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

"Grayscale" Chapter Twenty-Five

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

Begin.

Karasu did not attend the matches the next day. Gido had to forfeit his fight with Killua, and she was confident that Gon would win against Riehlvelt. She went shopping for clothes instead, and then headed for Wing's to wait for Gon and Killua.

When they arrived Gon made a beeline for her, taking her hands and exclaiming, "Hisoka agreed to fight me!"

"Really? Gon, that's great!" They grinned at each other until Killua coughed.

Wing smiled knowingly while Zushi looked between the three of them.

"Today we will learn about Hatsu. With this, you will have mastered the basics. The rest is about building upon those basics." He uncapped a marker and began to write on a piece of paper. As he wrote he explained, "Hatsu is your personal expression of Nen. The categories of Nen users are: emitter, enhancer, transmuter, manipulator, conjurer, and specialist."

He turned the paper around to show a compatibility diagram drawn in the shape of a hexagon. At the top was enchancer, and going clockwise the next was emitter, then manipulator, specialist, conjurer, and finally transmuter.

"It's important to find what ability suits you the best. You will be influenced both by nature and nurture." He tapped the word enhancer with his marker and continued, "If you were born with natural enhancer abilities then it will come most easily to you. The neighboring abilities, emitting and transmuting, will also not be difficult to learn. The further away Nen categories are from your own, the harder it will be to learn them, or to use them effectively."

"Is there a way to learn what we have?" Killua asked, only to have Wing nod and produce a wine glass.

He filled the glass to the top with water and set it on the table. He then placed a leaf on the surface of the water. "You can learn through water divination."

"Cup your hands around the glass and perform Ren," Wing explained. "What ability you have is determined by what happens."

The four watched in awe as Wing applied his Ren. In an instant water had swelled up and begun to pour over the sides of the glass. "This shows I have an enhancer's ability. Enhancers change the volume of water. Now you four give it a try."

Gon stepped up first, cupping the glass. When he performed Ren, the other three watched as the water began to drip down the sides again.

"You're an enhancer, too," Killua commented with a smile.

Zushi went next. They watched as the leaf on the surface began to move.

"That shows you're a manipulator," Wing explained.

Next was Killua, whose Ren appeared to do nothing at all.

"Nothing changed," he muttered in confusion.

"Try tasting the water," Wing offered.

Killua looked skeptical, but dipped his thumb and then licked the water. His eyes widened. "It's sweet."

"Isn't this plain water?" Gon questioned as Karasu dipped her fingers into Killua's water.

"Changing the taste of the water means you're a transmuter," Wing answered.

Last was Karasu, who stood with her hands cupped around the glass, her brows furrowed. She hadn't applied her Ren yet. "I just... Do I really have to do this if I already have a Nen ability?"

"Well..." Wing spoke slowly. "It's good to know exactly what kind of Nen user you are. There's a chance that your Nen ability isn't fully compatible with your abilities."

Karasu sighed and looked down into her glass of water. The reaction was almost instantaneous. The water turned murky, clouded by some unknown impurity so that, looking down into it, the bottom of the glass was not visible.

"A conjurer, then." Wing commented.

She took her hands away from the glass and sighed, rubbing the back of her neck.

"I want the three of you to give this your undivided attention for the next four weeks. See if you can make an even more prominent change. And Karasu..." Wing smiled at her. "I want you to fight."

"What?" Her brows furrowed at this request.

"You have less fights under your belt than both Killua and Gon. In the next four weeks, while they practice, you will fight and win two matches."

She crossed her arms over her chest. "There's no one here I want to fight."

"You'll find someone," he said. There was a knowing smile on his face. Karasu huffed and looked away, defeated.

Karasu didn't do much the first week. She claimed to be finding an opponent, and in a way she was, but in reality she was lounging around and watching televised fights in her room. Gon and Killua were hard at work and she was laying in bed, flipping through channels and trying to find something interesting. Most days she didn't even bother getting dressed after her shower. She was really becoming attached to her bathrobe.

She was half asleep when a knock woke her up. She contemplated getting up to answer the door and then thought better of it.

"It's open."

The door swung open to reveal Killua. The look on his face was one of both amusement and frustration.

"Have you even showered today?" he asked as he kicked off his shoes.

"Of course," she muttered, adjusting the blankets on top of her.

"Who's fighting?" He settled down beside her, kicking his legs in front of him and leaning back against the pillows.

"I honestly don't really know. I think I was asleep when the match started."

Killua snorted and tried to smother his grin.

"Is Gon coming over later, too?" she asked, glancing at him. She was trying to hide the fact she wasn't quite fully awake yet.

"No," he answered. Karasu watched him hesitate, color coming to his cheeks. He ran a hand through his hair and then grumbled, "I didn't tell him I was coming over here."

"Okay."

When the match ended Killua nudged Karasu, who had begun to doze again. She jolted and looked over at him in alarm.

"Let's go get something to eat."

She pursed her lips and then gave a resigned shrug. "Let me get dressed."

"Have you found someone to fight yet?" Killua asked as the waiter walked away from their table with their orders.

"No." Karasu rested her chin on her hand, eyes scanning the restaurant around her.

"You could fight me," Killua offered with a smug grin.

She fought the smile growing on her lips and glanced at him. "So you admit I'd beat you in a fight."

His eyes widened and then he scoffed. "Of course not. I'd win."

"Then why would I fight you? I have to win two matches." She waved him off and leaned back in the booth. "Besides, you have more important things to be working on. Like Hatsu."

"I've already got Hatsu figured out," he answered. "Wanna see?"

Karasu gave him a hard look. She bit her bottom lip and then pushed her glass of water toward him. He grinned.

He cupped his hands around her glass and applied Ren. Once he'd deemed the water good enough he slid it across the table back to her. She brought the glass to her lips but hesitated to take a drink. Then she closed her eyes and took a long sip.

When she set the glass down she smiled. The smile, however, was vaguely hostile. "It's good, but it could be sweeter, Killua."

His smile fell into a glare. "What's that supposed to mean."

"You should practice more."

Killua huffed and crossed his arms over his chest, sitting back in the booth and refusing to look at her. She smiled and took another drink of her water.

The two of them ate slowly. Karasu alternated between bites of waffles and sips of her hot chocolate, both of which were smothered in whipped cream.

"You always did have a sweet tooth."

Karasu and Killua both froze, turning slowly to look at the man standing next to their table. He smiled and then slid in beside Karasu, taking a drink from her hot chocolate.

"What are you doing here?" Karasu asked coldly.

"What do you think?"

"Don't test me, Kohaishin."

The man leaned back and rested his arm over the back of the booth, around Karasu's shoulders. He set the mug of hot chocolate down and grinned. "I'm here looking for a challenge. A fight."

"We're not interested," Killua stated. His hand had tightened around his fork, snapping it in half.

"I wasn't asking you."

"Leave," Karasu whispered.

"You don't mean that."

"I do."

Kohaishin sighed and leaned his head back, eyes directed at the ceiling. "That hurts me, Karasu. When you say things like that."

"She told you to leave," Killua hissed. He had begun performing Ren without thinking about it. He was doing what he could to intimidate the man into leaving.

Kohaishin's eyes widened in surprise and he slowly withdrew his arm from around Karasu's shoulders. He stood from the table, staring at Killua, who glared back. "Well, I can see when I'm not wanted."

He was nearly to the door when Karasu stood. "Wait."

"What are you doing?" Killua hissed, grabbing her arm as she stepped forward. She didn't look at him.

Kohaishin turned and rose a brow at her.

"Three weeks from now. We fight."

He grinned at her. "Consider it done."

Karasu collapsed back into the booth, reaching for her water and bringing it to her lips with a shaky hand. She met Killua's eyes, but not for long. Her gaze fell to the table as she set her glass back down.

"Why are you going to fight him, Karasu." Killua's voice was not accusatory. It was soft and almost comforting.

"I'm still afraid of him," she whispered. She rubbed her eyes and then rested her chin in her hand again, as she had before. Her eyes were blank. "I can't be afraid of him anymore."

Killua did not like Kohaishin. He did not dislike him. Killua had met the man once and had decided then that he hated him. He hated him for the way he made Karasu feel and act. He hated him for hurting her.

Killua reached out and took Karasu's hand in his. She was surprised by the gesture. It was something Gon would do, but not Killua. When he squeezed, though, his eyes burning with determination, it didn't matter who the one holding her hand was. He leaned forward. "Hurt him."

Her eyes widened at his words. He was confident. There was no doubt in him that she could hurt Kohaishin. More importantly, there was no doubt in him that she would win the match. That confidence he had in her brought heat to her face and made her stomach clench. She bit her lip and squeezed his hand in return.

"I will."

"Good." Killua leaned back into the booth. "Because if you don't, then I will."

"Why?" she asked. "Did Kohaishin do something to you?"

He looked away from her. "No, but he hurt you. And that's reason enough."

"You sound like Gon," she whispered, reaching for her glass of water. She had to take a drink to smother her smile and cool her burning cheeks.

"I'm sorry, that person hasn't reached this floor yet."

Karasu gave the receptionist a long hard look. "What do you mean by that, exactly."

Killua stood behind her with his arms crossed over his chest. After they finished eating they decided to stop to schedule Karasu's fight. However, they weren't getting very far.

"The person you want to schedule a fight against is currently residing on the 70th Floor. He is not eligible to fight against you at this time," she explained, handing Karasu's papers back to her. "Please come back when he is eligible."

Scowling, Karasu stomped toward the elevator. Killua followed after her.

"He can use Nen, there's no reason he should only be on floor 70," she spat. Her papers were crumpled in her fist, and as they waited for the elevator to take them to their floor, she worked the paperwork into a tighter and smaller ball.

"He's probably only been here a day or two," Killua stated. He reached over to take the ball from her hand. "I guarantee he'll reach this floor by the end of the week."

Karasu's anger deflated. "You're probably right."

They stepped from the elevator and began down the hall.

"Are you going to tell Gon?"

She shrugged. "He'll find out eventually but... Gon only knows Kohaishin as a guy who was my friend. He doesn't know about now."

"He'll understand if you tell him."

Karasu smiled as she unlocked the door to her room. Killua paused outside her door, watching as she kicked off her boots and headed for the bathroom. He stepped inside and closed the door behind him, the soft click filling the silence. He removed his own shoe and turned the TV back on. Two men he didn't recognize were fighting.

He didn't completely understand why he chose to stay. Why he rested against her pillows and adjusted the volume. She didn't say anything as she settled beside him, wearing her robe once again. Gradually, he noticed the way her eyes were drooping. The way she tried to hide her yawning.

Killua wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her to him. She leaned her head against his chest, and within minutes she was asleep. The encounter with Kohaishin had worn her out. As she slept against him, he realized that he was drained as well. He did his best to adjust the pillows behind him without disturbing Karasu.

She grumbled in her sleep and twisted, throwing an arm over his stomach as she buried her face in his shirt. He smiled. This was the sort of thing he could probably blackmail her with later. But for now, he leaned back and fell asleep.

A/N: Thanks so much for all the favorites, follows, and reviews! I had one review (thanks DeadlyVampire-DayDream Corp!) about being interested in a Karasu Ask blog, so if anyone else is interested please let me know!

EDIT: The ask blog is open for questions! blog/karasuaskblog