Disclaimer: The characters and events of Hunter x Hunter belong to Yoshihiro Togashi.

"Grayscale" Chapter Twenty-One

Fan-Fiction For: Hunter x Hunter / Killua Zaoldyeck.

Begin.

"Wow, Gon. You're better already?" Karasu watched him do a handstand, balancing himself on his bad arm.

"Yeah, I feel good," he answered as he stood back on his feet.

"Great!" Killua exclaimed as he held up two tickets. "That means we can go and see Hisoka's fight tonight!"

Gon glanced at the two tickets and then shook his head. "Wing said I can't study Nen. Take Karasu."

"It's not studying Nen!" he argued. Then he threw an annoyed glance toward Karasu and grumbled, "And Karasu doesn't want to go."

"Then why did you buy two tickets?" Gon asked.

"Because I thought you'd go with me," Killua stated.

A silence filled the room as Killua scowled and glared between Gon and Karasu. Gon was starting to sweat whereas Karasu appeared entirely nonplussed. In fact, she was examining her nails with a blank expression. His glare intensified.

"Come on, Gon! Wing won't care!" Killua groaned.

"I forbid it."

Karasu jumped, whirling around to glare at Wing, who'd just come through the door. "Stop doing that."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"But he wouldn't be studying Nen!" Killua defended. "We'd just be watching a fight!"

"It's a fight with Nen," Wing replied. "It's studying Nen."

"But -"

"Killua," Gon murmured.

The two made eye contact.

"This is my punishment," Gon said quietly, "and I'll bear it."

Killua swallowed hard and looked away, defeated.

Gon smiled brightly. "Take Karasu and have fun."

"She doesn't wanna go," he grumbled, crossing his arms over his chest.

"No, she doesn't," Karasu sighed. "But she will if it means you'll stop whining."

Killua looked up at her and then grinned. "Really?"

"Yeah, so problem solved, right?" she asked, glancing between Killua, Gon, and Wing.

"Problem solved," Killua answered, smiling.

Karasu knocked back a handful of chocolate peanuts and then sipped her milkshake. She scratched the back of her head and looked around the arena. Killua had left her a little over five minutes ago to hit the bathroom. She was pretty sure that had been lie but she didn't really mind.

The arena was packed full and, while that normally would've made Karasu uncomfortable, she found that people were allowing her a wide berth. Oh all sides people seemed to be shying away from her and she was just fine with that.

She ate a few more handfuls of chocolate covered peanuts before Killua showed up. He contradicted all other spectators by sitting flush up against her. His knee, elbow, and shoulder knocked into her and she responded by pressing her thigh into his.

"This should be an interesting fight," he whispered to her when he sat.

She glanced at him and sipped her milkshake. "What makes you think that?"

"I ran into the guy Hisoka's fighting," he explained. "I couldn't even feel his Nen."

She shrugged against his shoulder. "Hisoka will win."

Killua hummed and took her milkshake. He slurped noisily and she chewed her chocolate covered peanuts loudly.

Karasu watched with little interest as the match between Hisoka and Kastro was announced. As soon as the referee called the fight into action, Kastro lunged at Hisoka, leaping up and making a swipe at the clown with his right hand. Hisoka ducked down to dodge the hit, only for Kastro's hand to make contact with his face. Karasu's eyes widened in surprise before narrowing suspiciously.

"A clean hit! Kastro, with a preemptive strike!"

Karasu chewed on her straw while Killua watched on in shock. The two could see Hisoka's cheek swelling even from where they were sitting in the stands.

Kastro approached and struck out again with his right hand, only for Hisoka to cleanly dodge before being hit again. As he fell back he got his wits about him, catching himself in a one armed handstand so he could flip out of the way of Kastro's continued advancement.

Kastro aimed a kick for Hisoka's face and the joker blocked it with his forearm. A split second later his attacker appeared behind him, kicking him in the back of the head and sending him to the ground.

"A clean hit, and down!"

The two fighters exchanged words as Hisoka stood and dusted off his pants. Karasu narrowed her eyes further and snorted quietly. "I can't believe he's fighting in heels."

Killua made a disgruntled noise as Kastro widened his feet and lowered his body into a squat. He brought his hands, fingers curled into claws, in front of him, one hand over the other with palms inward. From the crowd came the words Tiger Bite Fist.

Kastro lunged.

Hisoka smirked and extended his left arm in offering. Kastro moved to bite, only to disappear and then reappear behind Hisoka, tearing his right arm from his body.

Hisoka leapt out of the way of the next strike and retrieved his bloody arm. He tossed it in the air and caught it as if her were playing with a ball. As he stood he said rather loudly, "You ability is... creating a double, right?."

Karasu grinned from ear to ear. "That makes sense. A Nen double would allow him to strike Hisoka after he misses the first time. Plus, if the double is only there for an instant it looks like an after image, confusing the opponent." She scoffed and ate a few more chocolate covered peanuts. "I bet he's used to fighting stupid people who end up thinking they're up against two people."

Killua glanced at her and stole a few peanuts while Kastro proved Hisoka's point by producing his double.

Karasu could feel the energy coming off of Hisoka as he twirled his arm on his finger before taking a bite of the ragged flesh on the severed end. She could feel his Nen seep into her skin and push adrenaline through her body. Her breath shook with excitement as gooseflesh rose on her bare legs.

Hisoka produced a piece of cloth and laid it over his detached arm. When he tossed the cloth into the air the crowd reared back in shock to see playing cards fluttering to the ground. When Hisoka began a number game with Kastro Karasu paid no attention. She kept her eyes on the joker.

She began chewing on her lip when he dug into the stump of his arm and pulled out an ace. The crowd murmured around her as Kastro lunged in attack, taking Hisoka's left arm this time. She couldn't help her jaw unhinging when Hisoka revealed his right arm, perfectly intact.

Kastro sent a flurry of punches at Hisoka, only for him to dodge them all. When the double attacked, Hisoka recognized it for what it was and, to everyone's shock, struck Kastro squarely in the jaw with his left fist appearing out of nowhere.

Kastro wobbled on his feet. The punch to the jaw had left him stunned. With a snap of Hisoka's fingers the playing cards which had been on the ground went straight for Kastro, lodging into his flesh in a way reminiscent of the way he'd killed the Man-Faced Ape during the Hunter Exam.

Kastro hit the ground.

Karasu released a sigh and slurped up the last of her milkshake. She gave Killua a sideways glance before murmuring, "I told you so."

He huffed. "It was still an interesting fight."

"That Kastro guy was too cocky," she replied. "Going up against an enemy thinking you're guaranteed to win is just... well, stupid."

"I wonder how he did it," Killua said. His eyes were on the arena floor where spots of blood were still present from when Hisoka's arm hit the ground.

"How he reattached his arm?"

"Yeah."

Karasu followed his gaze and sat in silence, thinking it over. She shrugged. "I couldn't tell you. Maybe Wing will know."

"We should ask him."

Karasu nodded and stood, throwing away her empty carton and cup before stretching her back until it made a satisfying crack. She rolled her shoulders and twisted her neck.

"Are you gonna go back to Gon's room?" Killua asked her as the two left the arena.

She shrugged. "I might just go back to my room. I'm kinda tired."

Killua was quiet for a moment. "Mind if I join you?"

She looked at him over her shoulder, not noticing the light smattering of pink on his pale cheeks.

"I don't mind, Killua. You just have to not mind if I fall asleep."

He snorted. "If you do I'll draw on your face."

Karasu pursed her lips but didn't reply.

When the two reached her room the first thing she did was kick off her boots and switch the TV on. The screen lit up with an arena fight, the speakers turning the roaring crowd into a soft whisper.

She sprawled out on the bed with her feet near her pillows and her head near the footboard so she could watch the fight better. Killua shifted awkwardly for a moment before he removed his shoes and sat down on the bed beside her.

"Do you know who's fighting?" he asked.

"No idea," she answered. As the fight wore on Killua found himself paying less attention to the screen and more attention to the girl at his side. She was propped up on her elbows with her arms crossed so she could rub the junction of her neck and shoulder. Her lips were a tight, annoyed line either from how the fight was going or from the issue her shoulder was giving her.

"You okay?"

She glanced at him and then back to the TV. "Hm?"

"Your shoulder."

"It's just sore from sitting in the arena for so long," she replied. "It'll be fine."

"Here, um... let me."

He sat up on his knees and took her hand, laying it in front of her with her other arm. He rested a hand carefully on either of her shoulders and began kneading his palms and fingers into her skin. She relaxed, but only so much. It didn't take long for Killua to become tired of the twisted position of his body and so her took a moment to straighten and straddle her lower back. She gave a small cough but otherwise did not object.

He massaged her shoulders and upper back and she melted beneath him with a sigh so soft her nearly missed it. He worked her muscles until his own became uncomfortable with the new work out. Killua slowly stepped away and off the bed.

"Feel better, Karasu?" he asked with a small grin. When she didn't respond he frowned. "Karasu?"

He moved around and knelt in front of her so he could see her face. Her eyes were closed and her jaw was slack, a bit of drool gleaming at the corner of her mouth. She breathed slowly in and out through her nose and he couldn't suppress his smile.

She had fallen asleep.

He stood and slipped his shoes on as silently as he could. He turned the TV off and found a blanket to throw over her. He stopped halfway out the door and looked back at her. After a moment he entered back into the room.

He simply couldn't leave without drawing a K in the center of her forehead.

A/N: I am so sorry for the wait on this one! I got caught up with college and homework and I just never made time to sit down and write. But here it is, and as an apology for the wait you can even have some fluff.

Also, to all my new followers, thank you and hello. And all my old followers, thank you and I hope it was worth the wait!