Chapter 14: Catastrophe

The outside thundered as the girls went drinking. Tess was particularly cheery as the apple martini slid through her throat. Kegan proudly flicked her violet locks and said 'told you, drink would be nice' and sipped her vodka. But Megumi seemed hesitant, 'but Key-chan, are you sure we are even allowed here?'

Kegan smiled widely as she drowned her drink in one chug, 'relax…. I've got the boys on me, and besides, I have a real deal of reputation down here. You see, being a badass mechanic chick in a promiscuous city as York Shin, things pay off well and good.'

'But key-'

'Meow…. I think the fumes of vanilla essence and buttercream icing are getting to you…. Few drinks and you'll be fine in no time….' Kegan then hollered at the waiter for another round, and suddenly almost choked on her vodka, when Tess blearily blurted out at something.

'Hey, who invited the Jack Frost….' She pointed at the bar counter and laughed, whilst Megumi looked confused, 'Tess, I think you have too much drink.'

'No…. actually he does look like Jack Frost…. And he is talking with some woman with long geisha hair.' Kegan said, and Megumi mentally facepalmed and attempted to call the uber, but was interrupted by someone they know.

'Megumi…. Tess…. Kegan, what are you doing here?' a smooth authoritative lady voice broke them out of the trance; it was Rene in camel coat.

'Rene? What the hell you are doing here? You don't drink on weekdays' Tess asked, but Rene's scowl darkened, she urgently said, 'I am looking for Killua; he might be in grave danger right now.' With that piece of information the girls straightened up, 'I tracked him down here, but then he slipped… have you seen him here?'

'No…. we haven't….' and within a flash Rene was gone.

Tess and Megumi's eyes drifted to the bar counter, and they sadly pointed that the Jack Frost has vanished in thin air, and the effect afterward was explosive. 'Oh My god…..' Tess exclaimed and went straight to the counter, 'sirs… have you seen' Tess fidgeted with her words 'anyone with white hair…. Like jack frost? It's urgent…. Please sir….'the bar-tender shrugged off the question like it was no big deal and then Tess came to the girls. 'Okay… It was definitely Killua, but the bartender won't tell me where is he.' Kegan, at her reply, looked silently from Tess to the Bartender and an evil smile graced her thin lips. She rolled up her sleeves of gray mechanic jumpsuit ominously and drawled 'let me go and ask' as she slowly swaggered to the counter.

'Hey asshole!' she hollered and Tess and Megumi froze on their places as the bartender lewdly looked at them. Tess was scared for obvious reason, because no matter how badass Kegan was, she in her slim 5'5 stature was no match for the fully grown man. But, when you call someone 'asshole' the conversation wouldn't stop in one or two words, so she had to watch with her fingers crossed.

'My friend asked you if you saw a fucker down here with white hair' Kegan talked like she was the head-bitch-in-charge in a whorehouse, 'you see, if I don't get an answer within 10 fucking seconds then-'

'Then what bitch?' the bartender asked with equal lewdness.

'I'll cut that weenie flaccid dick of yours and glue it to your forehead and force you into a rainbow costume so you could join the My Little Pony convention as a dickless limpid unicorn, you sucker!' Kegan looked like she had just ascended from hell, and to Tess' delight, the Bartender pointed at the Restroom.

'Bad language and tough-bitch attitude always gets the sons-of-bitches.' Kegan said to others. Seeing the other two wincing at her language, Kegan moved her neck towards the washroom and then to the ceiling as the thunders grew louder, 'Tess, you call Rene… tell that we know where Killua is…' and then turned to Megumi 'Meow…. You stay here, see if someone comes out' and Kegan went inside the Restroom.

The restroom of a pub is like the common bedroom of the customers; Kegan moved forward pushing away some glued couples and checked every stall from their bottom. She thudded and pushed every door and suddenly, at the last stall, when she opened the door, the air seemed too light and fresh for a restroom's inside. Kegan's dark eyes lingered in every corner and every nook and cranny, and she suddenly looked at the back window on top of the flushtank and without any hesitation jumped out of the window into the stormy weather.

'Oh fuck… why do I did that for?' she swore loudly but it was covered by the sound of the thunder, and then while she was drenched like a crow, her eyes became large and large by the second.

For the first time in her life, she felt such a strong feeling of fear that it almost overwhelmed her senses. Her breathing almost stopped and she felt that something somewhere is watching her which will make sure she doesn't return to her friends alive. With her strong and resolute mind, Kegan desperately shook that off and somewhere in her minds peeked something which was told by Tess, early in the afternoon.

'Rene…. I've gotta find her….' As she attempted to find her phone in her drenched jumpsuit, her eyes fell on the other side of the road, which could be seen from the back-space of the pub.

A woman was standing there, as far as could Kegan make out the silhouette of her long curtain like black hair in the blinding rain, but despite the rain, she wasn't wet and her hair was winnowing softly as if it was springtime. The most fearful thing about her was her eyes, black and blank which brought back the fear she faced earlier. But this was only for some split second, as the next thing Kegan knew she was gone.

To others it might be a normal thing when it is told, but the fear that grasped Kegan was more than life-like. She was lost and couldn't find a way. She ran for her life from the place and tried to track down Tess and Megumi.

'Key-chan… what's wrong?' Megumi asked, concerned.

'Meow, Tess… we have no time… hurry… we have to find Rene-'

'No need… I am here….' Rene was at the door of the club with a lanky man holding an umbrella over her, 'you said Killua was here….'

'Rene… listen to me… listen to me very closely,' Kegan tried to put her words as rationally as possible as she was freaking out 'I tried to find Killua at the restroom and then I went back to the back door and then there was a woman-'

Rene held out her hand, 'let's just not talk in here… we are being watched'

When they got inside the car, Megumi was already comforting Kegan, and everyone was confused, but as they went inside, Leorio and Kurapika were already in the car.

'Kegan… Megumi and Tess?' Kurapika arched his eyebrows, 'what are they…'

'You all listen clearly,' Rene said 'I didn't want all of you in get involved but I had no choice, you've seen too much. If I let you lose by now, you'll be killed and your body would be hidden in such a way no soul, not even the Hunters will be able to find you…. And that include you too two' Rene looked at Leorio and Kurapika.

'We…. What have we done?' Leorio and Kurapika said in unison, 'I have nothing to do with the missing hunters case…' Leorio said.

'The missing hunters are just feuds; the real target was always one…. ' Rene said, 'and by one I mean it's a two way deal…. There are two options… left or right; either road will take you to goal.'

'Rene… regular people English please!' Kegan said, 'we have seen and heard many weird shit already!'

'Earlier this season, I don't know if you know or not, Killua's sister was kidnapped.' Rene said 'Alluka, in missing hunter case, and I think Killua's brother is behind this! The one who kidnapped all those hunters and Alluka is Illumi Zoldyck.'

'What… Illumi Zoldyck?' Tess asked and everyone looked at her incredulously, 'Killua is related to him?'

'You know Illumi Zoldyck?' Kurapika asked, quite impressed, 'I… My sister Taylor was a Living Organism Hunter and worked and died at Chimera Ant Operation in East Goreneu, she once told me that he is one of the top three assassins in the planet, and she looked dead scared…. My sister was very brave- I can't believe Killua…' her eyes moistened, as Megumi patted her back.

'Anyhow… the point is, Illumi is desperate to uncover Alluka's secret and only Killua knows the trick. He had a bit of a trouble to get what he wanted, so he fished Gon out…. Believe me, the lot like him doesn't run away from their friends… Gon was Manipulated away.' Rene said and cautiously looked at her three friends who are unaware of the existence of Nen.

'Can you substantiate to that?' Kurapika said.

'Megumi….' Rene said. 'I have been watching her for quite a bit, and Illumi played the classic. Gon and Killua fought over her and Illumi took the exact advantage of it. First he took Gon to break Killua's will and Illumi must have contacted him in his most vulnerable moment so that Illumi could do his job and dispose of both of them.'

'Rene-chan, that is quite impossible…. I don't know them for a long time so how can they be-' Megumi said. 'That's the weird part of this whole situation… and that is the gravest mistake he committed, if he waited a little longer to unfold the situation, we would have thought nothing is related… guess he doesn't understand love or how it functions….' Rene started the car.

'Where are we going?' Kegan asked.

'Don't know… I am just following trails' Rene said and handed each one a pink pearl 'keep this with you, it's a concealed communication device' Rene cautiously said, not explaining those were her Queen's Pearl, omnipotent and excellent tracker-cum-analyzer. 'We save Killua today, and we solve the case.'

They drove for three days and three nights, Rene, Leorio and Kurapika took turns, and at one dusk, the trail ended.

'I know this place….' Kegan said 'this is cape Comet' she stopped the car 'beyond that is…'

'Meteor city….' Rene said 'this place is not really a Cape; it's just a cruel concealing device for the dumpster city.' She took out her opera glass and looked beyond, 'all trails end here.'

'I don't like this place…' Tess said.

'You should not like this place…. This is called the garbage city' Kegan said, 'people come here to throw things away…. Radioactive waste, deadbodies, unwanted kids… '

'Alright, Leorio, Kurapika…. You come with me, rest of you stay here' Rene commanded.

'No Rene, we're coming with you!' Kegan said and almost jumped out of the car, but Tess grabbed her sleeve, she looked terrified.

'No…. Key-chan…. We stay.'

Kegan, despite her urges to join Rene, remained in her place.

'Alright Leorio….' Rene instructed the two after going a bit further 'you go to right and Kurapika to the left… contact is anything happens.' She ventured.

While walking she felt her clothes to be uncomfortable, so she took out a couple of greenish-blue pearls from her left pocket and stripping off her old clothes, casted the pearls in the air to create a free-range tank top, a loose pant and a pair of combats. While she was about to walk away, she saw a young girl with barely-there clothes. With a smile, she handed the girl her own clothes and walked away.

After a few moments of walking she felt an odd aura around her. It was suffocating, clingy and sort of, as she felt, sticky…. She cautiously turned back, with a smirk.

'I always thought Illumi won't be working alone…. Two guessed whom?'

With a slight swish, a red haired white dressed jester jumped out of the air.

'My oh my…. Miss Jonson, I am honored that I am meeting you at last' the man bowed gracefully 'the name's Hisoka…'

'Pleasure's all mine!' Rene mockingly smiled 'if you'd be kind to take the gumstring of my body… I hate candies'

'Why, I was merely using the Protection' Hisoka lewdly smiled 'I thought bubblegum was the most appropriate flavor.'

'Not to be a mood-killer but…. Clowns and red-heads are not my type' Rene sarcastically answered walking forward to him 'oh wait! You're both…'

'Alas~ I guess I will arrange something for you then….' Hisoka flipped over Rene's shoulder and grabbed her by her throat from the back. Rene winced but then relaxed in his arms.

'Sadly, this isn't turning me on….' At that spot, with great agility, Rene flipped under Hisoka's arms, kicked him in a hooking fashion and slapping his neck landed at his back. 'You must be pathetic under the sheets….' Rene sarcastically hissed, to which her opponent replied 'I have an ability to come out at unexpected times…..' he threw his cards at Rene whom she dodged and threw some of her pearls at Hisoka, which, instead of hitting him missed him from hair's breath. 'Is that what they call… missing at point blank' Hisoka said, to which Rene did not answer, but they continue to circle each other, like wild beasts of prey.

'Alas…. I would have really liked to play with you, but sadly, Illu-chan is calling me…' Hisoka made a moved to which Rene is pulled towards him, like she was attached to elastic but to Hisoka's surprise, his Bungee Gum came undone in quite an unexpected moment.

'How….'

'Simple Clown…. When you were too busy noticing the pearl bullets that I fired at you, I had already casted a part of my Nen into you…. ' Rene kept dodging at his attacks as he floppily attempted his Elastic movements, but his aura seemed to be malfunctioning. 'Sebum Clavram…. Awesome isn't it…. It created a barrier between you, me and your sticky aura, per se… Oil, as it being the enemy of gum…. ' Rene kept punching him 'Rozoberat….. Enters the body of the enemy and seeps in like a drop of water when he is most excited and blends in with the Hormones…. And like virus in a computer hacks all the informative of the person's Nen.' The table was turning and Rene was topping Hisoka 'Tell me now Jester…. How's that for a magic trick?'

'Best I have ever seen….' Hisoka wiped his mouth and stood up as Rene stopped beating him up, 'and now I assume you want something from me….'

'No, not really…. I have done what I came to do…. Fighting you was only a bonus.'

'How so?' Hisoka was very intrigued.

'By now my pearls had located all the lost human beings, and teamed up with Knov's Black Hole in my highly compact pearls they are safe and sound at Hunter Association' Rene said 'My pearls are like Hounds but it only works at 10 Kilometer radius around me… and as those ladies were simply a decoy, what better place to hide them away from Illumi's original place, in a Meteor city…. The rest, is only family issue…. And he kept you a safekeeper so that I will come hounding after you and so I did.'

'Well done' Hisoka clapped approvingly 'right in all accounts… you are the first analyser I have seen till Kuroro-chan and Kurapika-chan' Hisoka said with sickening smile 'but now what?'

'What is what?' Rene said, her expression frowning.

'Did you spare any thoughts on what happens to Gon-chan and Alluka-chan when you save the rest?'

Rene panicked. It was like one of those booby-traps that makes everything inside the pyramid collapse when you take a single object away from the field. Hisoka and Illumi knew Rene will come for the hunters first, and then go to Killua and the rest, as they can defend themselves and stall time for Rene. She walked right into the trap.

'Oh… and looks like your partners in crimes are caught…' Hisoka took out his smartphone and showed Rene a messege.

Rene was raged beyond her tolerance. She joined her middle finger and the thumb, and at that very instance Hisoka started to vomit blood.

'Liars are so predictable… 'Rene maniacally laughed 'you thought I will leave them without my protection…? You forget that I still have the Rozoberat in you… I have ways to make you talk…' Rene's killing aura became so intense that it made even Hisoka freak out, 'and don't worry… if you think you can call your friend into my location by tracking my aura, you can't…. we are under Queen's Court , a dome made of half-Zetsu that makes our aura insignificant enough to get unnoticed, but not as strong as Zetsu.' Rene pinched her fingers hard and Hisoka vomited more blood 'I know what kind of Sado-Masochist you are… but there are some pains which you cannot enjoy… your body is now mimicking the conjoined pain of a contraction during pregnancy and 100x intensified pains of Endometrioses… the worst pains known to mankind. I kept it as far as real as possible, you know… for authenticity's sake' Rene was bending over as Hisoka was flipping like a fish out of water 'now…. What were you saying? What happens to the rest?'

'Illumi… will…. Kill them... all' Hisoka coughed more blood, and his stomach was sinking in his skeleton with the bloodloss and the pain.

'That much I figured you quim….' Rene coldly said, 'I need details…'

'He had set up a bargain… for Gon, he will have Alluka, for Alluka he will have Gon….' Hisoka was stabilizing because Rene was loosening her fingers, 'that much I know…'

'Thanks…' Rene straightened up and started to walk away, and Hisoka looked at her with admiration, bloody and sweaty.

'Illumi….' Hisoka called him, he was in no-jesting mode; Rene's pain was too much for him.

'Oh, Hisoka… how did she do? Is she dead?' Illumi asked him with a stoic tone.

'No…. she is not… I am sorry, she knows what we are up to' Hisoka hung up on Illumi. For the first time in life, he felt that someone was not to be trifled with. An old fear crept inside of him, which he swore to lock inside him forever.

Tess, Megumi and Kegan were sitting at the border of Cape Comet and Meteor city. The sun was slowly setting which made the bare rudiments of the junkyard city stand out like skeletal sculptures.

'You know Key-chan… my sister often told me stories' Tess mumbled quietly 'she often talked about what she will do next when she came home after a mission… but in her last, instead of her, a letter came, with a message: 'Most regretfully we inform you that Hunter Taylor Reese Bennet has been martyred in the Chimera Ant Operation', mom doesn't know that I still have that letter." Tess hung her head.

"She was kind, your mom…" Megumi quietly said "to let me stay with you, when my mom and dad died in the Chimera ant attack."

"Is that what was about?" Kegan asked, "I often thought how you guys met!"

"I was dying in the rescue shelter and Tess' sister came to save me…" Megumi said "My mom and dad were eaten alive, dad hid me inside a cake oven, and I was dying after seven days, Taylor-san was nice… that's the last thing she did to me, she brought me in her home, gave me foods, and Mrs. Bennet let me stay in her house" Megumi said sadly "I was coming at the York Shin first place to reopen dad's bakery, I sort of asked Tess-chan to follow me" Megumi said, "Tess-chan was always there, always when I needed her."

The last words of Megumi started to echo in the mind of Tess, the voice magnified and became almost supersonic, as if someone was screaming for help, and Tess could hear the person inside her head. The voice was so loud that Tess thought her head would burst open.

'Tess… are you okay?' Kegan tried to grab Tess' shoulders, to which Tess reacted, 'No… I'm fine… ' she raised her head, 'terrible headaches-' but that white-hot pain pierced her brain again, 'ugh…'

What the girls had missed though was the subtle changes that was appearing at Megumi's face. Her tenderness and glow slowly disappeared and a muffled gurgling noise came out of her throat. Before Kegan's caring hand could lie upon her shoulder she shook Kegan's hand off and punched her way out of the car window and jumped on the ground. Kegan and Tess got immediately out of the car, and Megumi was standing outside, with her head hung over her chest.

'Meow?' Tess slowly approached her, but Kegan was beyond scared.

'DON'T TOUCH ME….' Megumi screamed in a voice which was much heavier and coarse sounding. She lifted her head and it was horrifying. Her eyes were bloodshot and coming out of the socket, her face was twisted in a psychotic way, and nothing about it was pretty, which set Tess and Kegan flying backwards. Tess's back hit it the car and she fell, while Kegan landed on her knees.

'WHERE IS RENE JONSON?' she asked with the same scary voice, Kegan weakly pointed at the meteor city, and she ran in the speed of light without sparing another word.

Kegan hastily staggered in the car, hastily pulling out her phone and with shaking hands she dialed a number, Rene's.

'Rene… it's me… Megumi is gone crazy, she punched out of the car, screamed like a possessed person and asked for you… I think that assassin psycho did something to her… she is coming after you… hurry…' and she collapsed outside on the ground.

Meanwhile, Tess got her senses back. She was standing up and limping towards the other side of the car, and she helped Kegan up. 'Key-chan… can you start the car?'

'We are not going after her… no; Rene can handle this shit…' Kegan said with panic all over her face 'this is crazy… this is shitting bricks… I am not-'

'Key-chan…' Tess said firmly 'If you don't follow her, I will…. And I will do it with my one hand, even if it kills me…. I can't leave her like that! I can't ever leave her-' Tess started to cry 'I was with her when she was infected and dying… ' Tess staggered and climbed inside the car, and Kegan looked at her helplessly.

'It's not that I don't want to follow her…. You just don't know what they can do to you… but if you think of her beyond your death, then who am I to stop you… because I am coming with you' Kegan thought and pushed Tess away from the seat.

'I am driving…' Kegan said.

'Of course you are. Fly us to Megu!' Tess demanded.

…

The darkness brightened with some blurred figures, when Gon opened his eyes, for a moment he thought he was airborne, but he realized that he was hanging from the ceiling with his hands tied in some chains. Gon couldn't realized whether he was been drugged, but he felt very tired and drained. He tried to look up and he realized the cause of his energy drainage. He was hung by Nen-infused chains, which drained his energies away. He tried to look around, and it reminded him one of those warehouses the Spiders captured him and Killua.

Killua…. The last time he fought with him, and got himself away from him, he tried to apologise to him, but the next moment it got blank-

'Killua…. KILLUA…. DOKO NI IRU (where are you)' Gon screamed, 'KILLUA… KILLUA….'

'Iranai yo…. Dare mo, iranai yo' (no one is here) a small female voice said from the side, Gon looked at the speaker, and it was Alluka, weak, and hanging, just like him 'Onii-chan isn't here… I tried to call him…'

'Alluka-chan… nande? Nanade koko ni iru no?' (Why are you here?) Gon asked increduled, 'I thought you were kidnapped-'

'The one who kidnapped us is Illumi-nii-san… he kidnapped everyone… ' Alluka mumbled weakly.

'Why?' Gon asked.

'To pay the price…' a emotionless voice flowed towards them. Illumi was approaching them with wax-like face twisted with undetectable madness. 'Alluka's wish making comes at a price, surely Killu told you that much… ' he slowly walked towards them 'of course I wanted to do that in discretion, but, that would be too mainstream… so I threw Hunter commission off the hook and-' he dragged a very wounded Killua in front of him.

'KILLUA…'

'ONII-CHAN!'

'Gon… Alluka… you're okay!' Killua managed to whisper, 'ILLUMI YOU BASTARD… LET THEM GO…'

'tsk, tsk, tsk' Illumi clicked his tongue 'Killu…. Your language is quite fouled during your staying out… manners, manners! A Zoldyck gentleman never talks base….' Illumi mocked.

'Let them Go… I say, let them go….' Killua growled 'Illumi…. DON'T HURT THEM…'

'Alas… you'll have to choose only one… ' Illumi murderously said.

Suddenly with a thud, a seemingly door give in with loud thundering sound. A lean silhouette stood proudly like a hero in the old-fashioned superhero movies. It moved slowly towards Illumi with two other people at the background.

'Leorio… Kurapika…' Killua and Gon screamed joyously.

'This is getting very clichéd after a few times, but still' a female voice called and stepped into the reminiscence light in the room, coming from outside, 'you have to let go all of them… no charges.'

'Rene Jonson… the extraordinary lady who defeated Hisoka…' Illumi said 'but I suggest you step back, this is a family business… and you are butting in-' Illumi raised a hand towards Rene, intending to manipulate her. Before Illumi could finish, a detached punch made him fly in the air, and during it, Killua broke free. Startled, Rene saw, Leorio stood there, anger boiling on his very skin; he looked like as if he could murder Illumi.

'You touch her… I will kill you….' He rasped.

Taking this chance Rene lunged herself at Gon and Alluka, trying to undo the chains, but it was in a complex lock. With a lot of tries, she couldn't undo it. 'Dammit… it's a Spirit Chain… it will only be unlocked when it drains all the energies of the captives…' Rene looked at Alluka and then Kurapika, who was now fighting Illumi alongside Leorio and Killua. She discreetly picked up one of her pink pearls, and placed it in her ears, where it automatically fitted as a pearl stud.

'Kurapika… do not react …. Can you manage Chain Jail?' Rene asked, while Kurapika, Leorio and Killua was tackling Illumi fiercly. Under Illumi's arm, Kurapika exclaimed 'how did you know-' to which Rene sarcastically replied 'your work in the 37th auction wasn't that discreet… but answer me, can you?' Kurapika muffled from under Illumi's fist 'I am a little busy right now Rene, if you'll excuse me…. And no… not on him!'

'Oh thou vast hell…' Rene sat down, and looked at Gon with unapologetic sassiness and determination, 'what? Don't look at me like that! Kurapika said not to!' Gon whined, while he hanged like a pendulum.

'I need names Freecs or we are all going to die!' Rene said.

'Ugh….' Gon said reluctantly, 'fine come here….!'

While Gon whispered in Rene's ears, the fight continued. The three weren't nearly as good as Illumi, but when Rene knew the entire thing, she made a blowpipe movement with a purple caviar-pearl, which hit directly at Kurapika's head.

'Kurapika… I have activated a virus in your systems which will temporarily reset your condition and detach your nen from your contracts… for this time only; you can activate your Nen and use your chain jail… '

With an instant, Kurapika's chain jail uncoiled from his arm and wrapped itself around Illumi which immediately stopped his flow of Nen. 'What is this contraption?' Illumi scarely answered. 'That's none of your concern… ' Rene threatened him 'release Gon Freecs and Alluka Zoldyck…'

Illumi, quite unceremoniously gave a maniacal laugh, which send chills to everyone's spine; 'did you honestly thought that I would surrender that easily…' quite instantly with a loud thud from above and some flying chunks of ceiling, another figure manages a superhero landing.

'ugh…. UGH!' Leorio exasperatedly exclaimed, 'no more supermen shit today… I AM DONE….'

'See… I told you…' Illumi said,

'We heard you at the first time, so you can shut up now!' Killua sardonically retorted and went to the figure, it was Megumi.

Megumi was not in her usual self. Her head was lulling at one side, and saliva was running out of her open mouth. Killua, beyond any doubt, knew she was pinned by Illumi. But there was something very wrong about her. Illumi usually pins a civilian for his non-physical purpose, but there was something so sinister in her, that made him shrink. He went to her, cautiously….

'Megumi-san? are you-'

To his reply, Megumi landed him a punch so powerful, Killua was flown back at the other side of the room, Killua felt like the time, when he was fighting Palm in the Ant-king's palace. Such a powerful punch can only be landed by a nen-master; but Killua was sure, she wasn't a registered hunter.

'What's going on?' Leorio fretted, 'why Himekawa-san is punching Killua all of a sudden?'

'Oh God….' Kurapika intervened, 'Megumi-san, stop it-'

Megumi couldn't care less, she was punching everyone … and with every punch, everyone was growing a little weaker minute by minute, but nobody could imagine what was going on. Illumi and Hisoka, using this apt diversion, ran away conveniently, which did not suit them at all. Urgently Killua gestured Rene 'we have to get it out this instance, and figure out what is within her that is causing this much berserk…' Rene scouted him from her position, still struggling with Gon and Alluka.

'Killua…' Rene slowly said, 'you said only the Pin can cause it right?' 'That's the general idea…' Killua was facing Megumi head on, while Gon looked at them helpless and Alluka, who was graying swiftly with all her energy drain, 'could it be… the pin is the key to their lock?' Killua mumbled slowly.

'Could be, but guessing Illumi's repertoire this seems too easy' Rene says, 'there must be some catch behind this.' and they did not know where the two of them went, everything was just too conspicuous. 'Killua… you, you keep fending her okay… buy me some time-' Rene hesitated fearfully, 'Unfortunately,' Killua, Leorio and Kurapika were all thrown in the sides by this vicious version of Megumi 'I cannot… and that makes three of us' Killua exasperatingly said, 'she is draining our Nen, and we cannot hold it very long…'

It was true that Killua, Leorio and Kurapika were cornered beyond helplessness. Gon and Alluka struggled with Rene, and Megumi was approaching faster towards them. The Spirit chain grew worse with every minute since Megumi's arrival, and Rene was sure now that the pin planted in Megumi's head drained the nen from the guys and strengthened the lock of the chain—this was nothing like anything Rene saw in her ten years of Hunting career.

The desperation pushed her to the ultimate, no matter what; it is only she, who can now disarm her: her Nen was still strong and she could cajole her to buy enough space to pull out the pin.

'Megumi…'

The cold green orbs sharply looked at her, shadowed with violence and intensity of hatred. This was not Megumi Himakawa Rene knew. She also knew that fist-fight will only make things worse, so she called out her in a diplomatic way, 'Megumi… listen to me, alright' Rene said calmly, throwing her hands up on the air in an surrendering manner, 'we'll not gonna hurt you okay… '

At her voice, from the cold fathom eyes, the old Megumi peeked through…

'Rene…'

'We can help you, so please… ' Rene implored, 'no more fighting… okay.' She defensively walked towards her, 'you are being controlled, by Killua's brother… to finish us, to finish off them, and… Killua-san…' Rene softly grazed her own ears, and covertly tapped her index-finger with her thumb, as if she was sending morse-codes, 'you have to stop and tell us… do you feel anything in the head?'

'Yes… yes, it's horrible' Megumi whimpered, 'a set of vacant black eyes… and, he tells, TO FINISH OFF WITH RENE JONSON' the killing spree again returned again in Megumi, as she lunged towards her with a inhuman force,

'NOW LEORIO….' Rene screamed, and without any hesitation, a disjoined hand appeared near Megumi's face and dug deep into her forehead, and plucked the pin with great difficulty. The effect was obvious: Megumi lost her consciousness and the rest were freed. Gon and Alluka hugged Killua once again, and the reunion was But Kurapika looked terrified. 'Uh Leorio…' Kurapika pointed out, 'what is that ticking sounds coming from it…'

'What the-' Leorio looked at it and then at everyone's faces, and then witlessly gave a laugh before resuming into a helpless state 'oh crap…'

'HIDE'

Rene's scream was heard above everything else as Leorio threw the pin with her warped fist, but not far enough to be saved entirely from the collateral effect of the blast, the entire place was reduced into rumbles, the building collapsed over them with the effect of the Nen induced blast; Gon and Killua sheltered the helpless two, Rene, Leorio and Kurapika threw themselves away from the blast, only to end up under the grave of rubble that concealed from the world their life-force.

Hi guys, it's been too long, I don't know if you are reading it or not, believe me, I spend two years to figure out how to continue with the story: it was hard job, really… but with the Dark Continent manga released and Election arc completed, I finally knew what to do. Trying to keep things as logical as possible, because I felt sometimes that the story was going nowhere. I wanna break them down to explore all eight characters in a way (excuse my attitude) what Togashi-sensei would have done. Meanwhile, will keep everything sane. Bear with me: this won't be like anything I have ever done.

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