*Finding Leorio*

by: WhiteGloves

"You're both the same. You and Kurapika...

you're both stubborn when it comes to your beliefs."

-Gon to Kurapika and Leorio-


Chapter 2: His Gifts


There was no other letter that came after Leorio's first one. Kurapika never intended to send him any response and after five months he thought it was their last contact. He never seemed to mind.

They reached another city and the boss decided to stay in one of the most expensive hotels. Kurapika has settled the security from inside and out and checked new information about his targets. He was quietly labouring in his room with the vessel of red eyes next on his table when there was a knock on the door. Kurapika gave permission and Senritsu appeared on his door way again. Kurapika did not look up at first, knowing full well his comrade was just going to report. But when Senritsu didn't move and just stood by the door, Kurapika was forced to look up.

"What's the matter?" he asked when he found Senritsu staring at him with meaningful eyes. Senritsu shook her head and then raised a hand which was clutching another letter like five months ago. Kurapika stared at it for a second, then back at his friend. "Another one?"

Senritsu nodded. "It's from Leorio again."

This time, Kurapika frowned and stood up.

"How does he keep track of us?" he asked more to himself as he reached for the letter. He opened it with a frown and found little information written in, but the content was enough to startle him for a second.

Senritsu recognized that surprise heartbeat followed by confusion.

"Kurapika?"

"W-what's the meaning of this…?" Kurapika injected with a look of bewilderment on his eyes. Senritsu looked at him with a worried expression and then looked at the content of the letter. It only said little.

Meet me at the underground park. 9 pm. Leorio.

"Leorio-san's here?" Senritsu said as she looked back at Kurapika whose heart beat of confusion turned to annoyance.

"That guy…" he muttered, "just how did he know our location…?"

"He must've been following us from the beginning," Senritsu offered when Kurapika calmed a little and resumed his seat on the couch. The blonde boy looked serious this time but he was thinking ahead as he put his hands together.

"That's not possible," he said sounding convinced, "I have received no reports of being followed around and our security is always secured. Not to mention, we have someone in the area that surveillances the perimeter with his alert ability… and I don't see any reason for him to lurk anywhere just to follow us."

"Do you think this is a trap from other people then?"

"No… this is that guy's handwriting alright."

"Then how did he know our location? Do you think his connection to you was found by the Ryodan and they're using him to trap you?"

Kurapika's eyes glinted.

"That's what I want to know…"


Later that evening, after checking that everything was okay with his boss, Kurapika together with Senritsu headed for the underground parking lot. Kurapika had the area scouted but there was no report of any member of Ryodan lurking around. There was also no report of a suspicious tall man with shades that may be a reference to Leorio.

"Are you sure this is okay?" Senritsu asked as they walk. Kurapkia has that calm demeanour again and his expression was icy cold.

"Don't worry," the blonde boy answered, "it'll be alright."

Kurapika and Senritsu headed in the middle of the park and stopped. The park was dead silent and the only light was coming from a weak source on their right side. They have been standing there in the semi dark underground for five minutes when they heard coming footsteps. The two looked ahead and waited. The footsteps were coming near and it wasn't long before they saw a shadow of a man walking from the entrance of the park toward them. His shadow was evident from the outside light.

Tap, tap, tap.

Kurapika narrowed his eyes.

"Senritsu… is it him?" he asked as the shadow approached. Senritsu closed her eyes for a moment to check and then after a moment, she nodded.

"Yes. There's no doubt."

Kurapika's eyes slightly narrowed again. This guy…

"Are there any disturbance in his heart beat that we may take suspicious?"

Senritsu wondered about that for a second and then watched the approaching shadow closely.

"None… his heart beat's normal."

Kurapika relaxed for a bit and gave out a sigh. He didn't know what he was so anxious about, but finding that it was actually Leorio and that there seemed to be nothing wrong with him washed a sudden relief in his heart unknowingly.

"But… there's definitely something wrong." Senritsu said again and Kurapika was alerted as he shot his comrade a look. "…it's something I can't point accurately… he's calm but something's different… something about him is different."

"What?" Kurapika whispered as he heard the footsteps stop. He looked quickly around at the guy who was now standing in front of him quietly. Because of the weak light, Kurapika couldn't see Leorio clearly but half of the man's face came to light and Kurapika stared at him for long. The man just stood in the half light provided by the park but he didn't move a single muscle.

"Yo," Leorio said casually with a smirk as he waved a free hand on Kurapika's direction. His other hand was holding on a bag behind him but other than that there seemed to be nothing suspicious about the guy, "Kurapika, good to see you!"

Kurapika paused for a moment, and then gave his old friend a look.

"What are you doing here?"

Leorio smiled. "No need to be so cold. I didn't follow you here or anything. It just happens that we're in the same place, alright?"

Kurapika found Leorio's easy smile suddenly annoying and before he knew it, he was shouting with fearsome agitation that even surprised Senritsu for the first time.

"Answer me you moron! What are you doing in this kind of place? What's with that letter you sent five months ago? What have you been doing? And why do we have to meet in this suspicious place? Come answer me!"

Senritsu stared at her comrade with a new wonder. Kurapika's heart beat was full of exploding emotion. She didn't see it before but now it was so clear. All the bottled up emotion of her friend was suddenly bursting out of him and for the first time, Senritsu sensed worry mixed with annoyance, despair and anger toward this person who suddenly appeared before them.

It made Senritsu smile to herself.

It's been awhile since she actually saw her comrade explode like that. And it was probably thanks to this guy. She looked at Leorio and couldn't help but wonder because though it may be him… something has changed.

Leorio scratched his head and sighed.

"You're asking so many questions at once," he muttered with a face that made Kurapika blink for a moment, "no need to rush these things right? Anyway—I've just come to deliver something to you."

"Deliver?" Kurapika picked up the word with surprise, "just what exactly—"

Leorio showed him a bag with a grin.

"Senritsu-san!" he called casually, "come take this!"

"M-me?" Senritsu blinked twice.

"I'll take it," Kurapika hinted stubbornness in his voice a he took a step forward, but Leorio shook his head.

"Nope. This one's gotta be taken by Senritsu… what you've gotta look on is inside the trunk of that car." Leorio gestured his head to his left where Kurapika saw a red car. He shot the tall man another glare.

"What's the point of this?" he asked skeptically as he eyed his friend warily. Leorio didn't show any other expression as the blond boy continued, "you suddenly sent a letter requesting me to stop hunting the Ryodan… and then months later you appear so inconspicuously before us like you're some kind of shadow… and then you tell me you're only here to deliver something?"

Senritsu sensed something about Kurapika that made her look at him. Leorio's expression was vacant with still half his face hidden in the dark.

"Hey, Leorio…" Kurapika whispered with gritted teeth, his eyes hidden under his hair, "just what exactly is going on?"

Silence fell between them with Senritsu only trying to sense the feeling of the two.

"Don't worry about it," Leorio calmly said after awhile as he extended an arm with the bag and smiled quietly, "Senritsu, please take it."

Senritsu hesitated for a moment, and then walked toward Leorio. When she got near him, she saw the man flash him a quick smile before passing the bag into his hands. Then Senritsu saw something on his face that made her gasp a little. Leorio quickly straightened and look ahead to where Kurapika was standing.

"Kurapika," he said when Senritsu has stood beside the blonde boy again, "are you still hunting them? Those Ryodan, I mean?"

Kurapika didn't even bat an eye as he stared at the tall guy. Leorio closed his eyes and put both his hands on his pockets.

"I see. That's too bad."

He threw something in the air and Kurapika caught it in his hand. He looked at it and saw that it was a key. When he looked up the next time, Leorio has turned his back to him and was walking away quietly.

"L-Leorio!" he called somewhat indignantly, "what's the meaning of this?"

But Leorio merely waved a hand as he walked away.

"Don't sweat it," he called with a sideway glance at the blonde boy, "consider this as my gift."

Kurapika stared long at the walking man with mouth gaping open. Then Leorio was gone like a real shadow when light has returned. Kurapika was still staring at the spot where he disappeared with a confused expression and minds full of questions. Then slowly, he looked at key and then at the car.

Quietly, Kurapika headed for the car and turned the key in. He wasn't expecting anything grand, he was sure of that. Either Leorio was pulling his leg or Leorio has lost his mind. That was why it was with slight expectant eyes when he raised the trunk and saw what was inside.

Kurapika's heart beat reached its danger zone and his eyes widened in utmost surprise as he saw the content of the car. Senritsu sensed him and quickly joined Kurapika and looked inside. Then she gasped for there— inside the car trunk lay a body of a person. But it wasn't just a normal person but a familiar guy whose hair was brown with a slight build up body. There was no mistaking who it was for at that moment, Kurapika felt the familiar sensation of his chains clinging and moving upward as if awaken from its deep slumber.

"This guy!" he gasped with intensity, his eyes waving from green to red, "Ryodan's Shalnark!"

"Kurapika!" he heard Senritsu's cry and immediately look behind him. Senritsu has opened the bag and was now holding a vessel very much like the one that Kurapika has in his room. And inside it was the same content.

Kuruta Red Eyes.

Kurapika looked so overwhelmed that he only managed to stare in absolute astonishment at the pair of red eyes swimming in the vessel. Something fell on the floor and Kurapika quickly picked it up. It has Leorio's handwriting in it.

It said: I wanted to deliver this one myself. Leorio.

Kurapika shot the place a look where Leorio has disappeared.

What… just what's going on here?


-To Be Continued-

next Kurapika's gonna be exploding in the next chapter:

His Plans

Thanks for Reading!