A/N: This story is rated M for adult themes. The opinions of the characters do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the author.
Thank you to all those who have read (and reviewed) this story! It is greatly appreciated!
I do not own Hunter X Hunter or any other mentioned literature/books in this story.
Crabs, Jyonen and Other Scandalous Things
As it turned out, they didn't need to put out the fire. Just as things were starting to get interesting, a heavy shower of rain started, putting an end to the budding fire and Midoya's attempt on Kuroro's virtue. That was most unfortunate, in Kuroro's opinion (the stop to her attempt on his virtue, not the extinguishment of the fire), but there was nothing for it. Neither of them was inclined to partake in the pleasures of the flesh under heavy rain on wet, slippery, mushy mud. So, they had chosen to start the three hour trek back to the campsite instead.
Despite the rain, that had been successful enough, and they reached the campsite drenched but intact. There, the removal of clothing had commenced. Unfortunately, it also ended at that.
"We need to get a fire started," Midoya had said briskly, "we don't want to get pneumonia."
Agreeing that postponing all carnal activities in favour of avoiding death by pneumonia was the most logical course of action, Kuroro had helped Midoya start a nice, cheery fire in the hut. Then there had been a flurry of activity where they put their clothes up to dry and tried to cook some crabs they had found hiding in their boat over hot stones. While they waited for the food to cook, the both of them huddled together under a thin blanket. In Kuroro's well-read opinion, rather mature activities should start happening once their naked bodies were pressed together. Midoya obviously begged to differ because she fell asleep the moment she was in his arms. In her defense, Kuroro mused as he cradled her limp, snoring form in his arms, it had been a long day for her and she was still suffering from the injuries she sustained in her Yang form. She deserved some rest.
Still, fifteen minutes later, Kuroro was forced to wake her up so she could get some hot food in her.
"Ummm still sleepy… face hurts… and my butt's numb…" she mumbled as she sat up wobbly.
"Be good," Kuroro said as he tried to coax her into accepting a crab on a skewer. "The hot food will help you recover faster."
"Mmmm… ok…" she mumbled and took the skewer. Sleepily, she retreated back into his arms and started to eat. Once he was certain she wasn't going to fall asleep again and drop the hot food on very sensitive parts of his anatomy, Kuroro started to eat as well.
"This is cozy," Midoya said, sounding more awake. She shifted so her back was leaning against his chest and tucked her head under his neck. "Put your arms around me," she demanded.
Kuroro hummed in agreement and obligingly put his arms around her. He continued to eat, dropping bits of crab on Midoya occasionally. She didn't seem to mind, simply flicking the bits of food away. Soon, the food was finished.
"Feeling better?" Kuroro asked quietly.
"Mmm," Midoya murmured, eyes half-closed. "The food was a good idea."
They sat in total silence, watching the fire, and after a while, Midoya started to snore again. What with the silence, the exhaustive day and the warmth from the fire, eventually Kuroro started to nod off as well.
A phone rang.
Kuroro's head snapped up, startled out of his half-doze by the unexpected sound of a voice of indeterminate gender wailing about slitting wrists. "It's mine," Midoya said apologetically, climbing out of his arms. "My phone is specially built so it has reception, even in places like this." She dug out the phone and said, "Hello." Then she blinked in surprise. "Oh. Hi. Yes, I missed you too. Hmmm? I'm not wearing anything, why are you asking? I can't hear what you're saying if you keep laughing like… who? Oh, he's right here." She crawled towards Kuroro and held the phone out to him, "Yours."
Kuroro stared at the phone sleepily then took it. "Kuroro," he said, careful to keep the fatigue out of his voice.
"Ah! My beautiful Kuroro!" Hisoka's voice moaned. Instantly, Kuroro was wide awake, body ready to either fight or run away very, very quickly. He shook his head and managed to still his body's reflexive response to Hisoka's voice.
"Hello, Hisoka," he greeted calmly.
"Hello! I have been trying to call you for so long! When I couldn't get through, I was forced to hunt down the delicious Pepeka to get Midoya-chan's phone number! Oh, it was a wonderful hunt, but we wasted so much time chasing each other along the romantic beaches of the Kyne Island…"
"Hisoka, what is it?" Kuroro asked patiently.
"What do you mean by that, my delicious fruit? There can only be one reason for calling you of course."
Kuroro's eyes widened slightly. "You mean…"
"I've found your Jyonen-user. You should hurry back; we've been waiting for you for four days now, and the deal is, he only waits one day more. You have twenty-four hours to get back."
The race back to York Shin, Kuroro mused, was almost funny in how frantic it was. The moment Hisoka had informed Kuroro of his success in locating a Jyonen-user, they had started to pack to leave. There had been only two hours left till daylight anyway, and neither of them was inclined to sleep anymore. They had, in theory, twenty-four hours to get back to York Shin City (Kuroro was hoping Hisoka would protest violently but harmlessly if the Jyonen-user tried to leave but then he remembered that he could not remember the last time Hisoka wasn't violent and… well…). Unfortunately, when they had travelled from York Shin to Lori Town, it had taken them a little under twenty-three hours. That was cutting it too close. So fifteen minutes after Hisoka's call found them in the speedboat, racing towards the nearest town with an airfield. With a great deal of indifference to the general well-being of the speedboat, Kuroro navigated the boat speedily through the obstacles of the swamp. He successfully dodged floating logs, exposed tree roots and alligators then accidentally drove the boat into one of the transparent ducks. It bounced off the side of the boat like a rubber ball and landed in the water a distance away where it spun in a circle, trying to get its bearings.
"Sorry," Kuroro said insincerely as they sped past.
"Quack," the duck shot back with hurt dignity and dived beneath the surface of the water.
Somehow, they managed to make a five hour trip in four hours without damaging the speedboat too badly. Yes, the speedboat's engine made some rather alarming sounds along the way, and the paneling of the boat started to come apart, but it otherwise remained mostly in the shape of a boat.
At the airport, Kuroro had been rather alarmed to find out the earliest flight to York Shin City was two days away. The Lori Town airport was a very tiny airport that catered almost specifically to tourists entering the Lori Swamps, so he really should have expected that. Still, that did not change the fact that he really didn't have two days to wait. Any amount of negotiation, counter-banging and outright threats did nothing to change things, so Midoya simply decided to buy the entire airport. With a couple of phone calls, the Kito financial machine roared into action. While Kuroro sat in a corner, amusedly annoyed by the sudden appearance of a large team of flustered bureaucrats carrying piles of paper, the mayor of Lori Town and the president of the entire country (both of them greeted Midoya by name with a great deal of false cheer and an equal dose of real fear), Midoya snapped orders, shook hands and had the paperwork done within an hour.
Ten minutes later, they were climbing into a private blimp, piloted by a handsome young man who smiled too much.
"Hi!" the pilot said cheerfully when they boarded the blimp. "I am your captain…"
"I don't care," Kuroro replied coolly. "Get us to York Shin City within eight hours, please, or I will be very annoyed with you."
"The flight will take at least ten hours…"
"My good man," Kuroro said, putting a heavy hand on the pilot's shoulder, "I want you to forget whatever you know regarding the flight to York Shin. Instead, keep only one thing in mind: you really do not want to see me annoyed."
"Okay!" the pilot said, still smiling brightly though his face was starting to stream with sweat. "Let's get you buckled in and we can take off!"
"Thank you," Midoya told him with a sympathetic pat on the shoulder. "Don't worry about the scary man. He wouldn't do anything that will impede your ability to fly the blimp."
"You only need your arms right?" Kuroro murmured, eyes glittering menacingly.
"We look forward to flying with you!" Midoya said loudly and started to push the unresisting, wide-eyed pilot into the cockpit. "Nice meeting you, Mister Captain!"
In record time, the blimp was in the air and they were on their way to York Shin City.
"You know, I never knew blimps can break the sound barrier," Midoya commented as they watched the land beneath them speed past.
"You never know what you can do till you try," Kuroro said with great conviction.
Seven hours, fifty-five minutes and thirty-four seconds later, the private blimp touched down in York Shin City. ("See what one can accomplish when one puts one's mind to it, Midoya?")
"I hoped you enjoyed your flight," the sweating, gasping pilot whimpered as they left the blimp.
"We did. It was very… fast. Thank you. Good job," Midoya said politely.
"And I hoped you learned something from this," Kuroro added, clapping the pilot on the shoulder.
They walked away, leaving the pilot to collapse behind them. At the exit of the airport, they found a black car waiting for them, just like when Kuroro had first asked Midoya for help.
"It is rush hour," Kuroro said as he slid into the driver's seat. "We could be trapped in traffic for hours."
"Not an issue," Midoya said and pulled out her phone. She dialed a number and waited. "Ah, hello Commissioner. This is June Kito. Yes, I am fine, thank you. How are the kids? Wonderful. How about the illegitimate kids? I see! I'll be sure to send flowers to the grave. Now listen, I am going to be travelling down Blake Street from the airport on Highway 4a, and I will need to do so at the speed of a hundred miles an hour now. Yes, I did say 'now'. So if you could please make sure the roads are clear…? Yes, I really wouldn't want to accidentally run over somebody. You know it always makes me cry inside. Excellent. Yes, please remember that no one is to know I made this request. Indeed. Thank you." With a smile on her face, she hung up.
Kuroro glanced at her. "Did you just…?"
"A hundred miles an hour, darling," Midoya said cheerily. "We still have some ways to go. And keep your head down; we wouldn't want you to be recognized." From somewhere, she produced a hat and a pair of shades, and put them on him. The hat smelled like hair gel and perspiration. Kuroro wondered where she had gotten the items from and whether he should be worried about head lice. "Now go! Time is of the essence!"
Kuroro had to agree with that, so he stomped down on the accelerator and started to roar down the highway. Immediately, the results of Midoya's call could be seen. Police blockages could be seen at every junction, holding off angry, blaring traffic. When Kuroro turned onto Blake Street, he slowed down out of habit. However, he didn't need to; the roads were entirely empty.
"Midoya, you are like a god," Kuroro breathed, almost moved to tears. He pressed down on the accelerator again, and took off down Blake Street at a hundred miles per hour during peak period.
"Anyone can be like a god when you have pictures of the Commissioner doing the dirty with a dominatrix – a transvestite dominatrix."
Kuroro opened his mouth to ask how she had gotten hold of pictures like that then realized he probably didn't want to know. "How much time do we have left?" he asked instead.
Midoya glanced at the car's digital clock. "Technically, ten hours left," she said.
"There's still a six hour drive." Kuroro smiled. "We can make it." Then more seriously, "Aren't you afraid that using June Kito's influence like this will draw attention to your association with me?"
Midoya laughed. "Don't worry," she said, "I do this on quite a regular basis. The Hunter's Association stopped taking note a long time ago."
"You stop traffic, buy airports and blackmail politicians on a regular basis," Kuroro commented, amused. "Your life is fantastic." Smiling, he started to relax into his seat in preparation for a long drive. For the first time since he got Hisoka's call, he found his heartbeat slowing down and his breathing regulating. It was a relief to be able to rest after the frantic rush from the Lori Swamps.
"What are you saying?" Midoya asked, in response to his comment earlier. "You massacre tribes, murder mafia bosses and rob auctions on a regular basis. Your life is fantastic."
"I must admit I do enjoy my way of life. On that note," Kuroro added as he started to leave Blake Street behind, "have you thought about it?"
"What?"
"Joining the Ryodan." He glanced at her. "We have a position open. I mentioned that to you before?"
"Oh. I haven't thought about it. I thought your offer was just one of the odd things you like to talk about during sex. Like the last time, you kept mumbling about spirits of the dead and how they are always watching us. I was honestly quite worried, I must say, because I wasn't sure if you were seriously discussing the possibilities of an afterlife with me while we were joined at the hips or if you thought it would make things kinkier if we pretended dead people were watching us do the dirty."
"Is that why you kept saying, 'Yes, I see the ghostly grey woman with a huge hole in her chest looking at us too'?"
"Oh yes. I decided to go along with my second guess so I was pretending I could see dead people too."
"I confess to being mildly disturbed. I should probably stop making serious conversation during sex then." Kuroro drove in silence for a while then asked, "So how about it? Would you be interested in joining the Ryodan?"
To his surprise, Midoya actually seemed to be considering it seriously. "Why should I join the Ryodan?" she asked finally.
Kuroro thought about that for a while. "We all joined the Ryodan for different reasons," he said, "but the general rule is that when one joins the Ryodan, it is because one cannot find satisfaction through any other means." He paused again then explained, "Not even through being a normal criminal. When a man becomes a burglar, what does he get? He gets material satisfaction; he gets money, he gets items and goods. But for most of his life outside the job, he lives as a normal person, subject to the laws of society. When you're with the Ryodan… it's different. Yes, we want the money and we want the objects we steal, but at the same time… We want to do things our way all the time." He smiled. "The Ryodan is for people who just want to be who they want to be. It is a place for people to live beyond the established systems and ideologies of the world."
Midoya nodded thoughtfully. "And you think I can fit in?" she asked. "You think that I am someone who desires that? To be beyond the systems of the world that governs us, that dictates our behavior based on our gender, our race, our social class or even our legal status? You believe that I want to remove myself entirely from the system?"
"Yes," Kuroro said confidently. "You were born a Kito. You were born into a position more heavily scrutinized and more hastily judged than most. You know better than most what it means to be forced into a mould by the system. If you were satisfied being that little doll in a glass box, you wouldn't have learned Nen, you wouldn't have become a Hunter, and you most certainly wouldn't have a 'June Kito' costume that you slip into when you return to the Kito estate." He glanced at her, and from the look on her face, he knew he had struck a nerve. "Now," he went on, "the question really is, is being a Hunter satisfying enough?" He paused and looked at her face again, but her face had gone entirely blank and unreadable. "To be a Hunter is still to be governed by the system, no?" Kuroro said reasonably. "Just look at the way we had to scuttle around the eyes of the Hunter's Association during this entire operation. Even though you avoid the system as much as you can, you still have to take it into account every time you act."
"Yes," Midoya said quietly. "That is true. But the Ryodan still lives by a system; your system, as flexible and as… open as it is."
"Indeed," Kuroro agreed, deciding to back off for the moment. "Perhaps the next question you have to consider is whether the system the Ryodan functions by is better than the ones you now live by. In other words, even if you are unsatisfied with being a Hunter, is the Ryodan a better alternative?" He fell silent and waited for her response, but she didn't say anything. Instead, she chose to stare out of the window at the scenery.
Finally, Midoya said, "I like you, Kuroro. I admire you a lot. Even without your Nen, you are a dangerous person because of how smart you are and how calm you are in nasty situations. I do not normally follow anyone's lead; you are right when you say I do not like having to fit into any given system; but you are the kind of person I can see myself following. You are the kind of person I can accept orders from without feeling… put down."
"I sense a 'but' there."
"As do I," Midoya said with a little laugh, "I just have no idea what comes after the 'but'." She looked at him seriously. "Why do you want me to join the Ryodan? What do you gain from it?" she asked.
"Your talents," Kuroro said immediately. "You are smart, strong and fearless. You think outside the box so often I sometimes wonder if you even realize a box exists. You have no moral qualms about legally questionable activities. You would fit right in with the Ryodan. Besides, after this incident with the chain-person, I have come to realize that the Ryodan needs someone else who can take over as leader in my absence. Shalnark is smart, but he isn't forceful enough to assert his leadership. Phinx is forceful enough, but he isn't charismatic enough to convince people to follow him. On the other hand, I can see you getting the Ryodan to follow you. I know you can; sometimes I find myself following your lead, and I've never done that for anyone before."
"Aren't you afraid I will steal your position?"
"Hardly," Kuroro said, with a smile. "I've known most of the members since we were kids, and that counts for quite a bit with the Ryodan. Anyway, if you are good enough to take my position, it would probably be better for the Ryodan if I surrender my position to you anyway."
"Hmm," Midoya murmured then turned to look out of the window again. "I can't decide now," she said, "not without some sleep and food."
"There's no hurry," Kuroro told her. "You can take your time deciding."
"Okay." Then oddly enough, she asked, "Will you dislike me if I say no?"
Kuroro tried to keep the shock off his face. That was such a… He glanced at her. She looked back at him with steady, calm eyes, but to Kuroro, she had never looked more vulnerable, even when lying unconscious in the middle of an ant-infested swamp. "I think it is impossible for me to dislike you," he finally said. "I tried to distrust you, as you know, but upon reviewing my actions this entire operation, I find that everything I did was based on the assumption that you will be loyal to me and that you will successfully pull off our missions. And despite my misgivings about asking for your help, we ended up renewing our relationship."
"Relationship," Midoya repeated, sounding amused. "You know, Pepeka once asked me exactly what our relationship is. I had to tell him I have no idea. What would you call a relationship such as ours, Kuroro?"
"Our relationship," Kuroro replied, and a short laugh escaped him. "What does it matter what we call it? For me, I think that our relationship can just be called 'our relationship' because it is exactly that. It is only what we want it to be."
"So that's Kuroro Lucifer's system at work," Midoya said, starting to smile. "I like it."
"Thank you. I like it too."
They fell silent again as the city zipped by. The roads were still surreally empty, so instead of watching the roads, Kuroro watched the city lights zip past. Shades of neon pink, green and orange dyed the interior of the car a kaleidoscope of colours, adding to the dream-like sensation of the experience. Then it began to rain, as it often did in York Shin, a drizzle that turned the world into a hazy landscape of multi-coloured lights. Instantly, buildings and familiar landscapes vanished or became distorted. Kuroro looked around. Though he had only been away from York Shin for a day, the city had suddenly become alien to him.
He blinked. It must be the lack of sleep; for a moment, he felt like he had fallen under a spell – a spell which Midoya broke by saying, "Say" in a very thoughtful voice.
"Say what?"
"Say if I join the Ryodan…"
"Yes?"
"Does that mean I have to call you 'Dancho' when we're having sex?"
Six hours and twenty minutes later, Kuroro pulled up in front of the abandoned building that had functioned as their base. As they got out of the car, Hisoka came up to meet them, a wide grin on his face. "You made it," he purred happily. "Kuroro, Midoya-chan."
"Hisoka," Kuroro greeted evenly as Midoya smiled in greeting. "The Jyonen-user?"
"Inside." Hisoka gestured with his thumb and began leading them into the building immediately. "I honestly cannot wait," he said, eyes glowing with anticipation and lust.
"I hope it wouldn't take long," Kuroro agreed politely and made a note to wriggle out of the fight the first chance he got.
"It wouldn't," a new voice said testily, "and it would have taken a lot less time if you had showed up earlier."
A young man stepped forward to meet them, his hand extended in greeting though a frown creased a plain, almost forgettable face. Kuroro grasped the hand and looked the newcomer over (dark skin, intelligent eyes, obviously very annoyed). "Kuroro," he said with a polite smile. "Pleased to meet you."
"Abengane," the newcomer said bluntly. "You must be the one that has been cursed."
"Yes," Kuroro agreed. "And you must be the one here to get me out of this quandary."
"Okay," Abengane said, nodding. "Your man here, Hisoka promised me five billion zennis for the exorcism. Now…" He stopped suddenly, a look of bemusement and wariness on his face as he looked past Kuroro. Leaning closer to Kuroro, he whispered, "Is that… is that woman behind you Blacklist Hunter Midoya?"
"No," Kuroro and Midoya said at the same time.
Abengane's brows lifted. "No?" he asked. "I have seen Hunter Midoya around the Hunter's Association building very often. She's very noticeable because people keep avoiding her. You definitely look like her."
"She's not Blacklist Hunter Midoya," Kuroro said.
"Nope, I'm definitely not," Midoya agreed.
"Any resemblance you see is purely a figment of your imagination," Kuroro said, waving his hands dismissively.
"You have a very vivid imagination," Midoya agreed emphatically.
"Oh really?" Abengane asked, intelligent eyes darting between them.
"Yes," Midoya said cheerily. "By the way, have you heard of the Jyonen-user database in the Hunter's Association building?"
Abengane froze, eyes narrowing. "I have heard rumours. What do you know about it?"
"That it is a very comprehensive database," Midoya said and smiled sweetly.
A tensed silence fell over the four of them then Abengane said, "You know, on closer inspection, you look nothing like Blacklist Hunter Midoya at all. I do have a very vivid imagination it seems."
"That's not a problem," Midoya beamed. "I always appreciate a vivid imagination, when it remains as that."
"Of course," Abengane said, suddenly all smiles. "Now, about the Jyonen…"
"Yes," Kuroro said, taking a seat. Midoya and Hisoka remained standing a distance away. "Are you aware of the conditions placed on me?"
"Hisoka has explained," Abengane replied, taking a seat as well. "A chain has been wrapped around your heart, and it prevents you from using your Nen and from meeting certain people on the threat of death. Is that correct?"
"Yes," Kuroro said, pleased. "Now, explain how the Jyonen works."
"Of course. It is a relatively simple process. I will draw on the spirits of nature to summon a creature that will feed off the foreign Nen in your body. How it looks like will depend on the foreign Nen that has been put into you. It will feed off the foreign Nen and thus nullify the restrictions the foreign Nen places on you. However, the creature will, in turn, attach itself to you and will not disappear until you fulfill the conditions for removing the foreign Nen." He paused. "Any questions?"
Kuroro rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "So, let me get this straight," he said. "Once this creature starts to swallow the foreign Nen attached to me, I will be able to use my Nen again, and will be able to meet… certain people, without dying. Correct?"
"Yes," Abengane answered. "The downside to my Jyonen is the creature attaching itself to you. Based on how powerful the Nen or how strong the emotion behind the Nen is, the creature could be a massive monster or a tiny creature."
"And there are no other risks?"
"Well, if the caster is dead, my Jyonen wouldn't work on you."
"I see. That shouldn't be an issue. Anything else?"
"No. The process is really quite safe."
"I see," Kuroro said, leaning his chin on his hands. He was silent for a moment as he thought. "Fine," he finally said. "Let's do this."
"Good," Abengane said, pleased. "I will start preparing for the ritual." Getting to his feet, he started to clear an area around Kuroro, kicking debris and dust away. "I'm going to start a fire," he explained, "from the fire, I will summon the creature. While that is happening, everyone, please do not interrupt the ritual. Kuroro, try to remain as still as possible. The spirits of nature must be treated with respect."
"Okay," Kuroro agreed. He glanced at Midoya. She looked almost dead on her feet. When was the last time she had slept, he wondered. While he had caught a nap while wrapped in the cocoon, she had been searching for him and scouting the nest. Then there had been maybe fifteen minutes of napping before they had been forced to rush back to York Shin. That and the way she had exerted herself in exterminating the nest must have drained her entirely. "Go get some rest," he suggested. "I'll wake you up when the exorcism is over."
"Sure," Midoya said, stifling a yawn.
"Ah, wait," Hisoka said suddenly, his face emoting surprise though his eyes gleamed with a cruel pleasure. "I just remembered something."
"What?" Kuroro asked just as Abengane started a fire.
"I already called the Ryodan," Hisoka said cheerfully. "They are on their way here now."
Hisoka… "Midoya," Kuroro began, but she was already on her feet.
"Got it," she said. "Call me when you're free or drop by for a visit. I'll be at my penthouse." Kuroro nodded.
"I'm going to start the exorcism now," Abengane said impatiently, ignoring the leaving woman.
"Okay," Kuroro said, watching Midoya leave. Uncharacteristically, he felt a sudden jab of sentimentality. "Goodbye, Midoya. I'll see you soon."
"Bye," she replied as she pulled open the door of the building – to reveal Shalnark, Machi, Phinx, Shizuku, Nobunaga and Feitan standing there.
The newly arrived Ryodan members froze. Kuroro froze. Hisoka tittered gleefully.
Midoya slammed the door shut again. "Shit," she said mildly and turned to run. She was barely out of range when the door exploded, wooden planks shattering under Phinx's fist as he came storming inside, followed closely by the other Ryodan members.
"What the hell," Phinx said, pressing on his fingers so they cracked loudly. "If it isn't Midoya June Kito."
"Hello," Midoya said politely, but was interrupted when Nobunaga shoved Phinx aside violently.
"Bitch!" Nobunaga roared, drawing his sword.
"Now wait…"
"Shut up!" Nobunaga shouted over Phinx's annoyed protests, his face a mask of hot fury. "You bitch! Did you think we will let you live after you've done such a despicable thing?"
"I have no…"
"Bitch! We heard about it already!" Nobunaga roared again. "How dare you rip out Dancho's manhood with your bare hands and wear them around your neck as a trophy! I am going to kill you for castrating Dancho!" With a furious battle cry, he swung his sword at Midoya.
Kuroro pressed his fingers to his eyes as Nobunaga attacked Midoya. Not again! He glanced at the calmer members of the Ryodan, but they were staring coldly at Midoya as she dodged Nobunaga's furious attacks nimbly. Right. Of course. They would be pissed that he… Why were people so obsessed about the existence or not of his manhood? Wasn't his balls his business, and no one else's? This was the first time in a long while Kuroro truly regretted telling a lie.
"Hisoka," he whispered sharply, but Hisoka ignored him, watching the battle with maliciously delighted eyes. Frustrated, Kuroro glanced at the battle as well. Midoya was still doing well against Nobunaga, but she was exhausted and flying on adrenaline while Nobunaga was obviously well-rested. Even if she defeated Nobunaga, there was still the rest of the Ryodan to face. "Hurry," Kuroro said to Abengane.
Abengane made hushing motions and continued chanting. Tensely, Kuroro's eyes darted towards the battle. There was a thin cut on Midoya's arm. He couldn't remember the last time he had seen her bleed. Not good…
"Whore! Stand still and let me cut you to pieces!"
"Forest of the spirits, forest of the spirits," Abengane chanted.
"I don't want to be cut to pieces."
"Forest of the spirits, forest of the spirits…"
"Whore!"
"Enter Kuroro Lucifer and relieve him of the dirty Nen within him…"
"Name-calling works best when it is accurate."
"B…"
Whatever Nobunaga said was lost on Kuroro when the fire in front of him exploded in a sudden burst of massive flames. Startled, Kuroro eyed the fire. There was a shadow in it and it was growing bigger – and bigger… Suddenly something erupted from the fire and launched itself at him.
Taken by surprise, Kuroro toppled over in his seat, almost lifted off his feet by the sudden force against his chest.
"Dancho!" someone shouted in alarm.
Instinctively, Kuroro opened his mouth to reply – and his heart stopped. It was an odd feeling. It didn't hurt and Kuroro's mind didn't cloud over. He was aware that he had almost violated the restrictions placed on him, but hadn't actually done it, so his heart was still intact, just not beating because the chains constricting it had tightened. He was also aware that he wasn't breathing anymore, and that didn't hurt. It was kind of funny, almost like… The next thing he knew, he was lying on the ground, convulsing violently as the Jyonen and the chain-person's Nen flew into conflict.
It was odd. Though he was aware he was in his body, he also had the feeling that he was looking down at his body from a third person's perspective. Through that dual perspective, he became aware that there were two people leaning over him. He felt pressure against his lips and his chest. Dimly, he heard a masculine voice tell someone to complete the exorcism. Suddenly, he felt light-headed and giddy as he became aware that air was being forced down his lungs. It took him a moment to realize that someone was trying to get him to breathe and that it was probably a good idea to start drawing in oxygen on his own.
In a rush of starbursts and nausea, the dual perspective vanished and Kuroro found himself lying on the floor, looking up at Midoya's face hovering over his. "Hi," he croaked weakly. "What are you doing there?"
"Hi back at you, handsome. I was helping you breathe," Midoya replied breathlessly. Her face looked pale and she was breathing hard. "Welcome back. Let's get you up so you can meet your new friend."
"Friend?" Kuroro mumbled woozily. "What friend? Do we have a new Ryodan member? I don't remember inducting one."
"All in good time, Kuroro. Come on, sit up," Midoya coaxed. With a little help from Hisoka, she managed to get him sitting up. When his head flopped downwards as they lifted him, Kuroro finally got a look at his chest.
He blinked in surprise. There was something attached to his chest. It was small, maybe the size of a tennis ball, and round. As he moved, the entire creature wobbled like jelly. It clung to his chest with two tiny seal-like flippers that clutched at his jacket. Kuroro suddenly became aware of a sucking sensation against his chest. "What is that?" he slurred.
At his words, the creature moved. It's entire body rotated and Kuroro got a good look at its face. The face covered the entire underside of the creature, which was pressed to Kuroro's chest. Large, black eyes stared at him from above a… sucker. That was the only word Kuroro could think of to describe the appendage attached to his chest. It looked like the kind of suckers normally found on the tentacles of octopi. The black eyes stared at him as the creature continued to suck. Then with a slight popping sound, the creature detached the sucker from his chest.
"Gah," it sighed, satisfied. Then realizing Kuroro was still staring, it put a flipper in its mouth and sucked it, watching him with large, shy eyes. It was… freakishly cute. If Kuroro had any strength in his limbs, he would have squashed it.
"That," Abengane said solemnly, "is the manifestation of the foreign Nen that was placed on you."
"Oh," Kuroro said, confounded. That was not how he imagined the hatred of the chain-person to look like (he had imagined glaring red eyes, horns and hooves). Then abruptly, his brain function returned and he realized two things. Firstly, he was leaning against Hisoka, who was holding him up (which was disturbing, but not that important – yet). Secondly, the exorcism was complete. He looked around at the Ryodan. There were staring at him and the strange creature nestling at his chest. Well, it was time to test the results of the Jyonen. "Hello Ryodan," he said – and didn't die. Oh. Good. It worked.
"Dancho!" Shalnark exclaimed, delighted.
Suddenly, the Ryodan were crowded around him smiling and pulling him to his feet. Kuroro smiled back, pleased. "Shalnark. Good to see you again," he murmured, clapping Shalnark's shoulder.
"Dancho!" Phinx said, grinning widely. "You look pretty healthy for a half-beaten man."
"I consider myself a half-unbeaten man, Phinx," Kuroro replied, smiling. Phinx laughed at that as Shizuku stepped forward and formally shook Kuroro's hand.
"Nice meeting you, Dancho," she said solemnly.
"Nice meeting you too, Shizuku," Kuroro replied, just as solemnly. Then he turned to the woman standing next to her.
"Machi," Kuroro greeted.
"Dancho," Machi replied, giving a brief nod of her head. For the proud woman, this was one of her greatest expressions of respect. Kuroro returned it. He then turned to the shortest member present.
"Feitan."
"Dancho," Feitan said with a nod of his own. "Good to see you."
"Dancho," Nobunaga said, coming up to him, an odd look on his face. Then to Kuroro's surprise, he put his arms around him and drew him into a fierce hug. Almost immediately, he let go again, looking embarrassed. "Nice to see you," he said awkwardly, coughing.
"Nice to see you too," Kuroro replied and clapped him on the shoulder. That reminded him. He looked around and spotted Midoya standing outside the circle, quietly watching them. "Ah yes, I have yet to introduce you formally."
Immediately, Kuroro sensed the Ryodan closing around him, forming a barrier of hostile Nen against the perceived enemy. Midoya's eyebrow went up as a variety of weapons were drawn and pointed at her. "I suggest you hear what your Dancho has to say first," she said pointedly.
"What is there to say?" Nobunaga snarled bitterly, drawing his sword. "There's nothing more to say other than…"
"That she is my hired help and that she didn't castrate me," Kuroro said wryly. As he was standing in the middle of the group, he could feel the surprise surging through their Nen at his words.
"You hired Midoya June Kito?" Shalnark spluttered, horrified.
At the same time, Phinx asked suspiciously, "She didn't castrate you?"
"Nope, I confirmed it," Hisoka broke in cheerfully.
That brought about another awkward silence as everyone tried to understand what that meant. Finally, Kuroro, with a sigh of resignation, said, "Ryodan, this is Midoya June Kito, as I am sure most of you know. I hired her to help me find the Jyonen-user. Since she is on our side, please do not attack her anymore. And no, I am not… I am not castrated at all."
More silence greeted that statement until Shizuku asked, "Midoya June Kito? Who is that?"
It was good to have Dancho back.
Machi leaned against one of the cracked stone pillars in the building, eyes fixed on Dancho as he spoke quietly with Hisoka and Abengane (the Jyonen-user). Yes, in theory, the Ryodan could function without a Dancho; and yes, in theory, anyone could be Dancho as long as he or she was up for it, but it was… different with Kuroro Lucifer. Just sitting there, he drew the gaze of everyone in the area. Without trying, he had become the centre of the Ryodan. Now that he was back, the Ryodan had a purpose. It was definitely good to have him back.
Sensing her gaze, Dancho's eyes flickered over and he smiled faintly in question. Machi smiled back and said absently, "Just wondering when the rest of the Ryodan will turn up. Those slow-pokes."
"There's no hurry," Dancho replied. "Since we already know where and who the chain-person is, we can attack him anytime we wish. I still need to settle my fight with Hisoka too." Turning away, he continued to speak to Abengane. Apparently they were settling the final payments for his services.
"Tomorrow then," Hisoka purred happily. "I look forward to our fight. Rest well. I wouldn't want you exhausted and not up to the challenge."
"I suggest you worry more about yourself," Dancho replied coolly. "Tomorrow then."
Giggling, Hisoka wriggled his fingers in farewell and walked away. Machi eyed the departing figure bitterly. If she wasn't so certain Dancho would utterly destroy him tomorrow, she would be tempted to go right up to him and stick a needle in his eye.
On that note, about dangerous people… Machi's eyes flicked towards the new face sitting quietly in a corner. That Midoya June Kito… Machi had an instinctive wariness towards that woman. It wasn't that she was emitting a hostile aura; if anything, she looked relaxed, almost half-asleep as she leaned back against the wall, reading something on her lap. It was her… presence. Even if she was just sitting there reading a book, that woman felt dangerous. One did not need Machi's formidable sixth sense to feel that; everyone else in the Ryodan periodically glanced in Midoya June Kito's direction suspiciously. Machi half-wished that woman would leave. If Dancho was busy paying off Abengane, why wasn't he paying off this woman as well? Her services were no longer needed, right?
Movement around Dancho drew Machi's attention away. Abengane had climbed to his feet and was shaking Kuroro's hand. "Pleasure working with you," he was saying. "The next time you need a Jyonen-user, just call this number. Standard fees apply."
"Thank you," Dancho said politely. "I will."
Without another word, Abengane left. Machi waited for Dancho to summon the Midoya woman to his side to settle the final payments, but he didn't. Instead, he turned to speak with Shalnark.
Machi fidgeted. Something felt off. Her instincts were telling her something wasn't right. Then, because she was watching, she saw when Dancho and the Midoya woman exchanged glances. Machi sat upright, instincts screaming. Dancho had just communicated with that Midoya woman with one look. She had never seen him do that with anyone but a Ryodan member.
"I'm retiring to another room to rest," the Midoya woman said suddenly, getting to her feet. "We'll discuss my payment later, Mr Lucifer."
"Of course," Dancho replied formally. "Have a good rest."
The moment she was out of the room, Machi felt the tension in the room dissipate. Yet, her own anxiety never left her. It wasn't like she could actually pinpoint what was wrong. Dancho had been working with that woman for a while so it shouldn't be surprising that they had gotten good at communicating with each other. Still, that level of… of…
"I still can't believe you hired Blacklist Hunter Midoya," Shalnark said suddenly, drawing Machi's attention. "That took a lot of courage, Dancho. That woman is bad news, even within the Hunter circles. Have you heard what she did to the President of BNE?"
"Oh really?" Dancho asked calmly. "We got along fantastically."
"That's because you are bad news too," Phinx commented half-jokingly. "How on earth did you get her to agree to work with you though?"
Dancho shrugged and replied, "Some carrot, some stick, and a lot of tongue-twisting." The rest of the Ryodan laughed while Machi fidgeted uneasily. Dancho was always hard to read, but it seemed to Machi… it seemed like Dancho had just lied. "Anyway, now that the room is free of outsiders," Dancho went on, "I wish to state our next mission."
Excitement and anticipation flooded the air. Dancho's missions were always so good. "What is it?" Feitan asked.
"We are going to hunt down the chain-person," Dancho said, smiling coldly. "He killed Ubo and greatly humiliated us. He must pay for it."
Oh. Oh yes. They haven't told him yet. The room was silent and Machi could tell they were wondering who they should nominate to tell Dancho. As cold as Dancho came across as time, he got so darn sentimental about dead people… Taking a deep breath, Machi bravely said, "Dancho. I have… something to tell you."
"Yes?"
There really was no good way to say it, so Machi said bluntly, "Paku is dead too. She died giving us information about the chain-person."
Dancho looked like someone had socked him in the face. To read Dancho, one does not look at his face; his face was normally empty of most expressions. To read Dancho, one looked at the set of his shoulders and his hands. Right now, Dancho's shoulders were stiff with shock and his hands were clenched together.
"She's dead," Dancho said finally. "She died for the Ryodan."
"Yes," Machi agreed.
"It was a good death," Dancho said solemnly, and that was it. Machi knew Dancho would not mention Paku's death again. "Still, it is one more thing the chain-person must pay for," Dancho went on, his shoulders relaxing and his hands unclenching. "Now, it is our turn to hunt him, on our own terms. I fear he will discover that one does not antagonize the Ryodan and hope to escape the consequences."
"Hell yeah," Phinx muttered as Nobunaga whooped delightedly.
"I want to be the one who kills him!" Nobunaga shouted. "Dancho! Order me to kill him! "
"In good time," Dancho said. "When the rest of the Ryodan get here, we will start planning the attack on the chain-person."
There were murmurs of agreement then Feitan asked, "Shall we kill June Kito too?"
"No," Dancho said immediately. The temperature in the building seemed to drop several degrees. The hair on the back of Machi's neck stood up, and from what she could see, everyone else looked wired up too. "No one is to touch Midoya." Another pause, during which Dancho's fingers tapped against his knee. Then he said, somewhat awkwardly, "Her skills are… unparalleled. She is a very useful ally to have."
"Are you going to induct her as a Ryodan member?" Shalnark asked fearfully.
"Perhaps," Dancho said, and his tone suggested he wished the topic to be dropped immediately.
Machi's instincts were howling by now. Something was telling her there was more to this Midoya woman than first meets the eye. She desperately wanted to ask Dancho, if only so she could get rid of that nagging feeling at the back of her mind.
Just when she opened her mouth to ask, somebody came through the doorway of the building.
When somebody came through the doorway of the building, Kuroro was busy panicking inside. It wasn't yet time to let the Ryodan know about his plans regarding Midoya, but some members were already suspicious. He knew Shalnark definitely was, for very good reason. Machi was suspicious too, though she probably wouldn't be able to say why. He wasn't sure about Phinx and Feitan. The two of them were smart, but they had a tendency to draw the wrong conclusions. Nobunaga was too excited about the upcoming hunt to care about Midoya. Right now, with the Ryodan just climbing back to its feet, there was little room for instability. Letting them know that Midoya June Kito of all people might be entering the Ryodan would not do well for the group dynamics.
Out of the corner of his eyes, he saw Machi opening her mouth to speak. Thankfully, before she could, a figure appeared at the doorway. Half-expecting to see the rest of the Ryodan, Kuroro looked up and was surprised to see Midoya there instead.
Instantly, he knew that something was wrong. If her luggage in one hand and her cell phone in the other weren't obvious enough, her red, wet eyes definitely were.
"What is it?" he asked, moving towards her before he realized he was. It was surprising how alarmed he was. It had to be the tears; he had never seen her cry before.
Midoya cleared her throat weakly. "I have to go," she whispered, sounding distraught. "I just got a message from the Hunter's Association. They are asking me to return to the York Shin base." She paused and bit her lip while Kuroro waited. Finally, she said, "Netero is dead." Her voice broke on the last word but no fresh tears emerged.
"Chairman Netero?" Kuroro asked quietly. "He is dead?" He could feel the weight of the Ryodan's eyes on his back. He ignored them.
"He died fighting the King of the ants. The real King, I meant," she replied. "He is… he was my mentor. My nen-master." A look of profound distress swept over her face and for a moment, she looked like she might cry. Kuroro watched her clamp down on her emotions. "As a potential candidate for succeeding his position, the Hunter's Association wants me to return," she said, her voice hoarse. "I need to go now. I'll let you know my answer regarding your… offer another time."
"Okay," Kuroro said, still aware of the weight of eyes on his back. "Give me an account number. I'll send your fee to it."
"Fee?" Midoya asked distractedly.
"For helping me."
"Oh. Right. Forget about it. I want a favour instead." Slowly, she slid her arms around him and pressed her face to his chest. "Don't be a stranger this time," she murmured into his chest. "Keep in contact."
Keep in contact. Well, he had planned to do that anyway. He hadn't been lying when he said she was a useful ally to have. Then he wondered when would be the next time they meet. What with the current plans to hunt down the chain-person and his payment to Hisoka, it was unlikely he would have the chance to visit her. Would he have to wait a month to see her again? Perhaps two? Or an entire year? Abruptly, he realized he was hugging her back, his arms having slipped around her out of habit. The eyes of the Ryodan were almost burning into his back.
Well. In for a penny, in for a pound. He might as well make it very clear now that Midoya was not to be hunted. Kuroro tilted Midoya's head up and gently brushed his lips against hers. He heard Nobunaga gasp something loud and rude which was then followed by a general murmuring of shock and horror. He ignored them. "Deal," he said to Midoya instead. "We'll keep in contact." He smiled at the expression of open astonishment on her face.
"Good," she said after a long pause, a smile on her face. "Thanks for the payment, Mr Lucifer."
"You're welcome, Blacklist Hunter Midoya."
"Well then," Midoya said, stepping out of his arms. "I'll be seeing you around. Goodbye." Then without looking back, she turned and strode out of the building.
Kuroro watched her for a while then turned back to see six pairs of eyes staring straight at him with varying expressions of shock, horror and disbelief. Kuroro sighed. "Okay," he said resignedly. "Who wants to ask first?"
A/N: That is the end of this story. I hope everyone enjoyed it! Don't forget to read the next chapter for the preview to the third installment of the Kito series. : ) Yes, that's right! There will be a third installment in the series… hopefully…
Merry Christmas 2011 to everybody! Hope you all have a wonderful time with your family and friends. Be safe and have fun!
Trivia: Kuroro was right to think that the Ryodan members were suspicious of his relationship with Midoya. Within fifteen minutes of his kiss with her, there were bets up and running regarding the exact details of their relationship. So far, there were four camps.
On one side, with Nobunaga being the most prominent voice, were those who believed that Dancho was in 'love' with Kito. On the other side, with Feitan and Phinx as the loudest protestors, were those who felt Dancho was only trying to seduce Kito so he could make use of her, and that believing that Dancho was capable of a weak emotion such as 'love' was an insult to Dancho. The first side, (side A, as Shalnark's highly organized mind classified it) protested loudly that to say Dancho was not capable of a simple, human emotion was itself an insult to Dancho, since surely someone as awesome and as brilliant as Dancho could feel love if he damned well wanted to. On another side, (side C), were those who simply felt that Dancho wanted Kito to join the Ryodan and/or had a relationship with her that was somewhat like what the Ryodan had. Machi was the strongest supporter of this theory. Side A and Side B formed a united front against Side C because firstly, Dancho kissed Kito and no one in the Ryodan would ever dream of smooching another Ryodan member and secondly, Dancho wasn't dumb enough to bring a wild card like Kito into the Ryodan because everyone knew what she did to the President of BNE and the Ryodan didn't need that in the ranks. All the male members in the Ryodan agreed with that. The last side, Side D, consisting of most of the Ryodan members just didn't give a damn either way.
Eventually, in a desperate attempt to stave off the escalating hostilities between the camps, Shalnark had publicly questioned Kuroro on the specifics of his relationship with Midoya.
Putting aside the encyclopedia he had been reading, Kuroro had slowly and patiently explained the concept of 'love' to the Ryodan. Then he had launched into the concept of 'relationship', the sociological theories on them, the metaphysical arguments surrounding them and the psychoanalytical discussions that had centred around the relationship between man and woman. With great zest, he had ended with a deep and thought-provoking question about the dichotomy between the physical body and the intangible definition of 'human'.
The Ryodan had oohed and ahhed then spent many a long hour pondering the questions Kuroro had raised.
It was only two weeks later did they realize Dancho didn't answer the fucking question at all.