Hello, people! I'm sure many of you would want to throw sharp objects at me right now because I haven't uploaded in a long time! I sincerely apologize! I've been so busy around the house, and my family needs me for various things like move-ins to dorms and cooking and dental surgery. Haha. 'Tis true.

But here you are. I personally enjoy this chapter. I hope you do as well!

So, on with it!

Disclaimer: I do not own Hunter X Hunter. I do own however, Natsumi and everything about her.

Chapter 6: Kidnapped

What do you see in me?

Is it my passion, my strength?

Or is it something you cannot merely see

But only feel with utter sensitivity?

I must know to take better care of it

So that our love

Will last longer than eternity

Natsumi opened her eyes… She was used to waking up in places she couldn't remember being brought to. But this time, it was different. She was in the arms of someone… She looked up to see whose chin was resting on her head. Her cheeks reacted, burning red.

"Hisoka-san!" she shouted.

He looked down at her and smiled widely.

"Oh, you're awake," he said simply. "Are you hungry? I have instant noodles with me… Or if you want, we could stop by a restaurant."

She tried to squirm free, but she had forgotten how abnormally strong he was. Her heartbeat was the fastest it had ever been…

They were in the backseat of a limousine, and though there were many empty seats available, Hisoka had set her on his lap, with her legs tucked to the side. His arms were around her completely… And he was warm. It was only now that she recognized how bulky he was compared to her. If he could bend, his torso could envelope itself around her entire upper-half. And his arms… they were so muscular… So stiff. And yet the way he held her was just gentle… And with his impossibly smooth skin, it almost felt comfortable.

This was the first time, she mused, since that day they first met, that Hisoka had ever touched her again…

"Can you please let me go?" she pleaded. "This is very inappropriate!"

"But you're comfortable, right?"

"Th-that doesn't matter! And besides, I'm still wearing my pajamas! And where's my sweatshirt?!"

"I took it off. You were sweating."

"You just wanted to see me in my tank top!"

"Oh, won't you just let me have fun?"

"Not at my expense… Now let me go!"

"Not a chance. I like this."

Natsumi glared at the other end of the limo, where the driver was. But she couldn't see that far… it was blurry. She pouted… She didn't usually give up this fast. Did she really like being in his arms? She blushed even more.

"How sweet. She has accepted her fate."

A voice suddenly came from the left.

"Illumi-kun!" Natsumi blurted out. She hadn't seen him there. Her arms began shaking as she shuddered. Though she had other things in mind, she had remembered clearly what he had just tried to do before she passed out. Hisoka bent down low and tucked his chin on the crook of her neck, as if to make her stop shaking… Like he was reassuring her it was fine.

"I'm here, so he won't try anything," he said, his voice playful. It didn't suit the statement.

"And don't think that I did what I did because I have a… what do people call it… a crush… on you," Illumi said, his face still very blank. "Girls usually jump to those conclusions. I just wanted to see you cry. That's all. But I wish you could forgive me. After all, if you won't, then Hisoka won't as well."

Natsumi blinked and tried to face Hisoka, but his face was right beside hers, so she couldn't even turn sideways.

"That's kind of…mean," Natsumi said, shifting slightly. "If you had wanted to see me cry… you should've just watched a sad movie with me."

"Hisoka, I think she's asking me out," Illumi said.

Natsumi's face scrunched up in embarrassment, having been caught off-guard.

"N-no, I wasn't! If you were a girl, I'd have said that, too!"

"But I'm not a girl, am I?"

All of a sudden, Natsumi's head felt light, and then went heavy again. This feeling… it usually happened when her brain was telling her that she was missing something. Natsumi stiffened in Hisoka's hold.

"Hisoka-san… before I fainted… Illumi-kun said something… about you… That you couldn't kill me…"

She felt Hisoka's grip tighten, and she could tell that Hisoka was glaring at Illumi. The other man shrugged and crossed his arms in passiveness. He crossed his legs as well, not really interested.

"You told her?" Hisoka asked, annoyed. "Idiot."

"How was I supposed to know that she would remember? She looked so terrified that I thought she wasn't listening… And besides, normal people really wouldn't even be able to recall."

"I told you she's a sharp one. Now she knows."

Natsumi looked at the exchange. The two were like old friends… like they knew each other since they were kids. Or did something bind them together so strongly that anything would be forgiven? She didn't know if Illumi was like Kurapika and Hisoka… strong and almost merciless. But with the way he was so calm in Hisoka's presence, maybe he was.

"Well, then… tell me why I shouldn't be afraid of you, Hisoka-san!" she yelled, struggling now to get away from him. He finally let her go, and the moving vehicle abruptly stopped, making her fall to the ground. Her injured arm hit the floor, and she winced.

She saw Illumi roll his eyes at her weakness, and she glared in return. She jumped to the seat farthest away from the two and held on to the narrow ledge of the black-tinted window to keep herself in place.

Hisoka sighed.

"I don't think now is the time, princess. But if you'll return to my lap, I'll gladly tell you."

She gritted her teeth. Then there it was. The feeling of her brain going from light to heavy again. It was much stronger than before. She was still missing something… Then, it hit her. She was so stupid!

"Where are you taking me?!" she yelled, even louder than before.

Hisoka chuckled at her scared expression and clapped his hands together. He gazed at her with that wide smile, and she flinched at the look he gave her… An arrogant look, with his eyes merely slits… Like he definitely wanted to eat her right there.

"You are so inconsistent," he teased. "You were displaying such prominent brain skills one second, and then revealing that you've missed the entire point the next. How cute!"

Natsumi ignored the last statement. She was sure that he was simply trying to distract her from the truth. Or was it because she already knew?

"The Genei Ryodan… You're taking me to them!" she breathed out.

Hisoka laughed again, amused and obviously having a great time.

"Illumi-kun… You're part of the Genei Ryodan too??" she said unbelievingly.

"No, I'm not. I'm merely doing Hisoka a favor," he replied. She could tell he wasn't lying. But then again, like Hisoka, he was difficult to read.

"A… a favor?" she repeated.

"Yup!" Hisoka cheered himself. "The blond boy needed two invitations to Alphonse's celebration, and Illumi, being in the Zaoldyeck family, had around ten to spare. So, I made blondie two offers. For one invitation, he was to allow you to have a slumber party. For two invitations, your friends, and both Illumi and I, could be in the slumber party. Easier said than done, actually."

"I convinced the Kuruta boy," Illumi continued. "To give you a slumber party… by telling him that you'd think of him as a friend more than a bodyguard, and thus making his job easier. It worked both ways; I was surprised. He really seems to value your friendship."

A few tears found their way in the corners of her eyes and spilled over.

"You tricked Kurapika! The slumber party was a decoy! How dare you trick him!" she yelled.

"Really now?" Hisoka said, toying with a card that had appeared out of nowhere. "Well… why do you think he'd allow the both of us to come? Doesn't it show his desperation for TWO invitations? Couldn't he have only asked for one, and then went there himself to take on Alphonse alone? After all, everyone knows he is capable."

Hisoka glanced at her. He laughed when he saw the realization sinking in. Her eyes widened in disbelief.

"He… he was going to take me... to Alphonse…"

"Well, not really," Hisoka said playfully, though slightly tired of explaining. "He was going to take you to the celebration, sure. But he wasn't going to let you see Alphonse, and he wasn't going to let Alphonse see you. He was just going to use you-"

"As bait… Like my original role in the operation…" Natsumi finished.

"Cha-ching!" Hisoka cheered once more. "See, Illumi? I told you she was entertaining!"

"Yeah, yeah. But you'll tire of her someday, I just know it."

"Hmph."

Illumi was apparently oblivious to the despair she felt, and Natsumi wasn't sure if Hisoka was just as oblivious. But he went over to her seat and set her on his lap. She didn't fight anymore. He had a tight frown on his face as he held on to her closely and protectively… almost possessively.

"You better eat, princess," he spoke. "I don't want to be worried about you any longer."

"I'm not hungry…"

"You'll regret it. Eat, please."

"No."

"Well then… at least do me a favor. Remember this conversation of ours… because it will help you forgive me."

She didn't bother to understand what he meant by it. The revelation of Kurapika's plan… it was just too much for her. She closed her eyes, tired. Whatever was going to happen now, she knew she wouldn't be able to control any of it.

Hisoka, Illumi, Kurapika, Gon, Killua, the Genei Ryodan… her friends… her mom… her life.

She was definitely in a movie she didn't want to be in. Why didn't she run away when she had the chance?

When I am with you,

My hand entwined yours,

It makes me believe that I exist

Solely for your love

A loud crash was heard in the penthouse - a group of people struggling to keep someone at bay.

"Kurapika, stop this! You can't do anything about it right now!"

"Let me go!"

Gon held on to Kurapika's leg as Killua grappled his arm. Natsumi's mother watched on as the desperate boy tried to escape their clutches.

"What're you going to do anyway? March right in there and kidnap her back? They're going to kill you within half a second of sensing you!" Killua yelled.

"I don't care! Hisoka fooled me!"

"He fooled us all. We all should've seen it coming. He fulfilled his promise, but took her without permission," Gon said.

Kurapika fell to the floor, feeling helpless. He punched the floor, creating a huge crack.

"Restrain yourself, Kurapika!" Killua yelled. "They need Natsumi alive in order to get in the celebration, after all. They won't harm her. At least I don't think they will," Killua trailed off.

Kurapika gritted his teeth, making the side of his mouth bleed. He pounded on the floor once more.

Gon took the piece of paper on the floor, which was apparently crumpled out of frustration. He read it out loud.

As promised, blond boy, Illumi is giving you two invitations to Alexander's annual celebration. However, we are taking the princess with us, so you just have to find someone else to go with. Her prince.

Kurapika screamed and held his head, confused about what he was going to do. He grabbed the table and threw it to the wall, destroying it completely.

"Only five days left," Kurapika said, panting. "I will definitely get her back by then."

Killua and Gon looked at each other, worried about whatever he was thinking.

Natsumi slowly opened her eyes. There was a bright light coming from the ceiling… a fluorescent lamp. She closed her eyes again, trying to adjust her vision. After a few more tries, she could see more clearly. She sat up, feeling cold. Her back was painful, and her head was sore. She was on the floor of some dirty place… Apparently it was a dark place too… The only light came from the light above her.

"Oh, she's awake. I thought she'd never wake up."

A woman's soft voice came from somewhere around her… but where? She could make out the silhouettes of people… a lot of them. She was in the middle of everyone, under the light, like she was being watched.

"Wh-who's there?"

"Aww, she's scared," a man's voice came.

Her body shook as she tried to stand up. But her legs were too weak, and she just fell back down again. How long had she been asleep? As if on cue, more sets of lights were switched on, one by one, revealing the people who surrounded her. There were 7 of them, each looking different from the rest… Then two shadows approached them. Illumi and Hisoka.

"Hisoka! Illumi-kun!"

Her head suddenly ached and she fell to her knees, her eyes closed shut. How did she get there?

"Looks like the Zaoldyecks are true to their word, after all," a small boy, who had a bandanna over his mouth, spoke. "As agreed, we will give you Alphonse's estate when we're done with him."

"I appreciate it," Illumi said. Then he looked at Natsumi. "However, I must seek her forgiveness before I leave. Otherwise, Hisoka and I will no longer be comrades."

The rest of the people looked at each other, confused. Hisoka didn't say anything. He didn't even look at Natsumi. And she didn't know what was going on.

"Do you forgive me?" Illumi asked again. She could tell that, from his tone, he was sincere… But he was apologizing for the sake of someone else.

"No, I don't. Not just yet," she said, glaring at him. Apparently, any trace of her interest in him had faded.

Illumi looked at Hisoka and shrugged.

"Maybe next time. I'll see you around."

Illumi turned and left, disappearing into the darkness.

Hisoka jumped and sat on one of the crates. He still hadn't looked at her. Her hands began to shake, and her stomach felt like it was erupting. She began to sweat, and her breathing became rapid. The Genei Ryodan. The Spiders. She was in the midst of killers…

"Y-you… you really brought me to them…" she said, obviously talking to Hisoka. It was only then that he looked at her. He had a blank look on his face, apparently not affected by her.

"The blond boy told you not to trust me, didn't he? You should have followed him. Naughty girl."

His voice was frigid but teasing. She tried to decipher the meaning of his words… but there was nothing hidden. He betrayed her. That was it.

"So…" she said, a few tears escaping. "All the attention… All the words… And this…"

She took the phone from her pocket and looked at the backside. "Natsumi." She glared and threw it at him. It hit the wall behind him, and he didn't even try to dodge it.

"I hate you."

He still hadn't responded, and his face never faltered. So it was true…

"Geez, Hisoka!" a boy with light brown hair said. "What did you do to her?"

Natsumi looked at the boy who spoke. He was young… Maybe older than she was by a few years. He had innocent-looking wide eyes, and he wore a maroon sleeveless top and pants of the same color. He seemed nice…

"I don't know," Hisoka said plainly.

She looked at the floor, and glanced at the bracelet on her arm - the one Kurapika had given her. She smirked.

"That won't work, you know," another man spoke.

She looked at him. He looked like a samurai… his tied long hair and his attire… and the wrapped stick that was most likely a sword.

"Wh-what? I… I don't know what you're talking… about…" she said.

She could hear herself stammering now… She was definitely afraid. The atmosphere in this room… They definitely didn't look normal… But some of them seemed harmless. This feeling of not knowing what they were capable of… Terror.

"That bracelet next to your watch," he said knowingly. "It's a transmitter, right? But I'll have you know that the chain boy doesn't even need such a thing, because he can find you with his abilities alone."

Natsumi's eyes faltered, afraid of his tone.

"That's a bluff," Natsumi said. "Otherwise, why would he give it to me in the first place?"

The guy laughed, amused at her ignorance.

"Obviously," he said. "If you wanted to run away from him, then you would have taken it off. That would've set something off that would've given him the idea that you were going to start running away. So he'd get to you first. Wow, and they said you were smart."

Natsumi's eyes widened. But he was missing something. She pretended to be defeated and slumped forward.

"Aww, come on, Nobunaga! Don't tease her that way! She's already so broken," a girl's voice came.

The girl had glasses on. She wore a black long-sleeved top and jeans. She had wide, innocent eyes and short black hair. Once again, like the boy, she seemed nice. Was this the Ryodan? Really?

"Aww, come on, Shizuku," Nobunaga said. "It's so boring around here. Finally, we can have some fun!"

"Hmm…" Shizuku mumbled, then stared blankly into space, obviously daydreaming.

It was then that Natsumi saw the beautiful woman – the woman who was with Hisoka that first time they met. And she was still just as stunning as the first time. How could anyone be so beautiful? She noticed, too, that out of all the empty spaces that Hisoka could sit down on, he sat on the one that was closest to that beautiful woman. So, that was it. They were together before, and they're together now. It was obvious… With a woman like that, Hisoka would never even look twice back at her… so plain and so stupid. So unattractive.

She didn't even know why she felt so betrayed right now. She never did like his attention! He was annoying, wasn't he? So shouldn't she be glad that it was over?

"Y-you…" Natsumi said, still afraid. "You were with him that night, weren't you? The beautiful woman."

The woman merely glanced at her, and then looked away without even answering. Natsumi winced at the uncaring facade.

"Feitan," the beautiful woman spoke instead. "What do we do with her until the celebration? It's a bit far from today… And the chain boy might be able to find her here."

Feitan was the young boy who looked like a bandit, apparently. He looked at her with his slit eyes, and Natsumi flinched at the deadly gaze.

"I don't really know, Machi…" he said. "We didn't plan this far into things. Shalnark, any ideas?"

The boy in maroon pouted.

"Aww, why me again?"

"Because you're usually the one with ideas."

This time, the biggest man spoke. Out of everyone, he was probably the one Natsumi would be afraid of. He was big, bulky, and he resembled Frakenstein. He had scars on his face, too. But somehow, Natsumi felt more at ease with him than with anyone else, though she didn't trust herself anymore.

"Aww, man. Why'd you have to volunteer me, Franklin?" he pouted.

"Just think of something, Shalnark," Machi snapped.

Shalnark cringed at her order, then shrugged. He tapped his cheek with his finger as he thought.

"Well, we could go and have some fun… but then we can't just leave the girl here…"

"Yeah, it wouldn't be too fun if we had to go around while dragging the girl along…"

"Maybe we could tie her up?"

"Aww, but the girl's eyes tell me that she'd try to escape, despite the risks involved…"

"But if this girl-"

"Damn it, I have a name!" Natsumi suddenly yelled out loud.

The whole room was silenced, and Hisoka glanced at her a second time, his gaze sharpening. He looked at her as if she was crazy. Natsumi faced the floor as she sat on her heels. She bit her lip, regretting that she spoke. These were killers! What was she doing? Was she provoking them? She was stupid! But she couldn't stop herself. Her blood boiled. She felt fear like no other… and yet she continued on. There was her body again, disobeying her mind, like it usually did.

"Stop talking like I'm not even here. I have a name. It's Natsumi. I know you all know it, so why don't you just use it?! You've got me here as a prisoner, watching me like I'm some kind of museum artifact. At least give me the respect I deserve!"

In a flash, Feitan was in front of her, clutching her head like it was an egg. She didn't know his small hand could hold even a volleyball. But here he was, squeezing her head with a single hand. More tears flowed down as the pain registered in her brain.

"Respect you deserve?" he almost chuckled. "What makes you think you deserve anything from us? GIRL."

And despite the overflowing fear she felt right now, she found herself chuckling at his words.

"Yes, I am a girl. And yes, I do deserve some respect. E-either you had a bad childhood, or you're just… a bigot."

She heard him growl. She was definitely going to get it now. He raised her high, and with a strong swing, he threw her to the farthest end of the warehouse. She closed her eyes and waited for the pain from the impact… but she found herself hitting another body. She opened her eyes and looked up. It was still Feitan.

"Fine, Natsumi," he spoke, mocking her name. "The Genei Ryodan needs you alive. So until then, you better not provoke any of us… because some of us have a little less self-control than I."

And he dragged her to the center of the room again, leaving her stunned.

"So, what happens now?" Franklin said, as if nothing had happened.

"Well," Shalnark said. "We can keep her in the small storage room at the back."

"Yeah, that'll work," Nobunaga said.

"I think she's hungry," Shizuku pointed out. "Look, she's going to... Oh, too late. She fainted."

"Geez, Hisoka!" Shalnark said again. "Didn't you feed her anything on the way here?"

"She said she wasn't hungry. Not my fault." Hisoka replied.

Franklin took her and threw her on his shoulder.

"Passing out twice in a row? I didn't know normal humans could be this weak. I'll bring her to the storage room. Can someone get her something to eat?"

I won't believe it,

Not a word

Because if it is indeed the truth

Then I have lost my soul

Franklin came out from the storage room, with a plastic cup of chocolate pudding splattered on his head. The others looked at him and began laughing.

"Your head hungry, pal?" Nobunaga laughed.

He growled.

"She won't eat. She said she'd rather die of hunger than to assist us by being healthy enough to go to the annual celebration."

"What a stubborn kid," Feitan mumbled.

"Oh, she also wanted to tell you, Hisoka," Franklin continued, "That she hates you. And that if she saw you again, she'd slap you."

Hisoka rolled his eyes, quite annoyed.

"Seriously, Hisoka," Shalnark laughed. "I know a lot of people hate you. But she seems to really despise your very core. What did you do to her?"

"I told you, I don't know. Apparently, giving her a cellphone nowadays means 'Let's grow old together and die together.' Girl fantasy."

"Wow," Shizuku said. "And I thought she was smarter than that. Does her ranking really exceed Shalnark's in terms of intelligence?"

Shalnark pouted. "That ranking is unofficial! And besides, it was only by half a point. So technically, we're even. Right, Machi? Defend me over here!"

Machi crossed her arms, not really caring too much.

"Whatever. We need her to be able to at least walk during the party. I don't care about her mental well-being."

"Oh, I've got an idea!" Nobunaga piped in. "I can slice open her stomach, then we can fill it up with food, then Machi can sew it up back again."

"No," Feitan said. "Didn't one of you guys search her medical records, and say that she was a bleeder?"

"I can't sew it closed if she can't even control her own bleeding," Machi added.

"Well… what now? We can't just let her die…" Shizuku said. "Wow. Can you believe it? This girl is making us think! It's like that time when we were after the chain boy."

Shizuku's absentminded realization hit everyone, and they all suddenly laughed together.

"How embarrassing," Shalnark said. "I bet the boss would have just asked her to eat, and with his beautiful voice, she would have followed."

"Let's just wait… maybe she'll eat when she can't bear the hunger any longer," Franklin added.

"Why don't you just use your charm on her again, Hisoka?" Shizuku asked.

Hisoka had his chin on his palm, uncaring.

"I don't care if she starves. She's your problem now."

Kurapika dropped the phone from his ear and glared at the curtains, which were swaying with the wind. He was in Natsumi's room, on her bed. It hadn't been touched since she was kidnapped. Gon and Killua walked in.

"Still no answer?" Killua asked, leaning on the doorframe with his arms crossed.

"No," Kurapika replied, his voice icy. "Her phone is dead."

"Maybe Hisoka gave you the wrong number. Maybe, if she gets the chance, she'll call you," Gon said, thinking positively.

"I highly doubt it. And she doesn't know my number. Even if she did have the chance to call, she wouldn't know how to contact me. And she hasn't used the bracelet to communicate with me as well…"

"I don't know if it means anything," Killua said. "But I apologize for my brother. We all know he and Hisoka are snakes."

Kurapika didn't reply.

"I'm worried about Natsumi, though," Gon said.

"Of course," Killua added. "She's with the Ryodan after all. They weren't nice to us when they captured us, either."

"No, no…" Gon replied. "I'm worried about her because… deep in her heart, she trusted Hisoka. I don't know how she'll deal with the betrayal."

Kurapika stood up and punched the balcony windows, breaking them in the process. His eyes turned red under the contact lenses.

"I will definitely… kill that man."

Exchanging mere glances with you...

Each glance takes my breath away

Natsumi was in the small storage room… It was small, just the size of a baby's bedroom. She was on the floor in one of the corners. She had her legs close to her torso, her arms wrapped around them tightly. She felt lightheaded, and her vision was even blurrier than before. She breathed heavily. She hadn't eaten anything since the slumber party… Just a few chips and the apple juice that Hisoka had given her.

Hisoka…

She slowly slid to the ground, her position still unchanging. More tears fell down, wetting the floor under her face. She bit her lip. She didn't want to make a sound. The Genei Ryodan… She wouldn't let them overpower her. After all, didn't the good always win over the bad?

There was a growing pile of food in the opposite corner of the room. Every other hour, the members of the Spider group would bring her something to eat. They tried to coerce her to at least nibble at something, but she wouldn't speak to them. Not now. Not ever.

It was quiet outside… Maybe they were having a meeting again. Slowly and shakily, she brought the bracelet to her mouth. Using her chin, she weakly pressed the ruby.

"Ku..." she panted… even speaking was a chore. "Kura…pika… Kurapika…"

She whispered on and on… She had pretended that the bracelet was only a transmitter to that Nobunaga man. After all, they didn't seem to care about it much. They didn't even take it from her. They didn't know it was a communicator too, she mused. Did Hisoka know? Maybe he didn't, because he didn't seem to tell the rest of the group.

"Kurapika… Kurapi…ka…"

After a full minute, the tiny ruby beeped an inaudible tone.

"Natsumi?! Is that you?!"

Kurapika's voice was distorted, but she could tell it was him. His worried voice, his exaggerated words… She smiled weakly, another tear spilling over… A tear meant only for him.

"Kurapika…" she breathed, satisfied even with just his voice. "Of course it's me… I miss you… You'd… be proud… because… I'm not… eating… anything… you didn't… give me… yourself…"

End of chapter!

So how was it? I really, really, really apologize that I was late into uploading! As I said, I was really busy with so many things!

I will write the next chapter as soon as I can and upload it right the second I finish writing it! :D

Please review! I love your feedback. :D