Hello there!

Sorry for taking longer than usual to post this chapter. I just have been very busy lately and didn't have much time to write this week... -.-

Anyway, here it is. ;)

Thank you winddemon199, Razorblade Mistress, twisteddestiny, UsagiTsukin0, Luscinia Evan, AnimeLover3232, hollyfifty, Jolly88404, sousie and Guest for reviewing to the last chapter! I was very happy to read that you all enjoyed it that much! :D

I just hope I manage to keep Illumi IC throughout the rest of the story as well. XP

Bleach hadn't slept at all during the night and yet, when the sun began to rise, she was stalking her way to the assassin's bedroom with a wide smile on her face.

She thought a lot last night about what Illumi had done to her and came to the conclusion that she really shouldn't him get to her as Cressar did. Because, in the end, she had done nothing wrong, nothing that should earn shame and self-disgust. The guilty belonged to Illumi alone for exploring her situation of dependence in him like that. He was the disgusting one, not her.

She also realized that she didn't need to fear him making more advances on her. It was obvious that last night was nothing more than the assassin's sick and primitive attempt of affirming his dominance over her. He felt no attraction to her whatsoever and she would NOT give him the opportunity to force her into the submissive role once again.

With that in mind, Bleach forced a cocky smirk on her face and laid her hand on the doorknob of the assassin's bedroom.

To say that Illumi didn't expect Bleach to search for him on the following morning would be very inaccurate. He knew the girl would come to him to ask for his help in opening that door of hers. As such, the man slept with an eye open, expecting – anticipating - to hear her soft footsteps in the hallway. To feel her standing there, in front of his door, hesitating to knock on the wood. To smell the damage and disgust radiating from her as she tried to pretend that nothing happened last night. To see her insecurity as she desperately avoided any sort of eye contact with him

What he didn't expect was for her to use that demonic stealth of hers to practically materialize by his bedside at wee hours in the morning, slamming two metal pot lids with gusto, as if she was playing the fucking cymbals.

Reflexes enhanced by years of arduous training had the assassin jumping at the intruder's throat in less than a millisecond after the loud and obnoxious sound was made, claws ready to slice through skin. However, instead of meeting the soft flesh of the intruder's neck, Illumi's hand hit what seemed to be a hardy wall of a translucent orange colour.

Heartbeat returning to its regular slow pace, Illumi regarded the smirking figure on the other side of the strange wall, using every ounce of will power and experience of keeping his emotionless mask not to show the girl how annoyed and, in all honesty, shocked he was to see her there.

"Rise and fucking shine!" Bleach yelled at the top of her lungs and slammed the lids together once again. "It's morning already!"

"What do you think you're doing?" The assassin demanded in a bored voice.

Bleach widened her smirk and gave herself a mental slap in the back. Despite of the emotionless and unimpressed look on Illumi's face, she knew she had caught him by surprise with her wake-up call from the way he jumped to kill her. And she knew - from experience - that being awaken like that was more than enough to anger anyone with a pulse, no matter how stoic the person looked.

"It's morning already." The girl explained, never once moving her eyes from Illumi's. "You remember what you said last night, right after you finished fucking me, don't you? We'll open that Sealed Room of yours first thing in the morning. Well! The sun has just begun to rise, so it's technically morning already! Let's go!"

With that, the she turned around as something seemed to disappear from the inside of the pocket of her coat and the orange-ish wall was no more. Without a word, Illumi grabbed his coat and followed her out of the room, all the while thinking of ways to make her pay for actually being able to sneak up on him like that.

Strangely, mixed with the annoyance Illumi felt towards the girl in front of him, was a small amount of respect. Being asleep or not, the fact that she had managed to sneak up on him like that was no small feat and deserved praise from the assassin; the thief's stealth was one of the best he had ever seen. Also, the way she was dealing with what happened last night left no room to argue about her mental resilience. Illumi knew that what he had done to her was not that different from rape and yet, despite the self-loathing and hate she had felt during the act, she was now parading around the palace with her head held-high. She wasn't making excuses or denying the occurrence and, most of all, she was looking him straight in the eye with no fear whatsoever.

Sure, the fact that she had prostituted herself in the past could've helped the girl to develop a harder shell than most women when it came to dealing with the after-matches of being obligated to give her body to man she didn't desire - or even like for that matter. But her acceptance of the situation was simply… unnatural.

Suddenly, Illumi felt something rise in his chest. An almost irrational urge to twinkle with the gir- with the woman walking in front of him, until he had dissected all of her. Until he found out exactly what made her tick. And then, after he understood her better than she did herself, he'd finally be able to bend her to his will.

Having the woman wrapped around his little finger was something he had planned since the beginning. After all, she was one of Killu's "friends" and any source of information about his adorable little brother would be more than appreciated. What the assassin didn't plan was for the woman to behave so unconventionally and be so resistant to his mental torture. He had intended to break her and pick up the pieces later, to make her completely dependant on him, but now... he didn't thing that was the best approach anymore. He would have to develop another plan.

But it didn't matter. In the end, no one was immune to his Manipulation. Not Killu and definitely-

-not her.

In the dark basement, Bleach and Illumi stood in front of the double doors of the Sealed Room.

"All you have to do is use Ren to concentrate some Aura in your hand and put it in this door's symbol at the exact same moment I do on the other door." Bleach explained, laying her hand on the right spot to illustrate the action. "There are some words in a strange language to be said as well, but I'll handle that on my own."

"That sounds a little too simple." Illumi said, taking a step closer to the woman, who had her back turned to him, and lowering his torso so his lips were by her ear. "Isn't there anything else you wish me to do for you?"

Inside, the assassin scowled at the fact that the woman in front of him didn't as much as flinch from his close proximity. Instead, she turned around with an unimpressed expression on her face that told him she knew exactly what he was playing at and that she was not falling for it. Then, suddenly, something challenging shone in her eyes and she puffed out her chest as a smirk stretched on her lips; a teasing smirk that had the assassin raising a curious eyebrow at what she'd do. For all the time he had spent with her, it was the first time Illumi saw the woman behaving so… seductively towards him. It was a bit unsettling, but not unpleasant.

Dark eyes locked on a set of white teeth biting gently on a plump lower lip.

Not unpleasant at all.

Slowly, the woman reached up to the inside of his coat's collar, where some of his needles were pinned to the fabric, and grabbed the round end of one of them with her thumb and index finger; her knuckles grazing the assassin's neck teasingly. Illumi's hand closed around her wrist just as she started to pull the needle out.

"What are you doing?" He asked in a childishly curious.

"Let me borrow one of your needles just for a couple of seconds? Please?" The woman purred, raising to her tip-toes so she could breathe out in his ear. "I promise I'll behave. Master."

Illumi's grip on the woman's wrist grew tighter, as did something else.

"I won't ask again. What are you doing?"

Dropping her act, the woman retreated and rolled her eyes in annoyance. "Fuck, man. Must you always be a control freak?"

"Yes. Now explain what your intentions are." The assassin spoke matter-of-factly, a little disappointed by the woman returning to her usual, non-seductive and annoying self.

"It's to open the doors." She explained with a scowl on her face, pulling her hand free. "We need to touch the symbols with Castere blood on our hands. I was just going to use one of your needles to pierce my skin a little and smear some of my blood on our hands. Nothing big. And before you ask, no, I have no fucking diseases that you should worry about. And yes, this information comes from actual blood-tests."

"That's nice, but this was not what I meant." Illumi responded, crossing his arms over his chest, appearing completely bored.

That had Bleach's teasing smirk returning to her face. "Oh? What did you mean, then?"

"You know." The assassin answered, before tilting his head to the side in a seeming curious fashion. "Or did I fuck you so hard that you hit your head on the couch's armrest last night and are now suffering of memory loss? I thought you were more resilient than that, pretty whore."

Bleach's contacts covered eyes darkened with anger, but she refused to explode at the assassin. This was what he wanted after all: to get under her skin and manipulate her in feeling what he wanted her to feel. So, instead of giving the man a piece of her mind as she wanted to, she forced an acid smirk on her lips and raised a challenging eyebrow at him.

"Do you call that hard-fucking? Please, if it wasn't for you demanding me to keep my eyes open I'd have slept through it and not even felt you inside me." The woman then lowered her eyes to Illumi's crotch shamelessly. "I didn't really pay attention last night, but I guess you don't have much to show below the belt, huh?"

"What I have to show is more than enough. Maybe it is you who is a little over-used?"

"Tsk. I didn't hear any fucking complaints last night. As a matter of fact, from the way your body shivered and twitched at the end, it seemed to me that you came hard and good in my over-used body." The woman answered, smirk growing more acid by the second. "Poor little me, on the other hand… I didn't even get wet. Good thing we have a village nearby full of real men willing to satisfy a frustrated woman."

Though appearing to be extremely bored by the (pointless) conversation, Illumi was thoroughly amused by the woman's retorts. Such a vulgar woman.

"You felt what I wanted you to feel: self-disgust, anger and emptiness. All very fitting to a piece of trash such as yourself."

Bleach scoffed at hearing the assassin's low blow as if his words meant nothing to her, but, on the inside, she felt her self-confidence crumble as the words hit too close to home for comfort. She had to think of Ging and Gon, of Killua, of Elmsy, of Leorio and Kurapika, of Zushi and Wing, of Ubo, Paku, Nobu, Kuroro, and everyone else in Meteor City. The woman had to think hard in everyone that meant something to her because she knew she meant something for them as well, and that made her feel as if she wasn't worthless. As if she was more than a weak and thieving whore that had to depend on Ging to live.

"Whatever. You still owe this piece of trash a favour, so shut the fuck up and give me one of your needles so we can open this fucking door and get this shit over with."

For some seconds, Illumi didn't move and just stared at the hand raised in front of him, demanding to be given a needle. Slowly, his eyes moved up to the woman's and he felt sparks of sensation go straight to his groin. Yes, their appealing rainbow colour was hidden by those dull, brown contacts that she always wore, but they were still a transparent pool of emotions to him. No matter how well the thief played the confident part, her eyes showed him how hard his words truly hit her and how bad they made her feel. He knew that all she wanted to do at the moment was turn away from him and pretend they had never met.

Yet, she stood her ground and her eyes kept glaring hatefully at his, challenging.

Not daring to avert his gaze, Illumi raised his hand and retrieved a needle from his coat's collar. He then stretched his hand in the woman's direction, offering her the needle's round, yellow end.

At the moment the woman moved to grab the needle, Illumi used his free hand to grab her wrist and spin her around, crushing her back to his front and securing her in place with his arm encircling her torso, from her left shoulder to her right hip.

Bleach's eyes widened when she felt the beginning of a hard-on pressing on the small of her back.

"The fuck do y-?!"

"Raise your hand." Illumi cut in in a monotone voice as he raised the needle to the woman's eye-level. "I'll show you how it's done."

"No. I can do it myself."

"Have you ever used this kind of needle before?"

"I have never used any kind of needle before, you fucking creep." The woman spat. "Now let me go. I'm not letting you fucking hurt me."

"On the contrary. I'm trying to keep you from pain." The assassin spoke, laying his chin on the top of Bleach's head. "With my skill and knowledge of human anatomy, I can prickle your skin just enough for the necessary amount of blood to come out without you feeling anything."

"I don't fucking care." She growled out. "I don't want you fucking probing me!"

"I've already probed you so much last night, what's the harm of allowing me to do so a little more?"

"I'm serious, you piece of shit! Let me go!"

Ignoring the pressing of the assassin's arousal to her back, Bleach started to wiggle and shove at the man behind her, trying to release herself from his hold. And the motherfucker didn't bulge! The fuck is this guy made of?!

Smirking inside, Illumi let go of the woman, allowing her to tumble forward and away from him before whipping her head around to give him a hateful glare. The assassin didn't say anything and just threw the needle to the floor, lodging it in front of her feet.

Though not showing it, Illumi watched with sadistic satisfaction as the woman bent down to pick up the needled, never moving her suspicious eyes from him. For a moment, her eyes flickered down to his crotch, glaring at it accusingly and scowling in disgust, something that only amused the assassin further.

"Have you no shame? Parading that hard-on around like that?"

The man dropped his head to the side, hiding the amusement he was feeling at the woman's words. His slight arousal was not even showing through his pants. Still, he couldn't help but tease.

"Are you offering to take care of it for me?"

"Fuck no."

"Then don't complain."

"Pervert."

Silently, the assassin observed the woman press the needle's sharp end to her left palm and draw blood. She was holding the weapon so wrongly it made him cringe internally, but he let it go without commenting on it. The harsh way the woman was biting her lower lip and the dilatation of the pupils of her eyes as she felt the sting of the needle was far more worthy of his attention.

He couldn't deny: it was truly curious how that woman managed to get a physical reaction from him so fast.

She was pretty, but not nearly as gorgeous as the women the assassin occasionally took to his bed and, even if she was that beautiful, Illumi wasn't one to be driven by simple lust. Whenever he took a lover for the night, it was because he had something to gain from it or simply to relieve stress. He had never set his eyes on a specific woman and said "I want her." His partners, as gorgeous as they were, were the simple result of the occasion.

Was this attraction a result of the fact that she was the only one who managed to overcome his Manipulation Nen? No. If that was the case, he'd been wanting to kill her, not fuck her. Again.

Her eyes, maybe? Indeed. Those eyes were, without doubt, the most appealing physical attribute in her, making him twitch with excitement at the prospect of making they shine with the basest sensations a person could feel; the prospect knowing he was the one making her feel whatever he wanted her to feel. Still, no matter how mesmerizing those eyes were, they were not enough to make him feel such a strong attraction.

Just what was it that made him want her so?

"Hey! Asshole!" Illumi blinked as the object of his musings settled her narrowed eyes on him and raised a bloodied palm to him. "Give me your fucking hand."

Despite issuing the order, the woman didn't wait for him to raise the limb in her direction and grabbed his hand roughly, smearing her blood all over it.

Ah, that's it.

It was her attitude. The way she held herself above all of the bad things that happened to her – and, judging by the ugly scars he saw on her back during their little tryst, they were quite bad – and kept walking. She took any kind of shit he threw at her in stride and threw it back at him with more fervour, all the while wearing that mocking smirk of hers. She didn't let the people and things around her decide her fate. She was sturdy and strong. Just like Killu.

As the woman gave her back to the assassin, a wide and frighteningly sadistic smile stretched on his lips.

Illumi just couldn't wait to break her down.

The large double doors of the Sealed Room scratched roughly at the floor as they opened, making Bleach cringe at the horrible sound. She didn't have much time to wallow in that annoying sound though, for, as soon as the doors were open, an intense wave of murderous Nen flew out of the room, making her let out a gasp of agony before her body automatically adjusted its Ren to defend itself.

"What was that?"

Eyes wide, Bleach turned her head to Illumi, who was holding the other door and staring at her with eyes that, was the man a little bit less apathic, would be glaring at her in accusation.

"Nothing for you to worry about." Bleach answered, narrowing her eyes. "Just hold the doors open; I'm going in."

Without allowing the assassin time to protest, the woman let go of the door she was holding and marched into the room. She felt the air around her grow heavier and a small feeling of claustrophobia grew into her. Without thinking, she turned her head to look over her shoulder and couldn't help but feel somewhat reassured at seeing Illumi there, holding the heavy double doors effortlessly.

The assassin dropped his head to the side innocently. "Miss me already?"

Bleach rolled her eyes and turned her head back to stare forward. The room was completely dark and full of dust and spider-webs. Right in front of her, hanging on the wall, there was a long scythe that, due to the darkness in the room, seemed to be completely black. On the right side of the side, there was a small display case, in which she could see two bracelets of what seemed to be a very dark green colour. On the scythe's left side, there was a pedestal holding a staff; its shaft was of a yellow colour and raised in a twisted pattern, ending in a root-like shape that held a black stone. It was not longer than 130cm.

"Eeny, meeny, miny, mo. Catch a tiger by the toe." Bleach sang in a playful voice pointing at each of the weapons clock-wise. "If he hollers, let him go-"

"You can't be serious."

Bleach smirked. Illumi's voice sounded almost exasperated – well, not really, but a woman can dream.

"-Eeny, meeny, miny, mo." The thief finished, pointing to the staff. "Iaro, I choose you!"

Smiling, Bleach sauntered off to the staff. For a moment, she stood there, just staring at it with hesitant eyes. Finally she sighed.

"Illumi?" Bleach called.

"Yes?"

"Whatever happens in here, don't you fucking move from your spot. You can't let these doors close."

"Why wou-"

Before she could hear the rest of the assassin's sentence, Bleach shot her right hand forward and grabbed the staff. Painful shockwaves ran up and down her body and she felt like screaming, but no sound came out.

Illumi watched the woman fall to the ground convulsing violently. Her eyes were bugging out, a foaming saliva was pouring out from her mouth and, from the smell, the assassin knew she had soiled herself. There was no denying his surprise at the scene developing in front of him. In all honesty, he wanted to march into the room and remove the staff from his client's hand immediately, before the electricity damaged that potentially useful – and amusing - brain of hers, but he kept himself in place. His job was to keep the door open after all.

Still, his fingers reached for some of his needles. Three minutes. If the woman didn't stop convulsing in three minutes, he'd use his Manipulation to bring her to him and snatch that dammed staff from her hands.

Three minutes.

Starting now.

Well, hope you don't hate me for this cliffhanger... =.=

As before, please tell me what you think about the chapter, Illumi's characterization and whatever you want. ;D

Kisses,

RedVoid