Coincidence and Design: Predator and Prey

November 7th

Nemmi frantically used En in a second burst. The bug-bastard had been a block behind her, chasing after her again through the streets of Devana. If the crowd of people taking part in this forsaken festival didn't already make it difficult enough to keep track of Virgil…

"Shit," she hissed under her breath as Nemmi landed on her shoulder to confirm her fears. He let out a panicked shriek for emphasis on how fucked they probably were. Virgil had vanished, from sight and En. Damn bastard! He still had four hours before his ability wore off; Scent Trail, he called it, because the chatty guy answered just about anything as long as it was frivolous.

His talk of this being his last chance before Sybil arrived, it hadn't been a lie. The unseasonably inclement weather cleared enough for the witch to join the locust in plaguing her unfortunate existence.

Did she dare pour more Nen into Nemmi to increase his search range? Virgil would sense it with how close he managed to sneak up to her. (Bastard had waited until she was in a sea of people, his wasp brigade not out to incense the crowd, his Nen not flared in warning. He got close, a fucking hat, scarf, and oversized coat disguising him enough that Nemmi didn't immediately notice him while not using En- which would have given Virgil her general location because of this aura sensing nonsense in the Fan Shi.)

"Just keep an eye out for him," she finally settled on, stepping around a group of idiots standing in the middle of the damned street. Nemmi chirped reluctantly before taking off again.

Lan kept running, no other plan than get away and hide until his ability expired. Her legs already felt heavy, her eyelids protesting staying open. She didn't remember the last time she had slept more than two hours.

Aura crawled up her spine like a trail of biting ants. En. Close by. Really close by. Nemmi sent out his aura, finding nothing. No Virgil, so where did-

Her foot caught the edge of an uneven manhole cover. Before she face-planted on asphalt, she stuck her arms out, using momentum to flip back upright a short distance away. Metal struck the back of her skull, making her vision swim with added confusion. The manhole cover danced at her feet, spinning before it could fall flat with a clatter.

The second her sleep-deadened reaction time figured out that she needed to turn around, block another hit despite the world spinning around her, she heard them. Virgil hoisted himself out of the sewer as stingers sank into her skin. Arri sliced them apart the moment following, but she had a dozen stings to the legs and back already. Nemmi slammed into Virgil, knocking him back into the sewer he'd crawled out of.

Lan ran the opposite direction since she didn't immediately collapse in a paralyzed pile. A second wave of hell-spawned wasps chased after her. Nemmi cut down as many as he could in a final ditch effort to keep her from capture.

In just a few minutes, her muscles progressively felt tighter and tighter, choking her hopes as surely as a smoke-filled room. Soon, she would be immobilized entirely.

If she could somehow manage to get away and avoid him, she could at least hide. She could see if the venom wore off, call in reinforcements in the meantime. Because she was ready to call Morel and Knuckle back now- the number of missed calls from those two, they even had Shoot trying now. She needed help, and, you know what, if they were willing to risk their lives for her after reading about the Paijin, after getting a hint of what she was involved in outside of hunting, it was their own fault. She couldn't save them from stupidity. Although, that was a lie she kept repeating to herself to convince herself to not call Hisoka again to plead with him. He hadn't even bothered answering the last two calls… Even responding to texts was too much of a bother for him.

Hell, she'd even hand herself over to Chrollo if it kept her from Virgil.

But this was probably it.

Virgil would catch her and bring her to the Fan Shi. The years of avoidance, of fleeing from even the idea of the Fan Shi, of training to get stronger, and a few bugs sealed her fate. They wouldn't let her live after getting the item. Her father said they would skin her alive, slit her throat open in remembrance of Fanghe, slowly break and tear her apart piece by piece, because she was Paijin. Once Father… the Fan Shi had the item, she'd be useless. And useless things, useless things were cast aside. That's what he told her again and again as a threat, as a promise. Her value hinged on the item. The moment it was found, she… she wouldn't matter. She'd be… be just another pest to kill.

She whipped around a corner, promptly colliding with some other unfortunate soul's chest. Before she fell down on top of them, had to pick her stiff body off the ground to waste even more precious time, she grabbed their shirt to steady them both. A half-step back, her fingers still tightly clutching black fabric, she glanced up, meeting strikingly, unsettlingly familiar grey eyes.

Her brain ceased functioning.

The man looked like an angel right now. A slightly surprised angel dressed entirely in black, but still, he offered her salvation. The universe had certainly provided her a beautiful birthday present to make up for all her bad luck.

So momentarily and oddly excited to crash into Chrollo Lucilfer of all people, she stared at him dumbly with her hands balled into his shirt, coherent thoughts non-existent. He regarded her without comment, the tiny surprise in his expression fading quickly. At the sound of screams down the street, with the hum of giant wasps fast approaching, he caught onto the situation despite her dumbstruck silence. By the time he physically threatened to pry her hands off his shirt, she released her vice-grip, ready to step aside and let him take care of her problems like the gentleman he pretended to be.

Instead, he grabbed her wrist to make it very clear she needed to follow him. As soon as she had the sense to follow him like a proper adult and not an aimless child, he dropped her arm, leading her through a series of alleys and streets, looking for something.

Unfortunately for him, she eventually remembered how to talk. "Why are we running away?" Obviously, he should just kill Virgil and return to keeping her his hostage to use against the Fan Shi. He had promised! "Look, I'll cooperate now, so just…" Take care of my issues. Please? Her face scrunched a bit now that she realized his appearance did put her right back in the position she was in in Yorknew. But, nope, she'd take him over Virgil toting her back to the Fan Shi.

"I can't use Nen."

And, with that brick to the face, her expression went from hopeful to offended. "Wha… What do you mean you can't use Nen!?" she almost hissed, her voice rising to a squeak instead. How was he supposed to save her if he couldn't use Nen? No wonder Hisoka decided not to fight him!

"It's a curse." The vague, short response should have shown her that he either didn't want to talk about it, or that now wasn't exactly the right time for a pleasant conversation on how he managed to get a curse laid on him- because his word choice didn't quite seem like a joke. Too bad she couldn't let it go so easily after he crushed her latest plan in one deadpan sentence. (Damn he could act, saying it so matter-of-factly. He had to be angry about it. She would be positively livid if someone sealed her Nen. Hell, she was currently upset on his behalf.)

"And the Spiders? Are they nearby?" Surely, even Chrollo wouldn't travel alone while without Nen. An enemy of some sort had to brea- She refused to start talking like Hisoka, even mentally! But, seriously, who managed to put a curse on him? Oh, she had some select words for them right now… She took back any gratefulness she aimed at the universe too, since his appearance ended up being a cruel, if bizarre, prank.

His lack of response was telling. Maybe. He might just want her to shut up and focus on running as they passed through another crowded street. Shouts followed in their wake as the wasps kept on their trail. Finally, the next alley let out onto a side street not in use for this absurd festival.

Chrollo suddenly stopped next to a car. "Cut the glass and unlock the doors," he ordered, glancing over his shoulder to watch for wasps. She hesitated a moment because it had been an order. He had a plan at least, unlike her.

With narrowed eyes, she called Arri over a single finger to obediently slice a hole through the window without flaring her aura for Virgil's convenience. The chunk fell onto the passenger seat without shattering into a thousand pieces. Broken glass would, admittedly, make for an unconfutable ride. For her, considering the moment she had the doors unlocked, he slipped by her and into the driver's seat. She tossed the disc of glass aside before crawling into the seat next to him, watching him curiously as he fiddled with a bundle of wires he'd pulled out from somewhere. Her eyes probably sparkled when she realized he was hotwiring the car. The second the engine started, she knew she had a stupid look of wonder on her face.

A few moments later, with the reduced chaos of driving far faster than wasps could fly, she began noticing the flies that had followed her into the vehicle. "I should mention he's tracking me," she mumbled, not exactly proud to admit it while flies buzzed around her like day-old roadkill. "Will be for the next four hours. His ability also happens to attract bugs," she tacked on, hoping that she just hadn't become so gross that bugs naturally clung to her. "He's part of the Fan Shi, so… Have a plan?" She glanced back to him hopefully.

"You need to shower," he said simply, letting her figure out the other details for herself.

Instead, she got distracted by the implication of his words. She… She couldn't smell that bad, right? She didn't exactly have time to properly bathe with Virgil chasing after her, so she knew she looked like a disaster, but hearing the leader of the Phantom Troupe point that out sort of… embarrassed her? She not so subtly looked out the window when his eyes met hers, the lack of questions perhaps tipping him off that her thoughts went astray.

"The wasp that stung you, it's venom breaks down with heat." Her attention shot back to him. Her ratty clothes camouflaged the fresh wounds, for the most part, so how'd he know? More importantly, he knew what the wasps were. "If left for much longer, you will be fully paralyzed for a few hours," he added, and she eventually realized he probably noticed while they were running. She wasn't quite limping yet, but, with her muscles tightening, her movements were more sluggish than usual. Another ten minutes and her legs would feel like lead weights... Probably a good thing he decided to drive.

"You know what they are?" she asked after a short pause, deciding the silence felt awkward. To her. Because flies kept drunkenly buzzing around her like she was a trashbin.

Chrollo didn't seem the least bit bothered, content with the silence, paying more attention to driving as fast as possible around traffic. While he occasionally and very illegally passed other vehicles, he avoided drawing too much attention otherwise. Unlike her, he figured playing nice with the police would allow them to put more distance between them and Virgil. Even if they were in a stolen vehicle, many witnesses around to report the crime, vaguely obeying traffic laws helped buy time.

"Flesh wasps. They're native to Meteor City."

That would explain why she had never seen them before, as well as why the net lacked much in the way of results. Not a lot of nature surveys going on in Meteor City. "Tell me more?" Curiosity slipped into her tone despite her trying to act nonchalant by glancing back out the window. For something so presently irritating, the wasps were something new and dangerous. She'd love to know more.

Without his Nen, Chrollo was also far less intimidating. She felt more comfortable pestering him with random questions since there wasn't much he could do other than ignore her. And, well, he had a nice voice delirious Lan rather enjoyed listening to. Her brows pushed together with that disturbing thought. She really must need some sleep if her mind could wander so severely off topic so quickly. And, at this point, sitting in a car, leader of the Phantom Troupe acting as her chauffeur, it felt surreal enough to be pure fantasy. Maybe the wasps actually caused hallucinations, and this was the equivalent of a fever dream…

"The venom also causes crippling pain," he said, deciding to humor her curiosity after a sideways glance at her. "You're fortunate in that regard." Lan couldn't decide if the remark was a joke or an observation. He must have some warped sense of humor considering the way he entered his number in her phone, but she couldn't readily recognize it yet. "Multiple stings cause the surrounding muscles to contract and freeze. The wasps then feed on the flesh before laying eggs in the remains. Watching the young burst from festering corpses is always quite a sight."

She nodded while filing the information away. If she happened to survive the Fan Shi, she might consider conducting her own biological survey on Meteor City fauna. If someone told her where it was, exactly.

Most of the Troupe came from Meteor City, right? She guessed Chrollo did too. The reason the mafia rolled over after the Troupe's auction massacre had been based on that fact. Auntie had ranted about that as soon as Lan didn't look dead. She… she should probably call her back, ruin her day by telling her about the Fan Shi… She figured they were just after her, no reason to pry further when they had her in their sights. Giving Auntie another premature scare with a 'hey, I might be dead if you don't hear from me' might give her a heart attack.

"Ever get stung yourself?" she asked, the conversation a welcome distraction from scrambling thoughts.

"You ask a lot of frivolous questions for someone on the verge of paralysis."

"Then, what's the plan?"

"You can't figure it out for yourself?"

Lan aimed a glare at him only to see a slight upturn in his lips. It sounded like a challenge more than an insult- which still, somehow, felt insulting. Testing her intelligence like this was a game… She looked out the window, determined to show him she wasn't an idiot. Even if she probably seemed like one. And she must, considering their encounters included her unknowingly waltzing into their base, him stealing her wallet with the simplest form of misdirection, and her getting bested by a few bugs.

The fact they'd left the congested downtown area for a residential area made it click. "We're breaking into a house. Probably going to ditch the car a few blocks away too." The thought of walking made her sigh, but it would be necessary. Again, driving stolen cars was far more inconvenient than she had previously considered. All it took was one stubborn person -or Virgil- to whip the police force into a frenzy. A worse thought crossed her mind: Chrollo might have to drag her into a shower if they didn't stop somewhere soon. Dreadful thought. Very dreadful thought. "You couldn't just tell me," she added under her breath, now feeling a bit impatient.

"I shouldn't have to explain things that you're more than capable of figuring out for yourself."

"Whatever," she mumbled, unsure how else to respond to that. How matter-of-fact he sounded, it had almost seemed like a compliment. A bit of a backhanded compliment, but still. He appeared quite confident she would have known the gist of his scheme immediately after the shower comment if she had been paying attention rather than fretting over her appearance.

She leaned back into the seat, watching him from the corner of her eye. Focused on driving, his expression devoid of anything telling … How he was dressed in such casual clothes, a simple black jacket, shirt, and jeans, cross tattoo covered by a bandana, crow-black hair hanging in front of his eyes again… He looked as unassumingly attractive as ever. Yet, she distinctly felt like he was up to something.

Chrollo locked the door behind him, even if the sliced-through deadbolt made it a rather hollow action. Lanfen had promised minimal damage when she urged him to leave, that she could break in herself while he abandoned the stolen vehicle a distance away from the small, single occupant house. Subtlety didn't seem her strong suit, honestly, but she had managed. He could hear the shower running down the hall, Lanfen following his instructions well enough despite not entering it immediately. Her priorities were perhaps a bit skewed considering her charging phone now sat conspicuously on the kitchen table with her other belongings.

He shrugged off the backpack he had the game console stored in, depositing it on the table next to Lanfen's things, before deciding to make himself comfortable in one of the chairs.

Those wasps were particularly troublesome. To a non-Nen-user or someone of generally weaker constitution, the venom would have set in within moments of the sting, the symptoms lasing half a day- he had, in fact, been stung a few times as a child, and he wouldn't recommend it.

The user was also a member of the Fan Shi. One that had been in pursuit of Lanfen for a time now judging her current state. Clothes littered with tears, dark rings under her eyes, and hair in a state of disarray, she appeared frazzled and exhausted, perhaps even desperate. This was the perfect time to run into her. Admittedly unplanned. Mostly. He had stumbled across a serial car thief and vandal's description that matched her well enough he figured it wasn't coincidence. The outbreak of flesh wasps following the trail of her crime spree also hinted that she was having a difficult time. Truthfully, he chose to begin tracking her down.

He had been a touch surprised to have her crash into his chest, though. However, the fortune in September did say he would find allies eastward, and they did happen to be directly east of Yorknew, so perhaps he shouldn't be surprised in the slightest.

The accuracy of that ability remained formidable. If only he could use it…

Her phone's screen lighting up drew his attention from bitter thoughts. The number on screen didn't have a corresponding emoji, yet the persistence hinted they were determined to be heard. He remembered there being a number she regularly corresponded with despite it not being saved in her contacts. The fact it kept ringing almost begged him to sate his mild curiosity.

So, he did.

"Lanfen, I have been calling you all day! And do you know how many of my calls you've missed in the last two weeks?" a woman's voice rattled off in Anchian, tone laced with absolute exasperation, worry breaking through irritation. She almost sounded motherly. Interesting, considering Sybil had been convinced all the Paijin were dead. A more distant relative or adoptive parent? "What in the world are you doing that you can't answer your phone? Did you forget to tell me you were off on one of your research trips again?"

He took the pause after her rhetorical question to answer, "She's been a bit preoccupied."

"Who- Who are you?" Suspicion quickly overtook her shock. "Where is Lanfen?" An urgent accusation, they were close. Lanfen didn't seem to have many personal connections if her phone was any clue. To get close to her, well, knowing more about her relationships wouldn't hurt. It was unlikely she would tell him herself, after all.

"No need to sound so worried," he reassured, tone shifting. He might have taken the act further, let more excitement and cheer infect his voice, yet, he did not quite know Lanfen's taste in company beyond Hisoka. Best to not overact. "She's just taking a shower, and I happened to notice her phone ringing. Is it an emergency? I can get her for you, if you need," he helpfully offered.

The pause hung in the air as the woman considered his response. "No. No, that's fine. Just… who are you, exactly?" More curious than wary this time, he was making quick progress. If only mistrustful Lanfen found him as charming; instead, she seemed to find his politeness outright suspicious. It would take more than a few pleasant words to convince her to his side.

"Ah! Please, forgive my manners. My name is Chrollo. I've been with Lanfen over the last few days, planning a project." He would even be kind enough to provide Lanfen an alibi; the woman, even if she was family, she wasn't aware the Fan Shi were currently in pursuit of Lanfen. "I can certainly give her a message. Of course, if you don't mind me asking, who are you? Lanfen doesn't seem to have your name saved in her phone. She doesn't talk much about her family, either." She hesitated, no quick denial hinting he was on the right track. He didn't give her a chance to think before asking, "Are you her mother, by chance?"

"No," she corrected, clearly taken off guard. "No, I'm her aunt. Just wish her happy birthday for me and tell her to call me back when she has time."

"I will do that. Goodbye."

There was another pause as Lanfen's aunt seemed taken aback by the polite farewell. "Oh, yes, goodbye," she quickly said before the call abruptly ended.

He returned her phone to the charger while absently considering bits of information. It was a start, he supposed. Paku would have known every detail by now, perhaps even without her ability; she had had a way of gaining trust, of coaxing information from nervous individuals. Paku…

He decided to wander about the house, see what he could find, instead of sitting in morose silence once again. A few books would be nice distractions considering he had finished the one already in his bag. Instead of immediately setting out on his search for reading materials, he stopped by the kitchen sink, opening nearby cupboards until he found a glass. Their break would be brief, after all. Though vague in description, Lanfen had mentioned a tracking ability attached to her. Placing more distance between them and her pursuer would be the best course of action. Lanfen also needed to rest if she had any hope of fighting the Fan Shi; his guidance could only help so much with her mental and physical state so degraded.

He had the glass raised to his lips when he heard the front door's lock rattle with a key's use. The owner decided to make an untimely appearance. From the sink, Chrollo picked up the nearest object that could loosely be classified as a weapon. That happened to be a butter knife. Taking a sip of water while twirling the knife into a more comfortable hold, he leaned against the wall next to the door.

A thought occurred to him just then. If he wanted to learn more about Lanfen, he could just go through her phone. He hadn't been particularly interested before, but she seemed quite attached to it. Her messages were a record of her activities, interests, and relationships.

Forcing the knife through the back of the entering man's skull barely registered, the movement nearly reflex at this point. As the body slumped to the floor, Chrollo closed the door, finishing his glass of water while stepping over the fresh corpse.

As he set the glass down on the table, his hand hovering above her phone, he heard something a bit peculiar. The sound of running water grew a fraction louder. The shower still on, the lack of footsteps, the Nen bird had left Lanfen's side. That fractional second, the miniscule amount of killing intent as he dispatched the man, it captured their attention. Lanfen, she was proving an anxious individual.

Although a bit ridiculous, he tried to address the bird undoubtedly spying on him. "No need for-" was as far as he made it before talons hooked into his jacket's sleeve. Before it brushed skin, tore into unprotected flesh, he jerked his arm to the side and stepped back. Anticipating an unseen follow-up, he reached backwards, fingers finding the backpack's strap. Her aura had the consistency of blades reinforced with Nen; striking it with his fist, or even a knife, would be ill-advised in his current state. That left him to blindly swing the game console into the bird to deter it from a sincere attack that damaged more than fabric. It connected, backpack shredding, the unique nature of Greed Island protecting the console- a touch irritating, how a game console currently held more Nen than him. A glancing blow at best, the bird crashed into a chair to splinter wood. Pieces flew to the side as it pulled itself off the ground. Footsteps down the hall seemed to make the bird hesitate.

"Nemmi," Lanfen snapped as she rounded the corner, towel wrapped around her, water still dripping down her to soak the wood floor, "get over here." Scratches appeared on the tabletop before the bird picked up her phone to fly it over to her. The creature perched on her shoulder. Her words softened to an exasperated whisper as she took her phone. "He can't be doing something that…" her words trailed as her eyes found the corpse, "bad." She raised an eyebrow at Chrollo, expression mixed between curiosity, admiration, and delight. Not the typical reaction to a corpse, she had a callous disregard for strangers it seemed. Did she consider him a stranger? "Did you kill that guy with a butter knife?"

"I did," he confirmed, letting a touch of amusement slip by to reward her inquisitiveness. No matter how she tried to hide it, she found him impressive. Over such odd, trifling things, too- he hadn't missed her absolute wonder when he hotwired the car.

"And what's in the bag?" She certainly felt more in control of the situation, unafraid to ask questions, even while dressed in only a towel.

"Would you believe me if I said a game console?"

"Do you expect me to?" His lack of response was met by a blank stare as she tried to gauge if he was serious or not. Eventually, she dismissed her question, turning away to return to the still running shower. "I'll be done in a few minutes to discuss what happens next." After a few steps she paused with an afterthought, glancing over her shoulder at him. "You're… not going to make any comments about this?"

About her half-demand or the towel? He supposed Hisoka would have had an extremely different reaction in this situation. (He wondered, exactly, how close the two were. In his time with the Troupe, Hisoka had never mentioned her before presenting her in Yorknew. How serious were the flirty messages they sent each other? If they were a couple, well, Chrollo found himself a landmine to trigger. Hisoka's possessiveness, he wanted Lanfen for himself. Taking her might be one of the few ways to get his point across.) "Do you want me to make a comment?" Chrollo eventually asked back, seeing that she also found some enjoyment in going back and forth like this.

Lanfen narrowed her eyes, measuredly asking, "And if I did, what would you say?"

This time, behind the suspicion, her tone made it seem like a request. Or a heavy-handed attempt at flirting. Strange, this Lanfen. The moment she felt in control, her filter left her.

"That's an interesting scar on your calf," he settled on instead of saying she was more pleasant to look at now that she had showered off days of grime. There were two rows of deep scars, in truth, but the healed over gouges and punctures on either side were unmistakably left by sharpened teeth and fangs. An animal of considerable size had caused the damage.

She stared at him for another moment before she wordlessly began to wander down the hall, refusing to answer. The edge of a sizable black tattoo peeked out from her towel, running nearly shoulder to shoulder. A crow. She held Nemmi in high regard to wear its image permanently.

"By the way, happy birthday." At his voice, she whipped around, eyes widened to saucers. The uncomfortable pin-prick of her aura hit his skin once she stifled her initial shock. Undoubtedly, several other emotions clouded her bloodlust, but, without Nen, he regrettably missed them. "Your aunt called." She would find out anyway, since the bird hinted that he had been messing with it.

"And what did you say to her?" The heaviness in the air grew, reminding him that bloodlust didn't feel particularly nice without his own aura as a buffer. The accusatory tone, the dramatic, defensive reaction, she was close to her aunt. She wanted to protect her, he assumed. Was she this loyal to Hisoka? Would she protect him despite their apparent troubles? Breaking that loyalty, manipulating her to his side, would be a priority. Trust seemed pivotal in accomplishing that. Otherwise, she would continue to behold him cynically, his words all treated as possible lies.

"That we are working on a project together. Nothing about the Fan Shi or who I am beyond my first name." Trying to use the truth and half-truths to manipulate her would likely work, yet… manipulating someone with the truth sounded paradoxical since it wouldn't be outright deceit. "I would say she found me rather charming."

"Of course, she would…" Lanfen muttered, glancing to her shoulder, to the bird. She ignored Chrollo completely, quietly whispering to Nemmi, "I know. There's still a broken-off stinger in my back." She paused, before responding, "You need to pull it out, but you flew off."

He frowned slightly as she disappeared back down the hall. Carrying on a conversation with her own Nen, if that thing wasn't sentient… Chrollo couldn't decide what to make of that.

"I know, Nemmi," she mumbled, pulling on a checkered button-up 'borrowed' from the bedroom closet. It was several sizes to large, but it'd do. Her shirt reeked, so she had Nemmi kindly throw it in the trash who-knows-where a distance away to avoid being linked to her new friend's recent murder. "He's up to something."

Nemmi cawed in agreeance, talons picking apart a pillow, scattering fluff around. He pointed his beak at her pocket, reiterating that Chrollo had been playing with her phone, answering calls like he owned it. She wondered what he had said to Auntie… Lan would have called and asked, but Auntie would lecture her for all the missed and ignored calls over the last week. She didn't have that kind of time. Virgil would soon reappear to take his final chance at catching her- it didn't help that she was throwing aura at Chrollo for minor irritations.

Seeing what Chrollo knew took precedence.

"Come on," she told Nemmi as she walked out of the bedroom into the hall, clock on the wall deafening in the disturbingly quiet house. He perched on her shoulder, eyes severely narrowed as he clicked his beak, nagging her with rationality. "I know." While convenient to run into Chrollo in that moment, anything beyond that was questionable. His threat level outweighed his possible usefulness, complicated by his lack of Nen. He would have been more useful with it, of course, but this offered her more control. She was debating whether she could get information on the Fan Shi out of him before promptly ditching him, or not. There would surely be consequences either way. She wasn't quite sure what kind of consequences, to be honest, but there would be something. Always was when playing with Hisoka. Chrollo. She was dealing with Chrollo, now.

Lan paused in the doorway of the kitchen. Suddenly the example of a well-behaved, cultured gentleman, Chrollo had taken a seat at the table, a book in his hand, hair pushed out of his eyes to read unobscured. Perfectly unbothered under such odd circumstances… His eyes flicked to her in acknowledgment before thankfully returning to the book, allowing her to start the conversation. Even like this, his eyes were too intense, too unreadable, too mesmerizing. A step away from pure chaos, Chrollo's eyes were captivating in a manner nearly opposite of Hisoka's. She didn't want to drown into the abyss while admiring it. Again. She was ready to admit to the alarming trend in her choices.

The way Nemmi tightened his grip, he agreed, "Don't you dare."

She rolled her shoulder to silently dismiss Nemmi's valid concern. He snapped his beak in a final warning as she walked into the room, ready to deal with a mistake's mistake- because she sincerely doubted she would have met Chrollo without Hisoka's help. After sitting on the countertop, the second chair a mess of splinters from her favorite destructive bird, she crossed her arms over her chest to properly scowl at Chrollo.

"So," she began, unable to stop herself, "how'd you lose your Nen?"

He slowly closed the book, calmly repeating, "It's a Nen curse that someone placed on me." His eyes met hers, nearly challenging to her to ask again. His answer obviously wouldn't change. No matter how polite his words, she felt like she should be intimidated- and, somehow, she was. She glanced away, picking at a string on her sleeve. "I am already working to resolve that," he added, effectively ending that conversation. She supposed she understood. She would be humiliated- okay, she would be terrified- if someone sealed her Nen, especially if she was the leader of an infamous band of thieves.

"That's disappointing." On several levels. He couldn't wipe away her problems… and she couldn't see him use his Nen. She was still so curious. It had to be something amazing. Anything less would also be disappointing. "I can see why Hisoka didn't fight you like this," she added quietly. Bastard failed to explain what happened every time she bothered asking him.

The resulting dead air hinted that she had probably overstepped her bounds. In retrospect, she should have known not to mention Hisoka. If Chrollo orchestrated a massacre in the name of a dead Spider, well, he would probably go to extremes to kill someone that betrayed the Troupe for the sole, selfish goal of fighting him. Thinking before speaking, she should consider doing it more often. Chrollo might not be that threatening currently, but the second he had his Nen back, he would return to his full terrifying glory. Staying on his good side could only help her, yet what an abysmally terrible job she was doing...

"I still want the Paijin's item," he continued after giving her adequate time to rethink her behavior. "Considering these changed circumstances, I suggest a partnership rather than mandatory cooperation." What a fancy way of saying 'hostage.' Partnership sent up just as many red flags. Somewhere in his words, there was an ulterior motive. She had a nagging feeling that this was all too convenient. That no one in their right mind would go after a trinket guarded by high caliber Nen-users with only an inexperienced twenty-year-old as their protection- even if only briefly. The way he studied her reaction only added to her suspicion.

"Why should I?" Lan's eyes quickly fled his face. He knew she was just being difficult, that she understood the advantages of his suggestion. Earlier made it obvious that she could use some help. Even without his Nen, Chrollo remained resourceful, intelligent, and knowledgeable. He also had the Troupe. Too bad she wasn't ready to admit that. Nemmi egged her on with a squawk. "Are you going to pay me back all the money you stole from me or something?"

"Yes." His deadpan answers never ceased to catch her off guard. He predictably added the caveat of "When this concludes." Lan stiffened when he suddenly moved, Chrollo pausing in clear recognition of her reaction. He pulled a wallet out from his pants pocket, picking through a collection of cards, obviously not hurting for cash either. Jerk had used her money just because he could… "I do, however, have a more immediate reward for you, Lanfen," he said as he finally selected a card to show her.

Lan fell into a speechless silence at the Hunter Association emblem staring back at her. She leaned forward, reading the identification number several times in absolute disbelief and relief and joy. "You…" Her license. She knew her eyes were sparkling, but she couldn't help herself. "You still have it." She thought he might have tossed it aside after stealing her money, sold it to some random collector with no paper trail to lead her back to it.

"I hope this will serve as a peace offering." The moment she stretched to grab it, he tauntingly pulled away, holding it just out her immediate reach. "Although, I first want you to agree that we will fetch the item together."

"Why shouldn't I just take it from you and leave?"

"I'm getting the impression you just enjoy hearing me speak."

She bit her lip, focus anywhere else, as she pretended to consider his kind offer. He hopefully had no idea how true that statement was. Yet, she also didn't like him holding her accountable for her minimal intelligence. Instead of answering questions, he was making her actually think. She also doubted that he would correct her if she guessed wrong.

"I'm not going to protect you." A lie. If Chrollo ended up dead while playing around with her, she would be answering to Hisoka. She didn't want to find out what he would do if she accidentally got his high-priority target maimed. Because Hisoka had to know Nen exorcists existed, right? He wouldn't completely give up on fighting Chrollo after all the trouble he'd gone through, right? She didn't even want to think about the Phantom Troupe's reaction.

The sheer amount of confidence as he promised, "I can handle myself," his eyes reflecting near arrogance with his certainty, the quirk of his lips into a subtle smirk, made her want to swoon as much as punch him.

She picked at her sleeve a moment before mumbling, "Fine." Immediately, she held her hand out expectantly. She sighed in frustration when he didn't forfeit it. Not explicit enough, apparently. "Fine, I'll work with you, give you the item. Now just…" The moment she thought he'd do something childish like pocket the card, or something even stupider like hold it above his head to goad her into lunging for it, she was reminded that he wasn't Hisoka. Just like he said, if she agreed, she would be rewarded with her license.

Holding the scrap of plastic again felt like a momentous victory, a twitch of a smile trying to pull at her lips. She had been near convinced that she would never see it again. For something that she didn't really feel she deserved in the first place, this was her Hunter License, her proof of passing the exam, of her Hunter status.

After forcing her expression back to hopefully neutral and placing her card in its new rightful place with her phone, she got back to the matter at hand. "What do you know about the Fan Shi?" An obvious question to ask since they would be regrettably, possibly, working together now. Chrollo appeared to know more than her… or was just a cocky bastard. She hadn't quite decided which.

"I know of five members." Again, how he said it drove her insane. So… blasé. Like that fact shouldn't implode her mind. When he said he knew them, she felt he knew a bit more than their names, incredibly vague descriptions, faulty memories, and old gifts. Then again, maybe she shouldn't be surprised. They were all powerful Nen-users of similar age originally from Meteor City. He brushed aside her amazement-to-irritation reaction, continuing, "I'm most familiar Sybil and Circe Delphi."

"I've met Sybil and she's on her way now," Lan interrupted, trying to pry for as much information as possible under the guise of helpfulness. She was still debating if she should ditch him and keep trying to run from the Fan Shi or not. Accepting his help would mean actually confronting them.

The way he paused, the seriousness in his voice and expression as he said, "That could be problematic." the string wrapped around her finger promptly snapped. "Sybil's ability functions as a scale determined by how long it's charged. With your current ability, you can maybe survive a three-minute charge, presuming you prioritize escape. Anything above that is rather questionable."

"Your confidence in me is so reassuring."

"That's simply reality. It often takes two Spiders to deal with her after eight. You remember Feitan, I'm sure." Her narrowed eyes made it obvious she very much remembered the Troupe's kind torturer that had snapped her finger in half. It also proved a fantastic example of how powerful Sybil was. "He often dealt with Sybil's visits with Uvogin's assistance." The other name held no meaning to her, but the way Chrollo spoke it, the minute dip in in his voice that almost sounded sad… "Without Uvo, it may now take a total of three members to subdue her," he said absently, mostly to himself.

The member they lost in Yorknew, the one that they committed a massacre to honor, that must have been this Uvogin. Months had passed, yet Chrollo still seemed genuinely disturbed by the death- although Lan questioned if it was an act, a lie, to trick her into trusting him. Still, Chrollo at least remembered the member they lost. Hisoka would have forgotten. He probably had.

"Circe is another matter," he said after watching whatever expressions happened to play across her face. She didn't like it, the way he was so carefully studying her. His intense scrutiny of her every movement… Now she knew how Nemmi felt back in Yorknew. "While not as overwhelmingly powerful, she is markedly more intelligent and uses a variety of poisons in conjunction with her Nen. She could prove just as troublesome to you."

Lan didn't really have much to say with him crushing her hopes like this. She hoped against reason that the Fan Shi's strength compared, not exceeded, Virgil's. In actuality, she might be fighting their weakest member. And she thought her pride couldn't be taken lower…

"It has admittedly been some time since I've seen the other three."

She was beginning to notice that if he bothered mentioning something, there was a reason. Might not be particularly relevant, but certainly interesting. He was interesting, truthfully, annoyingly. "How long ago, exactly?"

"Twenty years." The dramatic pause was barely necessary to shock her for amusement's sake. "When Fanghe recruited them."

He had to have been, like, eight at the oldest (she still had no idea how old he was), yet he had had the audacity to follow Fanghe around Meteor City while she picked up children to use. Lan seriously questioned how he avoided being drafted into the Fan Shi, prime candidate he was. His reputation now may have made her biased, as she couldn't imagine child Chrollo as anything less than a prodigy, but still. Chrollo as a child was hard enough to imagine, mostly because that made him seem almost human.

"Lanfen, you're easily distracted," he commented to earn her full attention and an irritated scowl. "I can describe them, although I only know them by nicknames." Well, Lan thought, that was the opposite of what she had for information. "A pale girl with a potentially lethal infection eating away at her left side. She went by Paper-"

"-clips," Lan finished, Nemmi shuffling on her shoulder at her discomfort. Paperclips, again. No wonder her father had freaked out over her playing with paperclips. One of the Fan Shi used them as a nickname as well as a hobby. She stared at her lap, fiddling with her sleeve's hem while mumbling, "Her name's Minji. She has metal prosthetics now." Even with less advanced treatments twenty years ago, it had to be a near fatal infection for her to completely lose both limbs, possibly part of her face. Maybe that's how Fanghe convinced her to join the Fan Shi. Meteor City, Minji would have inevitably died there. "Also, a scar across her throat." A rather startling characteristic, Chrollo wouldn't have skipped over something so prominent if it had been there in the past. It happened during her time with the Fan Shi. "From what I know, she was Fanghe's understudy, possibly the leader of the Fan Shi now. She's also a doctor." After the initial run-in with her, Lan had tried searching for information on her. Minji only took cases that were either personally interesting or absurdly difficult. Her private life remained a mystery despite her sparkling reputation as a surgical specialist- which was unnerving because that simply meant she was outstandingly good at dissecting people without killing them.

"A boy, a few years older than the rest, dark skin, disfiguring burns on the right side of his face."

"Joan," she answered, not needing a nickname this time. Auntie had described Joan as having burn scars, so, presumably, that's who Chrollo was talking about. The one that had attacked the compound with Virgil, she would recognize his voice. Two out of three with traumatic childhood injuries, Fanghe must have been deliberately targeting desperate children. "That's all I know about him."

"I presume Stink-bug is the one after you."

As funny as it was to hear Chrollo listing such silly names so seriously, that Virgil's nickname was so astoundingly apt, Lan just nodded quietly, understanding she had the most information on him. "Virgil. His aura mimics pheromones. He attaches a portion to a target through physical contact, and then uses it to direct anything nearby that relies on pheromones as communication." As much as she complained about his 'bugs,' the uptight researcher in her needed to specify that it effected arachnids as well as insects. "He has a conjuration ability that must act as a holding area for the creatures he keeps with him. I've seen him use two species so far: flesh wasps and sun-gazer scorpions." Everything else had come from the immediate environment. She still hadn't seen any sign of the chimera ants, either. (She really hoped he hadn't dumped them somewhere to wreak havoc on some unsuspecting ecosystem. Knuckle had gathered a bit more information on them before Sybil showed up, and they were… dangerous. Devouring entire species to extinction, they needed to be contained to protect everything else.)

"There's a sixth," Lan added, pulling her attention away from blissful hunter work and her less threatening lap to focus on Chrollo. Nemmi might be diligently watching him for any suspect movements, but she should be too. She couldn't rely on Nemmi to be her eyes all the time; Virgil's half-assed disguise reinforced that notion today. "A woman called Adalei. Blonde, tanned skin, and a lot of scars." Scared me into Hisoka's arms, if that's any show of her possible strength, she mentally added. Of course, now she had a better idea of why the aura had startled her so badly. Even Virgil's inflicted a sort of inexplicable dread, made more than her skin crawl, made her body feel wrong.

Lan all but catapulted herself off the counter, whipping around, eyes narrowed at a wall. Nemmi nervously shuffled on her shoulder, squawking. A burst of Ren outside, nearby, within three or less blocks. Decidedly not Virgil's. He would have sneaked up on them, not revealed his location. Unless he hired a higher caliber thug with Nen to do the luring for him. Could be an ambush.

So much for a pleasant conversation.

A/N: *inhales* This took forever to write and edit. Mainly because writing Chrollo intimidates the heck out of me (I, ah, really hope he's remotely in character). I also kept adding and changing things like the fool I am, hAha.

Thank you for reading!

Thank you The ParadoxicalOxymoron, HeavensScribe, and StarlitBaby for reviewing!