There are two scenes I have been dying to write, and one of them is in this chapter! The other one is in the next chapter, so you have that to look forward to.

As always, I hope you enjoy this chapter. Let me know if anyone is acting OOC. I'm paranoid.

Ange: When I wrote my outline I honestly didn't realize that the chapters were going to be this long. Well, I guess it turned out for the better. You're right about Rin's nen! I'm glad you like Rin's character, and here is the meeting you were waiting for!

bludiamond321: He's a specialist. It's funny you should mention the punishment, because something might happen in the next chapter ;)

Guest: Looks like I'm about to make you happy again. Here's the next chapter!

I do not own Hunter x Hunter: it belongs to Yoshihiro Togashi.

Edited 4/16/18: Just some minor grammatical corrections and making the chapter flow better overall. I also added on to a couple of scenes as well. I don't have a beta, so I apologize for any remaining mistakes. Let me know if anyone spots anything in the chapter that I should fix.


"There's a really long line. Is everyone going to Heavens Arena?" Gon asked, gazing at all the people waiting with wide eyes.

There really were a lot, too. People were coming out of the doors and were lined up against the entire length of the wall outside.

Killua grinned at Gon's reaction and nodded enthusiastically before he said, "There aren't any conditions here, like there were for the Hunter Exam. You just have to defeat your opponent." He sounded oddly gleeful, which did not bode well for them.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Rin asked, tilting his head back so he could look all the way up the enormous tower. No conditions meant more of a chance of getting a serious injury.

"Stop worrying so much." Killua glared. He was already walking toward the end of line. "The higher you go, the more prize money you earn. This is as good as it gets for those looking to make a living with their fists."

Rin sighed, knowing that nothing he said would change either of their minds. "If you say so."

They took their place at the back of the line among people who had rather unique choices in style. One guy even had a bright green mohawk and looked more like some type of rockstar rather than a fighter. Thankfully, everyone kept to themselves, so after a couple hours of waiting they finally made it inside the building without any problems.

When they stepped up to the window, a lady greeted them with a smile. She had a strange pink hat with a fist printed on the front, and the color made her blue hair stand out even more because of it. "Welcome to Heavens Arena. Please fill out this form," she said and gave them two pieces of paper. She tried handing one to Rin, but he just shook his head.

"Rin, you're not going to fight?" Gon asked. He was clutching at the paper with both hands, leaving indents on the edges—as if afraid someone was going to take away his chance to fight—and looked as if he couldn't believe Rin would voluntarily pass up an opportunity like this.

"Ah, no. I don't really like fighting," Rin explained, at the same time wondering how he managed to get surrounded by so many battle addicts.

"Eh! Are you serious?!" Killua yelled. The look on his face clearly said that he thought Rin was an idiot; Rin almost felt insulted. "I saw the way you fought against Leorio."

Rin shifted his feet uneasily at the ball of irritation that was Killua. "I know how to fight. I just don't like to."

"Now, now." Gon stepped in between them with both hands raised. Once he made sure that Killua wasn't about to jump at Rin, he turned to give him a smile. "You don't have to fight if you don't want to, Rin."

Rin nodded in thanks, but noticed that Gon's smile started twitching when Killua simply turned away with a huff.

The receptionist seemed used to hearing arguments because she ignored them with a skill that could only come from practice and typed the data into the computer. "Killua Zoldyck-sama, you are #2054. Gon Freecss-sama, you are #2055. They'll call your number on the first floor of the arena, so make sure you remember it," she explained, and when both boys nodded their understanding she pointed in the direction they needed to go. "Then please go ahead."

There are a lot of people, Rin thought, as he gazed with wide eyes at all the people in the audience. Rows upon rows of people were packed into the stands. There hadn't been nearly as many people during the Hunter exam, and each one was chattering with the person next to them, making the sound that filled the room verge on becoming almost deafening. Rin was so much more used to the familiar calls of nature, since that's what he grew up with. The town he lived in wasn't the largest, so he wasn't used to being surrounded by so many people.

A hand wrapped around his own, tugging slightly to get his attention. Rin slowly turned to look down at Gon, who simply smiled at him and squeezed his hand reassuringly. He was not above admitting how he clung onto the boy's hand, the grip helping ground him as he tried to readjust.

Killua briefly glanced back at them and sat down on the first empty bench he found. "It's been a while, but the place hasn't changed."

"Huh?" Gon looked over at Killua in surprise. "You've been here before?" he asked, sitting down with a thump and dragging Rin with him.

"Yeah, when I was six. My dad left me here without a penny. He said I should reach floor 200 before coming home. It took two years." Parenting issues aside, just how strong is Killua? "If you want to fight people of Hisoka's level, you'll need to go higher. Let's hurry," Killua said. There was excitement peeking through, breaking the boy's calm mask that he usually kept firmly planted on his face.

"Okay." Gon agreed. The boy had only grown more and more energetic since they had entered the building, and him seeing Killua actually looking forward to something just seemed to make it even worse.

I'm definitely keeping sugar away from these two. If they're this energic without it, I definitely don't want to see them during a sugar rush, Rin thought amusedly. Gon caught him eyeing them and sent him a curious look, but Rin simply shook his head with a smile, which just seemed to confuse the boy even more.

An announcement came over the speakers, "#1973. #2055. Please enter ring E."

Gon shot up from his seat, jolting Rin as well since the boy had yet to let go of his hand. "#2055! That's me!" Gon released his grip and shrugged off his backpack with a frown. "I'm getting nervous now."

"Gon, you got through the Testing Gate, right? In that case..." Killua started, lips pulling into a mischievous smile. "All you have to do is push hard."

Rin gave him a thumbs up and said, "Don't worry, Gon. I'm sure you'll do just fine, and we'll be cheering for you up here."

"Okay! See ya!" He waved a hand and darted back up the steps and out the door.

Rin's hand tingled as he slowly lowered it to rest on his lap. He already missed the soothing warmth that Gon just seemed to radiate. The boy was a force of nature, that much was true, but he was one of the kindest people Rin had ever met. He was never one for praying, but Rin couldn't help but find himself hoping to whatever deity might be up there to protect the boy.

However, the second Gon stepped onto the ring, people all around started yelling insults at him. Even from the stands, Rin could see how Gon's posture slumped in on itself, and he scowled. I bet none of them could win against Gon, Rin thought, his eyebrows furrowing in annoyance.

He felt a nudge in the side and turned to Killua. "You're not going to turn into a protective mother bear again, are you?" the boy teased, smirking as blue eyes flashed with amusement.

Rin blushed. "W-What?! No!" he stammered out. Mentally, he was scowling at Leorio for starting the ridiculous nickname in the first place.

"Just making sure." Killua chuckled.

Rin sighed and glared at him weakly. "It was one time, okay."

"Whatever you say." Killua shrugged and grinned at him from the corner of his eyes.

Rin huffed and pointedly turned back to the fight, ignoring him, though he could still hear the boy chuckling quietly to himself occasionally. He focused in right as Gon's opponent tried to punch him, but Gon was too fast and ducked under the fist, using his smaller size to his advantage. The boy slammed his hands into the man's chest—in a manner similar to how Rin had hit Leorio—and sent him flying across the room with a loud crash. The audience couldn't even see where the man landed because a cloud of dust rose up as soon as his back impacted with the wall. That's one way to do it...Gon. Rin sweatdropped and took in the man sized hole left in the wall once the dust had cleared. Maybe a little overkill, though.

The rest of their matches were blown past with an ease that had all the other contestants and the audience shocked. Rin might have been just a tad smug about them all being proven wrong.

"The first 200 floors of Heavens Arena are divided into classes, each comprised of ten floors," a lady in the elevator informed them as they travelled back down to the main floor so Gon and Killua could claim their prize money. "So after someone defeats an opponent in the 50s, they advance to the 60s. If they lose, then they'd drop back to the 40s."

"Oh, so that's how it works." Gon mumbled quietly to himself. He was slightly distracted, head tilting this way and that as he took in the state-of-the-art elevator they were riding. Rin quickly put a hand on his shoulder when he caught the boy eyeing the buttons with an intensity he had only witnessed when Gon was fighting. Gon turned and gave him a sheepish smile, looking as if he had just been caught with his hand in the cookie jar.

"Plus-" Killua started, but was interrupted by a voice suddenly coming from behind them.

"I've heard that after you pass the 100th floor, you get your own room!" Rin jumped in surprise when the only other person in the elevator spoke. He had completely forgotten the boy was even there he had so little presence. "Oh, I forgot to introduce myself. Osu! My name is Zushi! What about you guys?" He was holding his arms out stiffly to the side as if in some type of stance, which was probably accurate considering he was wearing a martial arts uniform. The boy appeared to be a few years younger than Killua and Gon and had short, reddish-brown hair.

"I'm Killua."

"I'm Gon, and that's Rin," Gon said as he gestured to Rin, who simply gave a small wave. "Nice to meet you."

The elevator dinged as they reached their floor, and all of them got off, including Zushi, who trailed behind them.

"I saw your fight earlier. That was really amazing, yo!" It looks like you guys have a fan.

"What are you talking about?" Killua slid his hands into pocket, trying to appear nonchalant, but Rin could see a calculating gleam flicker in his eyes. "You made it up here with one match, too."

Gon nodded. He was the complete opposite of Killua; his eyes lit up in a fire of excitement at the possibility of finding another boy around his age who could keep up with them. "That's right."

"No, I still have a long way to go," Zushi admitted. Then he stared at Killua and Gon with curiosity. "By the way, which martial arts discipline do you practice? I study the Shingen-ryu fighting technique."

Killua just looked at him blankly. "School? We don't have one, right?" he asked, glancing over at Gon as if there was the possibility they had been studying in one without his knowledge.

"No," Gon said slowly. The fact that he actually took the time to think about it almost had Rin laughing for the second time that day, but he held it in so he wouldn't incur Killua's wrath.

Zush's mouth dropped open, and he yelled, "What? You're that strong with no training? I'm kind of shocked...I still have so far to go!" He sighed, his body slumping at the thought of even more training.

Clapping suddenly rang out from behind them. "Zushi, you did well."

Zushi spun around with a happy grin. "Master!" he exclaimed.

A tall man with glasses and a pink shirt walked closer to them. "You adhered to my teachings," he praised, giving Zushi a closed-eye smile.

"Osu! I am honored!" Zushi crossed his arms and thrust them to the side enthusiastically. "Master, your shirt is untucked again," the boy added as an afterthought. The conversation almost seemed like a common thing between them, and Rin wasn't exactly sure what that said about their relationship.

"Oh, sorry about that…" The man tucked his shirt back in with a sheepish look, then he turned to face the other three people standing there awkwardly during the exchange. "Who are they?" he asked.

Zushi turned to them, pointing at each one as he said their name. "Oh, these are Killua-san, Gon-san, and Rin-san."

"Nice to meet you. I'm Wing." The man gave a small bow.

"Yo!" Gon and Killua did the same gesture as Zushi. Not them too…

Rin gave a small nod in greeting but nothing else. The lack of a smile seemed to throw Gon and Killua because they both turned to him with questioning looks, and he saw Killua's eyes sharpened as he regarded the man in a new light, probably figuring that Rin noticed something that he didn't.

And he did.

The man was not as harmless as he appeared. Rin could sense a small amount of nen coming off of him, not enough to worry about an attack, but enough to let him know the man was a skilled user. Once a person had enough experience and practice, they could decrease the amount of nen they naturally let off. It would never be on the same level as it was before they unlocked it, but most times it was enough to cause a person to simply overlook them. It was how Rin managed to avoid detection at the start of the Hunter exam. It was only when he actually used it that Hisoka fully noticed, something that Rin was oddly proud of.

The man caught Rin's sharp look, but he simply smiled. "I didn't expect to meet other children. Why are you here?"

Rin felt his eye twitch. I know I'm kind of short, but do I really look that young?

"Uh…" Killua started uncertainly. "Well, we want to become stronger, but we're also broke, so we're making money simultaneously," he stated bluntly.

"Killua's a veteran here," Gon added helpfully.

"Oh?" Wing said, eyeing them consideringly. "If you're up here, you must be fairly skilled, but you should pay strict attention to your opponent's body, as well as your own."

"Osu." Please tell me this won't be a continuous thing.

They eventually made it back to the receptionist desk, only this time their group had increased by two members, and it made Rin miss Kurapika and Leorio.

"Killua-sama, Gon-sama, and Zushi-sama? Please hand me your tickets," the receptionist asked politely. Once she had them, she handed back three envelopes. "Here is your prize money."

Gon dumped the contents out into his hand. "One hundred, fifty-two jenny…"

Killua went over to a vending machine. "On the 1st floor, win or lose, your reward covers a canned drink, but beyond that, a loss gets you nothing. A win over an opponent in the 50s nets you fifty thousand," he explained.

"Fifty thousand…" Gon said, perking up immediately at the thought of the reward.

Zushi's jaw dropped. "That's a lot."

Killua looked at them in amusement. " What are you talking about? In the 100s, I think wins are worth a million."

Rin almost choked on his spit. Seriously?!

"What?" Gon and Zushi exclaimed at the same time.

"Once you're past the 150th floor, you get ten million a pop," Killua said, ignoring their surprise.

"Ten million?" Gon said slowly, almost as if he couldn't believe it. "Didn't you make it to the 200th floor when you were here before? How much do you get for winning on there?"

Killua shrugged his shoulders while chugging his drink. He wiped his mouth of with the back of his hand before he answered. "Well...I don't really know, because I quit once I reached 200. But when I was winning in the 190s, I had around two hundred million, total."

"T-Two hundred million…" Zushi whispered, dumbfounded. He looked as if he couldn't decide whether to cry or laugh.

"Where's that money now?" Gon asked, probably wondering why Killua was broke if he made that much money.

"That was four years ago. Of course it's gone now. Spent it all on snacks!" Killua laughed and raised his hands in a what-can-you-do gesture.

Rin's eye twitched, actually tempted to try and shake some sense into the boy. "I don't know what to be more impressed by. The fact that you had all that money or that you managed to spend it all on snacks. Or maybe the fact that you managed to eat it all."

"You're just jealous." Killua smirked playfully. His eyes were just daring Rin to try anything. "Hey, let's head to the waiting room. We didn't take any damage in the last fight, so they'll probably assign us another match today."

The fact that he paused mid sentence to give Rin a sharp, questioning look made a warmth rush through his chest. He nodded, giving Killua a fond look that he hoped conveyed to the boy that he didn't need to worry about him. "I'll go find a seat in the stands, then. Good luck, you guys." Rin smiled and waved as they disappeared in the distance.

"Bye-bye," Gon shouted, waving back. The sheer volume of his voice caused a few people near him to glower, and Rin saw KIllua punch him on the head. He just barely heard the resounding yelp that followed.

I hope they never change, Rin thought fondly. He waited until they were completely out of sight before he glanced back over at the man still standing next to him. Wing was staring in the same direction the boys had went with an unreadable expression on his face, but when Rin's clothes rustled as he shifted the man's eyes jerked around to meet his. They stared at each other in silence, both trying to figure out what the other was thinking.

Wing spoke first. "I know you're wondering who I am, but I cannot reveal anything to you right now. Just trust me when I say that I mean no harm to those boys," he said. His face had both an openness to it and was somewhat guarded at the same time, but his eyes were practically begging Rin to listen to him.

Rin felt he was a rather good judge of character, not nearly as good as Gon, but enough to be able to tell when a person was lying. He sighed, a deep sound that seemed to radiate from his chest. "Alright. I'll trust you for the moment."

Wing's entire posture relaxed at the promise. His face even lost some of its guardedness. "Thank you," he said. He sounded sincere, and Rin could only hope he didn't come to regret it.

He was not entirely sure why Wing was thanking him, since the man didn't really gain anything from his trust. Sure, it meant that Rin wouldn't constantly be watching him whenever he appeared, but Killua and Gon were their own people—even with their ages—and could make their own decisions on who to trust.

Rin nodded, suddenly feeling as if he hadn't slept in days, and walked away. He wandered throughout the lobby without a real goal in mind, trying to figure out why Wing was interested in Killua and Gon. Did the man somehow know they were Hunters? Did he recognize Killua because of his family? Did it have something to do with Gon's father? There were so many question and not enough answers—no answers, actually.

When he heard a call for Killua's number he made his way back into the stadium. Now, where to sit, he wondered. There was quite a few people in the stadium already as the few people who had left just like he did were slowly trickling back in for the upcoming fights. Only this time, Rin didn't have the comforting presence of Gon and Killua next to him.

"Rin, wasn't it?" a voice called out to his left.

Rin whipped his head around in the direction of the voice. Wing was sitting a few feet away from him and gestured for him to come closer. "Ah, yes, that's right."

"Hmm." Wing smiled at him as he sat down. "I didn't see you in the crowd, so I wondered where you had went to. It's nice to see those boys have a friend to cheer them on."

Rin gave him a tiny nod. The conversation they just had was still floating in his mind, so he wasn't exactly sure what to say. "I could say the same about Zushi. You seem to really care about him."

Wing chuckled. The fond look on his face was the complete opposite of the serious one he had shown earlier, but it made Rin feel like he had made the right choice. "Of course. It's a teacher's duty to take care of their student."

Before they could continue their conversation, the announcer came over the loudspeaker with an excited yell, causing all the conversations to slowly die off. "Okay, everyone! The event you've all been waiting for! We have a unique match-up for you! Two young boys, fighting it out! However, you don't want to underestimate them! Both had strong showings in their first rounds and advanced directly to the 50s!"

Rin jumped in his seat, eyes wide. I didn't actually hear who Killua was fighting!

"Calm down. They'll be fine." Wing laughed. "If anything, this should be a rather interesting fight."

This, however, did nothing to ease Rin's concern. I'm more worried for Zushi at this point, especially since everyone apparently bet in his favor.

"This match will consist of three, three-minutes each, decided by the points and knockout system!" The referee glanced between the two contestants, and when neither boy objected, he threw his hand in the air. "Begin!" he yelled.

Rin observed the two people in the ring carefully. Zushi had taken up a fighting stance while Killua just continued to stand there with his hands in his pockets. The relaxed—almost mocking—posture was reminiscent of Hisoka's slouch, and Rin made a mental note to keep those two far, far away from one another.

Zushi tried punching him, but Killua easily dodged and karate chopped the back of his neck. The referee called out a clean hit when Zushi collapsed to the ground. However, Rin could see Killua's surprised expression even from the stands when Zushi managed to stand up. He peeked over at Wing, but the man just looked proud. Killua walked forward again, and even though Zushi met him with a flurry of punches, he gracefully stepped around and hit the boy's neck in the same exact place.

Don't overdo it, Killua, Rin thought in worry. It was obvious, both from what he had seen and what the boy had said, that he was still rather new at fighting. Training was one thing, but actually having an opponent coming at you with the serious intent to harm was entirely different.

However, Zushi just stood up again before Killua could gain the point. This isn't good. Killua's starting to get frustrated. When Zushi took up a different stance, Rin could only stare in confusion, then felt his eyes widen as a flicker of nen came to life around the boy. Even Killua must have sensed the change—despite having no knowledge that nen even existed—because he retreated to the end of the ring in a flash.

Wing suddenly stood up and yelled at the top of lungs, "Zushi!" Once the boy turned to look at him, he sat back down with his arms crossed and a harsh frown on his face.

Rin stared at the man with wide eyes. "Wing-san…"

Wing glanced over at him, and his eyes softened a little. "I'm his teacher," he explained, as if that answered everything.

It didn't, not really, but Rin took it to mean that Zushi was his student in not just martial arts.

Killua eventually won the match by getting ten points, but he didn't appear happy about it as he stalked away from the ring. Afterward, Rin went running out of the stadium and tried to catch up with him.

"Killua!" Rin called once Killua were in sight. He was only mildly surprised that Gon was already there when he finally reached the boy.

"Rin," Gon greeted with a smile.

Rin nodded in acknowledgement at Gon, but quickly turned his attention to Killua. "Are you okay?" he asked. The boy was doing a good job of hiding it, but there was a tenseness to his shoulders that hadn't been there before the fight.

"Yeah," Killua stated simply as he shoved his hands back into his pockets.

Gon looked between the two worriedly. "Did something happen?"

"I ran into a little trouble," Killua explained, then turned abruptly and started walking away.

Gon stared after him, confused, before running to catch up. "Then Zushi was pretty strong," he asked.

"No, not at all," Killua denied immediately. "He has potential. One day, he'll be strong, but right now, he's just target practice for me. His punches were weak...I was completely able to knock him around." Rin winced at his bluntness. He knew Killua was just venting his frustration, but he wasn't used to hearing the boy talk so...coldly. "But I couldn't defeat him," he growled, face twisting into one of the fiercest looks Rin had ever seen on him.

"Huh?" Gon looked shocked that someone as strong as Killua couldn't defeat Zushi.

"I received the TKO from points, but I couldn't knock him out. Further," Killua narrowed his eyes, "When he changed his stance, his aura reminded me of my brother's. I don't know what it was, but it felt dangerous. It must be some kind of technique. I overheard him and his master talking after the match. His master called it 'ren'. Apparently he wasn't supposed to use it yet." So much for keeping it a secret, Wing...

"So he isn't supposed to use 'ren' until he reaches the top floor?" Gon guessed. "The strongest fighters are at the top, right?"

Killua glowered at the ground in thought. "Gon, change in plans. I'm aiming to reach the top floor!" he declared, giving Gon a determined look, one which Gon returned enthusiastically.

"Uh-huh!" Gon grinned, raising a hand so the two could fist-bump.

I feel like everything is going to go downhill from here.


They're both show offs, Rin thought. He couldn't help but smile fondly at them as they continued to blaze through their fights with the same ease they had started out with. They even managed to reach the 100s within three days, which meant they also got what came with it.

"Yay! A private room!" Gon raced over and jumped onto the bed. He bounced in place a little and seemed in awe at how comfortable it was. The sight was a reminder of exactly how young Gon and Killua actually were, though Killua could act surprisingly mature when he wasn't pouting or throwing a fit. "We won't have to worry about money and lodging anymore."

"I wouldn't be too sure about that," Killua denied calmly. He walked over and sat on a chair that was beside the bed. "If you drop below the 100s, you have to check out of this room. A world of difference separates making it to the 100s and staying in the 100s. The 100th floor is like a ceiling."

"A ceiling?" Gon asked, pausing long enough in his bouncing so he could look at Killua, much to Rin's relief, and he took the chance to sit down next to him.

Killua stared at Gon, appearing to think about it carefully before he answered. "Once you pass it, you get special treatment. So everyone focuses on holding their spot. Some people will do anything it takes to stay in the 100s. You can waste a lot of time on them, so be careful, Gon."

"Yeah." Gon nodded, though the fact that he went right back to jumping didn't make it seem like he was actually taking it seriously. It also just made Rin even more resolved in his decision to keep any manner of sugar away from the boy.

Killua raised a hand to his mouth as he yawned, and Rin finally noticed just how exhausted the boy actually looked. "Well, I'm tired, so I think I'll head off to bed." He turned to the door but paused with his hand on the handle when he caught sight of Rin sitting next to Gon, finally remembering that there was another person in the room. Rin felt slightly disappointed that he was so easily forgettable. "What are you going to do?" he asked.

Rin tilted his head to the side as he considered the question. "I was going to find a cheap hotel, since I didn't actually fight," he finally admitted. He was originally planning on keeping it a secret since he didn't want the boys to worry, and they both did worry, despite how much Killua tried to pretend otherwise. The questioning look in the lobby was a prime example of it.

"Eh," Gon exclaimed, stopping once again so he could lean closer to Rin. "You can just stay here. The bed is big enough for the both of us."

As soon as the words were out of his mouth, both Killua's and Rin's faces went entirely red. "Gon, do you even realize what you're saying?!" Killua immediately yelled. It was a good thing the rooms were soundproof—as assured by the receptionist on the floor—otherwise they would have plenty of angry neighbors pounding on the door at any second.

Gon looked at them with a slight pout, seemingly put off by their doubt in his plan. "What's the big deal? We're both boys, and he's only a little older than us."

"Um, Gon." Rin slowly raised a hand with a slightly embarrassed look. "I'm actually nineteen…" Ah, I can hear crickets, Rin thought when neither one said anything at first. He was starting to come to terms with the fact that he would always appear younger than he actually was—and be treated as such.

"What?! But you're so short!" Killua shouted, pointing a finger at Rin's chest.

"That's not my fault," Rin argued.

Gon's pout became even more pronounced, and he glared. "Either way, it doesn't matter," he said, just daring them to continue arguing over the matter.

Killua threw his hands in the air with a loud sigh. "Whatever. I give up," he said and stalked out of the room.

Rin glanced at Gon. "Are you s-" He cut himself off when Gon's eyes narrowed even more. "L-Let's go to bed," he said. His lips twitched up into an awkward smile. Remind me to never mess with Gon when he's made up his mind...


The morning was a little...awkward. Rin had forgotten to mention that he was a hugger. Gon hadn't seemed to mind—"You kept me warm"—but now Killua kept sending him smirks every few seconds, to his complete mortification. The fact that he was the one who woke them up only made it worse. In an effort to get away from all the teasing, Rin went and sat on a bench with his head in his hands while they went to get their prize money. Like he didn't tease me enough already.

"Rin, we're leaving," Gon called out to him, standing a few feet away with Killua.

Rin jumped up from his seat and ran over to them. "Ah, wait up."

When he got to them, Gon was staring down at a slip of paper in his hand. "You were right. I've never seen so many zeros before," he said in awe, holding the paper over his head with both hands as if that would help him look at it better. "And just a week ago, I was totally broke."

Killua had already started to walk away with both hands behind his head and said, "I'm a little annoyed."

"Huh?" Gon lowered the paper and looked over at him.

Killua closed his eyes, and his face scrunched up into a frown. "My first time here, it took me two months to reach floor 150. Meanwhile, you're breezing through." His tone of voice caught Rin's attention. He almost sounded...jealous.

"But you were only six back then," Gon tried to reason.

"Well, that's true…" Killua finally relented, though he still didn't sound completely convinced.

Gon slapped a hand in his palm as he suddenly remembered something. "Oh, that's right. I saw Zushi on TV earlier."

"So did I. He's still in the 50s," Killua said. He didn't sound pleased with that, so at least he wasn't holding a grudge, though he didn't exactly sound displeased with it, either.

"I wonder what that 'ren' you sensed could have been," Gon wondered, and Rin flinched at the all too innocent question.

Maybe I should just tell them...but I don't want to say anything until Wing explains what's going on. Plus, if he taught them nen, it would only paint an even larger target on their backs than they already had. Rin having nen was what made Hisoka interested in him in the first place, and the magician was already much more interested in the two boys than Rin was comfortable with. He refused to be the one who added on to that.

"Maybe if we fight opponents higher up…" Killua began.

Gon shook his head. "Wouldn't it be faster to just ask Zushi?"

Killua suddenly grabbed Gon's hand and started laughing hysterically, which just made Rin eye him in concern.

Decision made, they took the elevator back down to floor 50 and walked around in order to search for Zushi. Rin honestly thought it would take longer to find him, but Gon spotted him almost immediately. The younger boy was walking away from them, so Gon called out to him which made him stop and look back.

His face positively lit up when he saw exactly who was walking toward him. "Gon-san, Killua-san, Rin-san, what brings you guys down here?" he asked.

"We have a question for you," Gon admitted. He seemed to feel a little guilty that they had an ulterior motive for trying to find the other boy. "Can you tell us what 'ren' is?"

Zushi looked startled by the question, but he answered, "'Ren' is one of the four major principles for disciplining your mind and body. It's fundamental to every martial art!" he declared, and Rin could feel a sweatdrop forming the longer he spoke. I think he needs to explain it a little more for them. "You must know 'ten,' learn 'zetsu,' achieve 'ren', and reach 'hatsu'! This is all part of 'nen' training! That covers everything!"

Killua's face had grown more and more blank as the conversation went on, and finally, he snapped, "I have no idea what you just said!"

Rin couldn't exactly blame Killua, since even he had trouble following the explanation and he actually knew about nen.

"Zushi…" a stern voice called out from their right, startling all of them. "Are you sufficiently educated that you can teach others?" Wing scolded as he stepped to join their group. "Gon-kun, Killua-kun, Rin-kun. There's an old saying that if you learn something piecemeal, you'll end up knowing less than when you started."

"So a little knowledge is a dangerous thing?" Killua asked and looked down in consideration, before scowling. "But I want to know right now because it's related to the secret behind my brother's power."

Wing's glasses flashed in the light. "Then, your brother is able to use nen?" he asked slowly.

"I need to know what 'nen' and 'ren' even mean!" Killua exclaimed. It seemed his patience had finally reached its limit. "I'll agree to the full learning process rather than a quick explanation! And if you're willing to teach me, I won't try to figure it out myself."

Just the thought of them trying to use nen on their own almost sent him into hysterics. As if I would let you do that!

Wing stared at Killua intently before finally bowing his head. "I understand. Come with me to my residence."


The lesson had been...insightful, both about nen and Wing's character.

"Huh? Rin, aren't you coming?" Gon asked as he looked back at where Rin hadn't moved an inch from his spot in front of the white board.

Rin smiled at them and calmly said, "I'll meet you guys there. I just want to ask Wing something."

"Oh, okay," Gon agreed uncertainly, and the boy shared a brief glance with Killua before he stepped toward the door.

Rin ignored the same sharp look Killua gave him as before—it was kind of ironic that both times involved Wing—and waited for them to leave the room. The second the door closed, Rin jerked his head back to Wing with a glare. "Why did you lie to them?" he demanded calmly. The only hint of the anger boiling inside him was the threatening curl of his nen slowly filling the room. In the corner of his eye, he could see Zushi looking between them nervously, and he felt slightly guilty for scaring the boy—only slightly because Gon and Killua had priority.

Wing just stared back at him, completely relaxed. "Lie?" he asked.

Rin felt his nen hiss beneath the surface. "Do not mess with me," he growled. "Now tell me why you lied to them."

"I didn't lie," he said and went over to start erasing the writing on the board. "Nen is an important method for training your soul. However, it's true that I can't teach nen to someone who is not a student, so I used the other nen as a hint to help them along. If nen is used the wrong way, as I'm sure you know, it can become a terrible weapon." He gently placed the eraser back down once he was done and smiled at Rin. "Tell me, who taught you nen?"

Rin bristled, and his glare deepened. "My father."

"I see." Wing sat down on the only chair in the room with a small sigh. "Don't worry. I will teach them eventually. I just want to see what they think of nen first," he explained.

Rin studied Wing's expression, looking for any hint of a lie. When none was found, his tension eased up a fraction, though he didn't pull back his nen. "Fine." he reluctantly said, before fixing Wing with a warning glare. "However, if something happens to them, you'll have me to deal with," he promised, then left the room.

"I wouldn't expect anything else." Rin heard right before he shut the door with a quiet click.


The walk back to the Heavens Arena was quiet. There were only a few people here and there, most likely because the sky was a deep, grey color that promised rain—most people had opted to stay inside where it was nice and dry. Although there were no raindrops yet, the clouds seemed to wash out any color that was in the city, leaving it all the same gloomy grey. Even the people seemed deprived of life, all of them wearing varying shades of black and grey, making them blend in with the rest of their surroundings.

Wing lived about ten minutes away, so it didn't take long before he got back. He was kind of surprised to find that he was actually glad to see the tower, the lights on in its windows serving as a beacon of light against the grey backdrop. However, he jerked slightly when he heard someone yell his name as soon as he stepped into the lobby and turned to see Gon and Killua waiting for him next to the elevators.

"What are you guys doing? You could have just went up to the rooms."

"Killua said that we should wait for you," Gon informed and sent a teasing grin to the other boy.

Killua just scowled at Gon and looked away, though Rin could see a tint of red on his cheeks. "I don't know what you're talking about, idiot."

Gon glowered at him, stepping forward until he was in Killua's space. "Who are you calling an idiot, idiot?!"

"The idiot I'm looking at!" Killua yelled. They were only inches apart now, and Rin could almost swear he saw actual sparks shoot from their eyes.

"Please don't fight, you guys," Rin pleaded, though what he really wanted to do was laugh at their childish insults.

They pulled away with a huff, each facing in the opposite direction as the other with their arms crossed.

"So, what did you need to ask him?" Killua finally asked, looking at him with poorly concealed curiosity.

Rin hummed and tried to think about how to word it. "I just wanted him to clarify something."

The answer didn't seem to appease Killua, but he left it be with a shrug.


After Gon and Killua won their fights and were promoted to the 200th floor, they demanded that they go check it out immediately, which is what led to their current situation. They stepped onto the elevator—with both boys making sure Rin was between them, much to his amusement—and told the lady which floor to push. Gon had won the rock-paper-scissors battle of who got to tell her, which was why the two of them were using Rin as a sort of buffer between them.

"What's the 200th floor like?" Gon asked, seeming to forget that they were fighting in his excitement of finally reaching the floor they'd been aiming for.

"Beats me," Killua responded half-heartedly. "I've never been up here before."

As soon as the doors dinged open, Gon was jumping out of the elevator and yelling for them to, "Hurry up," as Killua and Rin just slowly walked out.

"Wow!" Gon exclaimed, taking in the burnt-orange color painted on the walls with wooden accents. "The 200th floor is so fancy!"

Killua looked around, though he didn't seem nearly as impressed. "Where's the receptionist?" he asked, before spotting a sign on the wall with an arrow. "This way?"

Gon was brimming with happiness, and he was practically skipping as they made their way down the hallway. "We finally made it."

"Yeah." Killua smiled. He may have been more reserved, but he did genuinely seem happy about it.

"And here you were nervous at first, Gon," Rin teased.

Gon spun around so that he was walking backwards and stuck his tongue at him in retaliation.

They turned around another corner and jolted to a stop. Rin could sense bloodlust creeping down from just ahead. It made the hallway look darker than it actually was, and suddenly the burnt-orange looked more like blood.. All three of them glanced at each and then back down the hall warily.

"Let's go," Killua snarled determinedly. "We can do this!"

Their footsteps were almost silent—or completely silent in Killua's case—as they slowly walked down the hallway. Every step made the feeling grow worse, and his nen rolled nervously against his tight grip on it. Rin made sure to keep right between Gon and Killua, just in case he suddenly needed to grab either of them and pull them away from whatever was causing the feeling.

"This is murderous intent, aimed at us," Gon realized. He glanced at them with wide eyes, probably wondering who would be targeting them.

He saw Killua open his mouth, but before Rin could stop him, he yelled, "Hey! Who's there?! Show yourself!" I don't think yelling at them is a good idea, Killua!

There was a quiet rustle, and they all tensed. That is, until one of the receptionist's stepped out from around the corner. "Killua-sama and Gon-sama, correct? The receptionist's desk is over here, so please register for a 200s match today. You won't be able to register after midnight, so please be careful," she said, voice utterly monotone.

Gon leaned over and whispered, "Was she the source of all that?"

"I can't tell," Killua admitted quietly. He was staring at her intently, but her face gave nothing away.

"I don't think it was her," Rin informed. He had a sinking feeling he had felt that bloodlust before.

Gon and Killua glanced over at him in surprise, but the lady just continued before they could say anything, "By the way, there are currently one hundred, seventy-three contestants in the 200s class, and starting from the 200s, all weapons are allowed in matches, so please use whatever you have. Also, you will no longer receive prize money in the 200s class. You will fight only for glory, so please understand that if you're going to participate-" She suddenly stopped talking when there was movement right next to her ear.

There was a whistling sound as something came zooming toward them—well, more specifically, at him. Rin just barely managed to jerk his head to the side in time to avoid the projectile. However, he felt a sting on his right cheek and knew he hadn't completely missed it. Oh god, please tell me I'm hallucinating. Standing right behind the receptionist, with his hands on his hips, was Hisoka. He had his back to them, but Rin would recognize that blood-red hair anywhere. He slowly turned to face them as Rin gazed in absolute horror.

"H-Hisoka…" Killua stuttered out, his face rapidly paling. "Why are you here?"

Hisoka raised a hand to his head. "It's hardly that strange. I love to fight, and this is a temple to fighting. Why are you here?" he asked, but his lips pulled into a smirk as he continued. "Just kidding…This is no coincidence. I've been waiting for you. Remember how you ordered airship tickets over the cybernet? With a little effort, it's possible to determine where and when someone will arrive." He sounds just like a stalker! He's taking creepiness to a whole new level! "Well, I knew you would come here eventually, and so, as a veteran, I have a warning for you. It's still too early for you boys to step on this floor. It might be possible for Rin, but since he's not fighting…" he trailed off. He sent a quick burst of nen at them, one completely full of bloodlust. "How early depends on your efforts. Leave for now. It's too early for you," he warned and walked away from them to settle against the wall like some kind of terrifying sentry.

"That's stupid! We just got up here!" Killua shouted. He took a step forward, which proved to be a mistake.

Hisoka flared his nen again as he regarded them with narrowed, gold eyes, "I won't let you pass, not that you could, anyway." His eyes took on a more mischievous gleam, and Rin felt the man's nen spike up suddenly.

The second Hisoka's nen fully hit them, Rin realized that Gon and Killua were vulnerable. They hadn't unlocked their nen yet, so they weren't used to the impact it had. His body reacted before his mind could even finish the thought, and he quickly grabbed both of their hands closest to him and transferred his nen to cover them fully in a thick layer of ten. However, this meant that he took the full brunt of the attack with no ten of his own to act as a buffer, and Rin could feel his body jerk from the all consuming pain that followed. His nen flickered and tried to come back to him, but he gritted his teeth and forced it to stay put. In the back of his mind, Rin could hear a voice screaming at him that something was wrong, and he could feel something slowly drip down his chin—blood, the voice whispered—but he ignored it. He had to protect Gon and Killua.

Then, just as suddenly as it began, the attack stopped. He could vaguely hear a conversation going on around him, but the sound was muffled as if cotton was stuffed in his ears. Rin tried shaking his head to clear it, but that only succeeded in making it even worse. Some part of his brain recognized that his body was swaying on the spot, and it took all his strength just to keep standing. There was the sound of shuffling in front of him, and he just barely managed to lift his head when his vision was suddenly blocked by something white and pink. He faintly felt his body being slung over someone's shoulder and heard more shouting, before he faded gratefully into blackness.


Rin groaned as he came to. The first thing his body made him aware of was the pounding in his head. It felt like someone had taken a hammer and accidentally mistaken his brain for a nail. He gripped his head tightly to try and relieve the pain in his skull, but simply moving, even just his arms, only seemed to make it worse.

"Hmm~ You're finally awake," a voice purred right next to his ear.

Rin yelped and swiftly looked to the side, which, thinking back, was stupid of him. He almost passed out again from the pain that suddenly reached nearly unbearable levels. Through the tears quickly filling his eyes, he managed to make out the blurry picture of Hisoka lounging on his side next to him with his head propped up on one arm. The man was gazing over at him in amusement, lips pulled up into the smirk Rin was coming to despise.

Slowly this time, Rin turned his head to observe the rest of the room. It was bold of him to take his eyes off Hisoka, but considering the man hadn't done anything while he was unconscious he figured it was safe for the time being. It looked faintly like the one Gon and Killua had gotten once they reached the 100th floor, but bigger. He felt dread at the thought as he took in the fact that he was on a bed and that Hisoka appeared so relaxed within the enclosed walls. Oh god, I'm in his room, Rin realized. The thought motivated Rin enough to try and leap out of the bed, despite the pain it caused him. However, the sudden movement made the entire room sway even more than he had anticipated, so all it took was a small yank on the back of his shirt for him to fall right back down. He squeezed his eyes closed and tried to will away the dizziness.

"Where do you think you're going?" The voice was right above him now.

Rin slowly opened his eyes and saw Hisoka's face hovering only inches above his own. Too close… "You...What happened?" he managed to gasp out. There, that's a safe enough question.

"You don't remember?" Hisoka asked. His eyes were golden pools, and Rin was slowly drowning in them.

His eyebrows furrowed in concentration. I remember a lot of pain. Hisoka had attacked us with his nen. Us? Rin's eyes widened in realization. Gon! Killua! He quickly sat up, which was a horrible idea because, in his panic, he forgot how close they were, and the unexpected movement caused their foreheads to connect with a solid thump. He clutched his head again as the painful thumping started anew.

Wait a minute...I just accidentally hit Hisoka. The thought had Rin freezing, and he slowly peeked up at Hisoka with watery eyes—partly because of the pain, but mostly because he was about to die. The man's expression was otherwise blank except for the glare that was digging into him like knives. They continued their staring contest—Rin was too scared to look away—and he watched as Hisoka slowly lifted up an arm and twirled a playing card between his fingers. Rin was certain that this was the moment he was going to die. That is, until he actually noticed exactly what card it was.

"Oh," he whispered, and his hand unconsciously dropped to the pocket he usually kept the joker card hidden in.

Hisoka's smirk widened when he caught sight of the fear, and he gently ran the side of the card against Rin's face. "It's too bad~ I was looking forward to punishing you," he admitted, giving a dramatic sigh.

Rin felt like his face was on fire. "W-What?!"

"Oh? You're blushing~ What are you thinking of?" Hisoka leered down at him, but Rin could see the mischief dancing in his eyes.

"N-Nothing." Rin scooted as far away from him as he could, which was difficult since he was essentially cage in: one side by Hisoka's body, and the other by a single, pale arm pressing down into the bed next to his head. "Why did you bring me here?" he asked instead.

Hisoka paused for a second and appeared to actually consider the question. "Who knows?" he drawled, voice as light as a feather. A feather that was probably sharpened by nen and could kill anyone as easily as slicing through butter.

Rin sat up slightly, forcing Hisoka to lean back a little—more like prompting, nothing could ever force the magician to something he didn't want to do—and frowned at him. "The others will be worried about me, so I should probably go," he tried to explain and made to move off the bed again.

Obviously, Hisoka had other plans because he knocked Rin's arms right out from under him, making him flop back onto the bed. He groaned again as his head was jostled from the bouncing. I am getting sick and tired of being pulled back onto this bed!

Hisoka glared down at him, eyes sharp as flint. "You are not leaving this room until you are fully healed." Is he...worried about me? "After all, I would hate to give someone else the chance to break you before I can." Figures.

Rin was scowling at him when Hisoka seemed to perk up. He looked in the direction of the door with an intensity that made Rin glad it wasn't directed at him.

"Hmm~ It would seem that your little friends are back. Allow me to go greet them," he purred as he slithered off the bed and strode toward the door.

"Ah! Wait!" Rin reached out a hand toward him in panic.

Hisoka glanced briefly over his shoulder at him, giving Rin a look that sent shivers down his spine. "I'll deal with you once I come back."

The door shut behind him with a solid click.


Did he honestly expect me to just sit there and wait? Rin thought with a growl. I probably shouldn't be walking right now, but there's no way I'm staying in the same room as that psycho! I'll crawl if I have to! It almost came to that, too. Rin was leaning all of his weight against the wall and was slowly shuffling his way down the hallway. It was slow, but it was progress.

Okay, based on what Hisoka said, he'll probably confront them at the same place as before, so I just have to make my way there. Rin looked around the hallway for any clues that could point him in the right direction, but it was just the same burnt orange as all the others. There were no helpful signs this time around.

I guess I'll just have to use my nen. He wasn't particularly keen on the idea, since it also meant risking the chance of Hisoka sensing him and realizing that Rin wasn't in the room anymore way sooner than he wanted, but he couldn't think of anything faster. He sent out a small flare around him to try and pinpoint their location, and he had just barely managed to find them before his nen came rushing back like a rubber band that had been stretched too far. He let out a gasp, legs almost giving out because of the stabbing pain that coursed through his body. No using nen at the moment, good to know. He took deeps breaths and waited until it faded enough that he could resume walking—staggering—again. He sighed. This is going to take forever.


You all have no idea how psyched I am about the next chapter. The scene I have been wanting to write the most is in it. I also think it will be one you guys will love. It has to do with what Hisoka was so disappointed about not being able to do in this chapter—if that makes sense at all. Oh, and in case you're curious, the scene I was excited to write in this one was the confrontation with Hisoka and the whole kidnapping thing. Obviously.