Will I ever catch a break?
With your luck...no.
Ugh.
We're currently following, or trying to follow, Mr. Satotz through the wetlands. Hisoka had maneuvered his way behind Gon, Killua, and I, creating no mystery for who's been burning a hole into the back of my head for the last two miles. The air around us is getting steadily more tense as we go, and I don't think my nerves will last much longer.
Hisoka's bloodlust suddenly flares, causing me to barely avoid stumbling. Dammit!
"Are you okay?" Gon asks, giving me a confused look.
"Uh, yeah. Why?"
"You growled..."
Darn. My cheeks redden and a nervous chuckle escapes me.
"O-oh, did I? Sorry...I do that, uh...Hisoka was giving bad vibes and it kind of s-set me off, I guess..." I want to crawl under a rock at how ridiculous I sound. So embarrassing!
Killua simply lifts an eyebrow at my explanation and looks past me to Gon.
"Ne, Gon. We should try to move up," he says casually. Yes, please. The more distance between Hisoka and I the better.
"Oh yeah! We don't want to lose sight of the examiner," Gon agrees.
"I was thinking more of getting away from Hisoka. He's bad news," KIllua tells him seriously. Gon nods and glances back, probably looking for Kurapika and Leorio. They hadn't been able to keep pace with us.
"Leorio, Kurapika! Killua say we should move up!"
Killua's eyes widen and he gives Gon an incredulous look.
"Gon! Can't you feel the tense atmosphere?" He whisper-yells. Yeah, no kidding.
"Baka!" We hear Leorio shout, "If I could move up, I'd already be there!"
"Don't worry about us, Gon! We'll be fine!" Kurapika yells. I don't want Hisoka to set me off again, but I don't like the idea of leaving them behind.
"I'm going to fall back with them, since they can't get away from Hisoka."
Gon hesitates with me but Killua tells him to come on, and with a reassuring nod from me he follow him into the fog.
Slowing my pace I come up on Kurapika's right side, making him jump slightly. I chuckle.
"Clover, how do you do-"
I don't hear the rest of his sentence, because suddenly I'm jerked to the side by some kind of tail wrapped around my waist.
"Oomph!" The tail thing slams me onto the ground roughly before releasing me, and I struggle to regain the breath that was knocked out of me. As soon as I'm able to face the creature, I wish I hadn't. A large lizard monster towers over me with sharp, glistening teeth. And it looks hungry.
Why am I so unlucky?
Karma, probably...
Not now!
It lets out a victorious sounding screech before attacking. I dodge, but not quick enough. It's claws make contact with my side, tearing my shirt and taking a chunk of my skin. The sharp pain causes me to flinch as I land roughly. My eyes try to track it's slithering movements, but the fog clouds my vision. There's no way I can beat this thing in the fog.
Maybe not, but you can slow it down!
Static builds in my palm, and when sparks begin to fly I raise my hand, palm facing the lizard monster. The burst of electricity is magnificent, but I don't waist anytime ogling my handy work. Instead I high-tail it in a random direction away from the man eating lizard. My legs struggle to keep running as the wound at my side bleeds more and more. Eventually I stumble into a clearing, but my happiness at getting away is cut short when I realize there are others here as well. One of them being Hisoka. Damn.
The fog still lingers, but its light enough here that I can clearly see what's going on. The wetlands have so many different sounds emanating from it, but in this clearing the unnatural silence speaks volumes.
"You don't get it do you?!" A gangster-looking man yells at Hisoka. "None of us are passing the exam this year! But you won't be returning!" The other men with gangster-guy quickly surround Hisoka. In what has rapidly become Hisoka fashion, instead of concern, a wicked smile graces his features.
"Oh, I see...you all want to play examiner. Well I'll play examiner too~."
The men charge. Hisoka's arm moves in a circular motion around himself, and the men fall to the ground dead. Their throats slit by his playing card. One remains but Hisoka easily cuts him down before he can escape. His movements would be beautiful if they didn't bring death. Hisoka takes in a deep breath, looking almost aroused at the sight of the dead bodies around him.
"Would you like to play as well~?"
My whole body tenses in fear and anticipation. Did he notice I was here? Hisoka doesn't look in my direct though, and instead starts to approach two new figures on my far right. I squint, trying to see who it is, and my eyes widen when I finally recognize them. My voice rings out harshly through the clearing.
"Leorio! Kurapika! Run!"
Hisoka's attention snaps towards me. My wound hasn't stopped bleeding, and the amount of blood loss has started to take it's affect. My head pounds with anger and exhaustion, but I force myself to take a step into the clearing.
Our gazes lock. His eyes shine with excitement and bloodlust. They capture the part of me that wants to run away, and unlock something else. Another part of me. One that craves blood and rage and death. To my horror, I know my own eyes reflect his madness; I've taken a back seat to my own body. I no longer have control. My vision tunnels. The last thing I see is Hisoka's advancing figure, before everything fades to black.
Third person POV
Clover's body transforms. Black invades the whites of her eyes, and they take on a demonic, savage look. Hisoka's excitement mounts at this new development. The changed Clover smiles, revealing sharp, pointed teeth, as she stands up straight. The wound in her side has stopped bleeding, leaving only her shredded shirt and some dried blood as indication it had been there at all.
Hisoka tenses ever so slightly as she raised one of her hands, and points a clawed fingertip directly at his chest.
"Die," she says casually, almost in an amused tone. Then they collide.
Clover all too easily deflects Hisoka's punchs, causing him to immediately go on the defensive. Although he does not fear her, he retains enough intelligence to know that the situation holds no familiarity. Her new body looks as though killing is it's specialty, like a predator of all predators. Beautiful, he thinks.
Hisoka manages to dodge her frenzied attacks, and barely lands a few hits of his own. Hisoka's Ren flares in an attempt to confound her temporarily, but she immediately retaliates with Ren of her own. Both figures cease movement, each trying to overwhelm the other. Their power equates and the burst of energy forces them back several feet. Hisoka's smile remains.
"How absolutely wonderful~" he moans out excitedly. His bloodlust mounts at the prospect of having a completely matched fighting partner. Unable to contain himself, he strikes. Clover had remained guarded though, and dodges his sudden attack.
Her expression changes, and just the barest hint of her old self shines through. Like she's trying to fight whatever presence has control. It only lasts for a second, but its long enough for Hisoka to notice. He narrows his eyes in interest.
"Well, you're definitely not Clover," Hisoka says as he flicks playing cards at her. She dodges them seemingly without thinking.
"Are you just going to keep dodging? How boring. Maybe-"
"I just can't do it. I can't run away when I know you're going to hurt her." Hisoka and Clover turn sharply towards the new voice.
"I just can't do it," Leorio says as he steps into the clearing.
Hisoka lets out a devilish and cunning smile as he thinks of a plan. Clover tenses when Hisoka moves one of his feet in the direction of Leorio.
"No," Clover's voice booms with the power of the monster that controls her. Fierce protectiveness blazes within her eyes. Hisoka does not move again, but Leorio takes no heed of Clover and charges at him. It takes only one swift punch to Leorio's jaw and he's out cold.
Clover lets out an enraged cry and strikes Hisoka more furiously than before. The force of her attacks finally lay him out, but instead of going in for the kill, Clover slams her foot onto Hisoka's chest and growls.
"My human does not wish for me to come out," Clover rasps out in a voice not her own, "but I have claimed the protection of four humans. And if you threaten them in my presence again, you will find yourself swiftly in a shallow grave."
Before Hisoka can comment, she jerks back violently and grabs her head with a grimace.
"Stubborn child! Allow me to at least finish my threat-ah!" Clover's eyes roll into the back of her head and she slumps to the ground.
Hisoka looks between the two unconscious figure in amusement.
His little minx just keeps on surprising him!
AN~
I know this chapter is really short, sorry. I had to end it this way to better transition into my next chapter, and because I'm just skipping the Gon v Hisoka battle, sorry.
Allons-y