Kurapika sneered.

Chrollo straightened himself up and shrugged. "Not really. Exciting, though. We're more keen on the Dark Continent anyway. But then you came into the picture and things got a little bit interesting, at least for the duration of the trip." Curiosity was evident on his face and for some reason it made Kurapika sick to the stomach. "What are you doing here? Don't you have Nostrade family to take care of? Why did you hire yourself as a bodyguard to one of the Princes? Why to this one particular? Why—"

"My business is my own," the blond interrupted him sharply, outraged that the man asked questions evidently expecting answers. But he was even more infuriated with the man's calm and ease when he had him in Zetsu and could put Judgement Chain on him at any time.

"Let me make a guess then..." Chrollo smiled confidently, his gaze uncomfortably intense. "You're collecting the eyes of your brethren. You've been immersed in this task for some time now, this is your 'better things to do' than to chase after us."

Kurapika growled warningly and tightened the Chain Jail on him.

The Spider continued unperturbed, "And now your target is Tserriednich, the fourth Prince. I've heard pretty nasty rumours about him."

The blond didn't comment but he didn't stop his chain from tightening and so Chrollo concluded, "I'm right, am I not?"

In this moment Kurapika learned that when infuriated enough the red hue of his vision changed into self-luminous red. The impossible colour focused his mind on his target and cried for amends in blood. It was a calm but powerful call.

Chrollo must have noticed the sudden change and the threat it could bring about, for he quickly spoke, "Just so you know, Feitan is listening on us, and if you make an attempt to kill me or put your chain in my heart again, they'll kill everyone in the suite. Just a word from me would trigger that, too. I'd like to avoid attracting any attention, at least for the time being. We are still too close to Kakin, and we have every intention of reaching the Dark Continent."

This sobered Kurapika up and only now he noticed that no-one had entered the terrace despite all the ruckus they were making. With distaste he realised his hate was making him blind again. His white-knuckled fists were shaking and to calm himself down he took it out on the man, again sinking his fists into his stomach.

Sighing in disgust at his own satisfaction derived from violence, he finally took a step back from his enemy and growled menacingly, "What do you want from me?"

Between coughs, Chrollo barked in amusement, "I see your weakness is still there."

"I don't consider it a weakness," the blond glowered.

When his coughs finally subsided, the Spider's boss stood tall and with – what Kurapika supposed was – a charming smile suggested, "A truce. We won't get in your way, and you won't get in ours."

He could only stare at him in disbelief. He knew the man was mad – after all no-one sane founded a gang of criminals – but this... this was beyond delusional. The man reached new levels of madness! "A truce?!" Kurapika actually shrieked. "Do you even know what that word means?!"

Chrollo frowned. "Of course. A truce is a temporary cessation or suspension of hostilities by agreement of the opposing sides."

Kurapika flinched and had to actively prevent himself from battering the man into a pulp. Did he just quote a dictionary?! If there were no other Spiders threatening to kill Woble and Oito, he would fling the bastard with his chain out of the ship and into the ocean.

"It would require at least a basic level of trust which is beyond the bounds of possibility," he couldn't believe himself he was trying to reason out with his sworn enemy.

"I actually trust you," Chrollo smiled as if it resolved all their problems and animosities. "I know that you keep your word. Paku believed you, that's enough for me."

"I don't give a shit about you and what you think! I. Don't. Trust. You. And I never will." Kurapika wasn't happy that he had brought death upon that woman, but he refused to feel guilty for a Spider. He also felt insulted that their boss actually said he trusted him.

Chrollo fell silent for a moment, pondering the situation. "Then let's write down a contract. I will even let you put your chain on me if it'd be only about the contract we both agree on."

"You're missing the point!" Kurapika was screaming and he no longer cared someone might hear him. "This is absolutely and utterly ridiculous! What ever makes you think that I would even consider trucing with you and your lot?!"

"You don't want your employer to die, do you? I can't guarantee we won't target them otherwise." He spoke pleasantly, but the threat was blatant. "I'll give you one day to think on it. I'm sure once you give it a thought you'll find more advantages than disadvantages in our truce. You can call me later."

"You threw my phone into the ocean," the blond pointed out in a calm voice, odd even in his own ears, trying his best to hold on to his reason and to keep his sanity in check.

Chrollo cocked his head to the side and spoke like it was the most obvious thing in the world. The worst part – he wasn't wrong. "Then use a spare one, I'm sure someone like you have at least one stored away." He wriggled inside the chains and managed to get out his phone from the inner pocket of his suit jacket. "You can enter your number in my phone and then I'll call you back so you'll have my number."

Kurapika observed impassively as the man threw his phone for him to catch, but he let it fall to the floor. Then he crushed it with his heel.

"How childish," Chrollo commented only to shrug with little to no care. "Well, that wasn't my phone anyway. I was bored at that banquet, so I nicked few things."

He began to wriggle again, this time for his real phone, but stopped halfway. "Do you mind?" he asked expectantly, referring to the chains.

The blond couldn't bear how casually his enemy spoke and acted. He didn't expect him to fear him or resent him at all, just as he hadn't before, but this was too much. It made him feel sick. And he absolutely hated that the man had a point. If he wasn't going to kill him or put the Judgement Chain on him, then really the Chain Jail was purposeless. And he couldn't do it now, or people would die – people he promised to protect.

With an angry huff he released his chain. He refused to show defeat in his face, but inwardly he felt the Spiders once again had him in a corner.

With satisfied smile Chrollo handed him his phone. "Here, and don't break this one."

Kurapika entered his number, forcefully pressing the buttons as if with every press of his fingers he squished a spider – a very satisfying image indeed. Then he shoved it back into Chrollo's hands, only to hook him in the face right after.

Without sparing him another glance he entered the room only to find the rest of the Spiders comfortably sitting around the main room of their suite. He counted eight. All glanced at him, some with impassive stares, some with irritated glares, and some with malicious glowers. Oito sat frightened on a sofa with Woble tightly in her hands, thankfully unharmed.

"Get out!" he growled at the intruders. They flatly ignored him.

"Let's go, our business here is over for today," Chrollo said from behind him. Only then the Spiders got up and casually made their way for the door.

Passing Kurapika their boss remarked, "I'll be waiting for your response." And then in an afterthought, "Oh, and don't text Hisoka, not yet." The blond shot him a glare, yet with satisfaction he noticed blood seeping from the man's nose. Good.

When the Spiders left he heavily sat on a sofa across the Queen and the Prince, hiding his face in his hands. He was tired. All that anger and hate burned out his strength. He felt helpless. And it seemed it was only the beginning.

"Who were these people? What did they want with you?" Oito inquired urgently.

Kurapika sighed and looked up at her. "They are the worst nightmare embodied."

The Queen's older female attendant made everyone tea to calm their nerves and he then proceeded to explain his general connection with them without getting into details. There were things they didn't need to know to understand the situation.

"So what are you going to do?" Oito asked, her eyebrows furrowed, when he finished his narration.

"I don't know," he breathed out wearily. "I'll have to think about it." Then he added reassuringly, "But don't worry, I won't risk your lives."

The Queen nodded and left him alone to put Woble to sleep and to turn in for the night herself.

Kurapika went to his room and took out his spare phone. He hesitated a bit before turning it on. Notifications showed him four missed calls from Mizaistom and one unread message from an unknown number.

He went with the less nerve-straining notification first and called the Zodiac member.

"Kurapika?" Mizaistom replied after the second ring. There was worry in his voice. "What happened? You suddenly hung up."

"I... It's nothing. It seems I got myself in a small mess, that's all." The blond cringed – that was a huge understatement, basically making it a lie.

"What do you mean? Can I help you somehow?"

Kurapika sighed softly. "I don't think you can. But I'll be fine."

"If you say so." Mizaistom changed the topic, "You spoke about some criminals you spotted?"

"Yeah... Forget about that for now. But should I notice something, I'll let you know."

"Okay." Uncertainty was evident in his voice.

Kurapika hung up with a grimace – he was miffed with himself. The last time he was this pathetic had been after Yorknew City events.

He then made a quick call to Linssen, explaining his predicament and asked him to tell no-one as long as Kurapika didn't tell him differently or didn't die. He also asked him to do some research on Heavens Arena's Floor Masters, especially those that stood out recently. The little man agreed and hung up with oddly heartening, "Good luck, boss, and don't die."

After few deep breaths to calm himself down, the blond scrunching up his nose opened the unread message. He didn't remember when, or rather if ever had a one simple word infuriated him to this extent. He almost threw his phone at the wall, the only thing that stopped him from actually destroying it was that he didn't have more spares.

[Well?]

At least the Spider's boss didn't add any redundant emoji there, or Kurapika would have gone all out to hunt him down and kill him this very moment. He saved the number under 'Insufferable Bastard, just die already!'.

He paced his room for awhile, but he couldn't restore his composure. He then wrote a message to Leorio, Melody, Basho, Izunabi, Biscuit and Hanzo.

[The Phantom Troupe is aboard the Black Whale. Do NOT engage them at any cost. Tell NO-ONE.]

After pushing the Send button, he immediately switched his phone off, knowing that Leorio would try to call him the moment he read his text. He needed quiet and peace and his friend fussing and worrying around him wouldn't help him in the least.

There had to be some solution, a way out of this situation, and Kurapika would find it.

End. (I think.)

Thank you for reading! Any comments are welcome.

Cheers!

朝霧 -Asagiri-