A/N: And here's the fastest update for a change - second chapter in one day. I wasn't sure I'd be able to finish it tonight. Enjoy!

Bloodlust and Wine

It took very little time for Aada to understand where she was. At first she just ran, focusing on getting as far away as possible; after passing a couple of blocks she took a look around and immediately noticed the massive structure in the distance, dominating the skyline. A pale spire shooting up into the clouds, a beacon for all who cherished the thrill of the fight – Heaven's Arena.

So that's what he planned, she thought. Hisoka valued fighting and skill above everything, so Chrollo wanted to humiliate and kill him in the shrine dedicated to what he loved most, in front of an audience that knew the magician and cheered for him many times in the past. She shivered, in the cold; passing a newsstand she glanced at the newspapers and found that she'd been gone for over a week, but for now that was the least of her worries. Her clothes were too light for the weather meaning she'd be exposed to the elements and could get sick, she also didn't have enough money to travel home – she didn't expect that Chrollo had taken her so far. Scratch that, she didn't have almost any money – her wallet had been in the bag that Chrollo had left behind when he'd took her, along with her phone. Aada shoved her hand in her pocket and grabbed the little change she had there – fortunately that should cover a several minute call.

Chrollo would likely expect her to go in places most filled with tourists, so she deliberately ran towards less frequented areas. She'd been here twice before and hoped she could still navigate the streets with little problem and not get lost. She finally found a public phone in a small alley next to a post office; her hands shook a bit when she reached for it and dialled the number.

Hisoka was sitting on a windowsill in Aada's room, looking outside the window absentmindedly. He was experiencing mixed emotions when thinking about her. After Chrollo's actions forced him to realize the true nature of his feelings towards Aada, they had become another driving force in his life surprisingly fast and he wasn't prepared for that. It was new to him, and threw him off balance. Though it had been difficult to admit, he missed her and the dynamics they used to share, her acceptance and care for him, her sharp mind, her mannerisms and the way she used to smile at him. It was baffling how many things and how seemingly small reminded him of her, like the windowsill he was sitting on – his first thought was that she liked reading there, and he liked watching her as she did. If she were there now, she'd look up from a book or a magazine she was reading, sigh and tell him to find something better to do which naturally he wouldn't. If only.

It pained him to think that she was probably terrified, he feared what Chrollo might do to her and how it would affect her; it hurt, in a way previously unknown to him, and unlike the physical pain he usually experienced, it did not want to heal. Chrollo could easily kill her, and Hisoka dreaded how much more it could hurt if that happened. At such times, he regretted ever meeting Aada, missing his careless existence filled by excitement and fueled by adrenaline. Then, inevitably, he would remember the dry, deep scent of pine resin, needles, incense and damp leaves, strong enough to erase any regrets.

He put his hand in his pocket, caressing the small object he took from Aada's nightstand without the others knowing, the only thing she always carried with her before she decided to part with it sometime after their falling out, finding it ironic that the silver band that he used to be so bent on destroying was now his only connection to her. Well, maybe not only one; he looked towards her dresser and reached out, grabbing a small, dark bottle. He opened it and carefully shook one drop on his wrist – enough to immerse himself in the scent he missed and not enough for the others to notice what he did.

He recalled Leorio saying that Aada loved him, and he broke her. Once he got rid of Chrollo, she might not be willing to trust him again; but like every other aspect of Hisoka's personality, this one was also ruled by possessiveness and bordered on obsession. She was his little pine, and whatever happened, he would get her back. If she didn't want to understand it and accept him back into her life, he'd make her.

Deep in thought, he barely registered a phone shrilling somewhere, probably the living room. It stopped quickly.

"Guys!" he held Leorio yell, "All of you, come quickly! It's her!"

A second later, the windowsill was empty. As he ran towards the commotion, Hisoka was overwhelmed by a feeling he barely recognized. Hope.

"…much time, Leorio." He heard from the loudspeaker as he ran into the living room, and immediately froze. It was her. She sounded tired, but it was her. She was alive, and not only that, she managed to get away somehow.

"How did you manage to run away?" Leorio said, mirroring his thoughts.

"Vagus nerve." She replied immediately. Leorio looked like he understood; as for Hisoka, he neither paid attention nor did he care. He felt overwhelmed, and suddenly didn't know what to do. He had been preparing for the moment he could speak to her again, but now his mind seemed blank.

"It doesn't matter. I can see Heaven's arena from where I stand." Continued Aada quickly. "I thought I could try to get home, but it's too far and I don't have any money left. Hiding and hoping for the best is pretty much all I can do for now."

"We'll find a way to get you." Said Leorio.

Suddenly, Hisoka felt a jab in his side. Leorio was looking at him intently.

"Say something." He mouthed.

Hisoka's eyes widened; his mouth opened and closed, and when no sound came, Leorio shook his head angrily.

"Idiot." He mouthed again, before giving his full attention to Aada once more.

"How will I find you?" he asked her.

"I think there's one place he won't expect me to go – the arena itself." She replied. "You'll need about two days to get here, during that time I'll try to get my hands on different clothes, then I'll weasel my way into the audience on one of the lower floors somehow – 15th, let's say. After each match, I'll be hiding somewhere close to the entrance to the floor.

"There are more of them, Leorio… I heard them talk outside the door." Aada continued, "I'm not sure how many, at least two, one of them female. I assume they all know how you look like? That's going to be problematic."

"Don't worry about it." Leorio said immediately. "We'll think of something. You concentrate on staying safe."

"One more thing…" Aada's voice suddenly grew very serious. "Kurapika is still with you, correct?"

"Yes."

"Have him contact Hisoka, please." Having heard his name, the magician felt his hand rise involuntarily, as if reaching towards the voice.

"Chrollo got new abilities from the Spiders. I don't know what kind, but he seems very confident. Please tell… Hisoka…" her voice shook slightly, "For some reason Chrollo thinks Hisoka is possessive enough of me to come. He can't fall for this.

"Tell Hisoka not to come, no matter what. Even if he doesn't find me, Chrollo will still act as though I were with him, I'm sure of that, and I feel he can lie even better than Hisoka." She concluded, a bitter note to her tone that caused a painful tug somewhere in the magician's chest.

"It's very surprising how well you've got to know me." A new voice on the other side of the line made Hisoka's heart skip a beat and all of a sudden it felt as though the temperature in the room dropped.

"It's also very surprising you thought I wouldn't find you." The mockery of Chrollo's tone twisted Hisoka's insides in a knot.

"Let go of me!" Aada's voice tore through the haze, sounding more distant. She must've let go of the receiver trying to get away.

"Let go of her you bastard!" Leorio's hands were balled into fists as he screamed at the phone.

"Please…" the fear and resignation Hisoka could hear finally tore through the emptiness in his thoughts.

"Little pine!" he called for her. He didn't know what to tell her, he just wanted her to know he was there.

"I knew you were there, Hisoka." It was Chrollo who picked up the receiver. "What an endearing nickname you came up with. Pity she cannot hear you now."

"You…" the magician felt his bloodlust rise at an alarming pace. "What have you done?!"

"Calm down… She's just unconscious." Chrollo sighed, "She gave me quite the headache, figuratively and literally.

"I'm not going to kill her, Hisoka. I admit I was thinking about it at first, but I changed my mind. Our dear doctor is only the second person I've met that managed to render me helpless. She could've killed me, and I bet you're now wishing she did… Compassion is one of the few flaws she has, isn't it?

"I'm going to keep her, and since I'm going to kill you next time I see you, consider it a permanent arrangement."

Hisoka growled, and his rising bloodlust made all the others in the room back away.

"Naturally, I'll probably get bored of her sometime in the future…" mused Chrollo, "But for now I'm not done truly enjoying her company. As for you… wallow in your regret for the short time you have left. She said two days, didn't she? Two days it is then." There was an audible click and the connection ended.

Gon and Killua, Kurapika and Leorio – all could feel as though the air was sucked out of the room for a few seconds, and then the space exploded with killing intent when the always calm and calculating magician lost himself in rage.

His eyes were wide, mouth curled in a furious snarl, bloodlust rolling off of him in heavy, smothering waves. Gon gasped; he knew the feeling all too well, recalling how it terrified him the first time he'd been subjected to it. What he'd felt back on Zebil island did not compare to this; back then Hisoka's bloodlust held a tinge of anticipation and twisted sense of joy. Now it was pure hate and he was finding it hard to breathe.

Kurapika was the first one who sprang into action; he slowly approached the magician, his hands raised in a universal gesture of peace, hoping it was enough.

"Hisoka…"

The magician's head snapped up and he slowly turned his head in Kurapika's direction. There was something whirling in the depths behind these wide, unseeing golden orbs, something primal, animalistic and terrifying.

"Stop, please." said Kurapika, carefully observing Hisoka's face so he could jump away at any sign of a direct threat. "You're not helping her. Don't play into his hands. If you lose yourself, who can she count on? We can't do it alone."

Hisoka's gaze gained a bit of clarity. He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, his fists clenching and unclenching as he visibly struggled to regain control and for those watching it seemed as though hours passed until the bloodlust finally subsided. Eventually he opened his eyes and looked back at Kurapika, who was taken aback by what he saw.

"Kurapika." There was something hollow, deadly in Hisoka's voice that made Kurapika shudder when he heard his name.

"I know you want to kill him. It will be me. Don't stand in my way, or you'll join him." Having said that, he stormed out of the room.

"Hey!" Leorio started after the magician, but Kurapika grabbed his hand, stopping him.

"Leave him be for now."

"He can't just say something like that and leave!" Leorio looked enraged, and even in the situation they were in, paradoxically Kurapika felt happy he immediately jumped to his defense.

"Think," he pleaded, "He's always been alone, now he's attached to someone. The novelty of these feelings, knowing that she is now in the presence of someone who will use her and hurt her, guilt for leaving and not protecting her all work against him. He's usually alone, and he cannot save her alone. I think… I hate to say it but today both Aada and Hisoka played into Chrollo's hands. What Hisoka feels has become a weakness and Chrollo knows it. I can only hope Hisoka finds a way to remake this into a strength, otherwise… If he confronts Chrollo like this, he will lose."

Leorio's head hung low now.

"Chrollo… he meant what he said, didn't he?" he asked hopefully. "He won't kill her, right?"

"Aada is only a tool for him, I don't believe he cares about what will happen to her eventually." Kurapika replied. "But in this case I think he didn't lie. Chrollo wants to get back at Hisoka, and, but only indirectly, at me. I sealed his powers, but it was Hisoka who made it possible by betraying and deceiving the Spider. As a result, two Spiders died and Chrollo lost access to his nen.

"If he killed Aada, Hisoka would suffer, but the need for revenge might tip the scales in his favour." He explained. "No, instead Chrollo will keep using her as bait, playing on Hisoka's regret and throwing him off balance.

Kurapika's grip on Leorio's hand suddenly grew stronger, bordering painful. He looked up at him, his eyes turned crimson.

"I need to help him, Leorio. I don't mind anymore if I'm not the one to strike the final blow… I want to end them all." Said Kurapika, his voice firm. "Aada is precious not only to Hisoka and you. I too care about her. I'm not going to let the Spider take anyone else from me."

"We'll not let that happen." Replied Leorio. "I… know Hisoka and you stand the best chance against him, but we'll all help.

"Won't we?" he looked at the boys.

"Why didn't she kill him, Leorio?" asked Killua. "Aada doesn't strike me as stupid. That was stupid."

"And what is a vagus nerve?" Gon chimed in. "How could Aada get away from someone like Chrollo? He's strong."

"Killua… She took an oath, just like I will soon." Started Leorio. "To heal, and to always use her knowledge for the good of others. She wouldn't kill, unless in self-defense.

"As for what vagus nerve is, it's the tenth cranial nerve…" he paused, seeing Gon's empty gaze. "Ugh, scratch that. It's a long nerve that runs on both sides of the neck. If you press it hard and long enough on somebody's neck, it will cause that person to temporarily lose consciousness."

"Oh…" Leorio could almost see the gears turning in Gon's mind. "That's useful to know. But I don't think Aada is strong enough to do that. How else…"

Killua sighed and elbowed his friend in the ribs.

"Think, Gon. She used her teeth."

"Yes." Nodded Leorio. "And none of you mention that fact to Hisoka, not in the state he's in now."

"Why?" Gon looked at the doctor innocently. "I think it's badass."

It sickened Leorio to even try to explain it. He had a good idea of what could've happened to give Aada such opportunity, and it was making him furious.

"Never mind." He said instead. "We don't have time for that. Just don't mention it to him. He'll figure everything out quickly by himself once he calms down a bit and... uh… I don't think he'll take it well.

"Get us tickets, please." He looked at Kurapika. "We need to leave tomorrow morning."

Kurapika nodded. Suddenly, all of them could hear a low, repeatable thud, and felt small tremors.

Leorio walked to the bar and grabbed a bottle of wine, and two glasses. Barely seconds later he grabbed his first aid kit too.

"I'll talk to him." he said.

"Here." Leorio walked over the pieces of broken brick that now littered the porch, extending his hand to Hisoka who was sitting on the old couch, staring into space. The wall of Aada and Leorio's house now sported a sizeable hole, and blood was dripping from Hisoka's knuckles onto the wooden deck.

The magician nodded, took the glass of wine with his uninjured hand and drank it all at once. He looked distressed, such a bizarre look on a face that Leorio mostly associated with a mocking smile. He seemed calmer though, which was already a big improvement. The doctor said nothing and refilled the glass.

"I'm not going to yell at you." He said, seeing Hisoka's questioning gaze and then shook his head disbelievingly, putting the bottle and his own glass on the balustrade.

"It's the second time in the span of few days I have to patch you up, and this time I didn't even have to do anything to hurt you." He opened the first aid kit, and took Hisoka's hand, only mildly surprised the magician let him do so without protest.

"You know she would never have done that if she had another choice." He said as he started to clean Hisoka's knuckles with saline. "She did what she had to, and you can't blame her for that."

"I don't."

"Good." Nothing more needed to be said. They both knew who he blamed.

"When you left, Kurapika said you'd be back. So did Gon. It made me so angry…" Admitted Leorio as he put a fresh bandage on Hisoka's hand. "I didn't believe that you…

He paused.

"Point is, now I do." He said eventually. He knew Hisoka understood what he meant, but still said nothing.

"You're not good at calling things by their name, are you?" he sighed, and Hisoka averted his gaze. "That's fine. I guess… What I wanted to say is that I won't try to talk her out of it anymore. I am willing to give you the benefit of a doubt, just… help me get her back. Please."

"I feel lost." Admitted Leorio. "I asked Kurapika to get us tickets. I know we have to get there, but beyond that… I try, and I come up blank."

"I know what I need to do." Hisoka said, looking towards the forest. Given the situation and how he acted before, he sounded remarkably calm.

"Good." Leorio nodded. "Just… whatever it is, don't die, Hisoka."

The magician's brows arched as he looked back at the doctor.

"I thought you weren't my biggest fan, Leorio." He attempted to joke, but then his head hung low.

"I still don't like you." Replied Leorio. "I probably never will. I'm not sorry I hit you; I'd do it again. But you can't die."

"I don't intend to." Hisoka got up and stretched. "Leave me alone for now. I'll join all of you shortly and explain."

Soon enough, all five of them were sitting at the kitchen table, discussing potential strategy in light of Chrollo's ultimatum.

"I don't know how many spiders Chrollo will have with him." Said Hisoka calmly. "We now know it's at least two, though we don't know who it may be. With Pakunoda's death, there are only two females left in the troupe, meaning it's either Machi or Shizuku with him now, and someone else. It takes long to gather all of the Troupe, so I doubt it could be many more, but for the little time we have you need to study the abilities of all of them, and think how you can counter them when I take care of Chrollo. They're not likely to make much of a commotion during the fight as it's in a public place and may be filmed – but you need to be prepared anyway. I'll take notes for you of all I know, and Kurapika will add everything he's managed to learn thanks to his Nostrade family connections."

Kurapika nodded in agreement, but then bit his lip before speaking, choosing his words carefully.

"Hisoka, I know how strong you are. However… if we create a proper distraction, I can bind him with the judgement chain again. Won't it be more sensible than you facing him?"

"No." Hisoka's response was immediate and his gaze hardened. "I will kill him. But in an unlikely event that something happens to me, I need someone reliable to carry out the rest of the plan.

"Next to me, you are the strongest person here." He continued. "And now Chrollo knows you'll be with me, and may have taken precautions."

"What do you want me to do then?" asked Kurapika.

"You'll be in charge of neutralizing the other spiders. Basically, tell the others what to do according to how the events unfold."

"What about Aada?" asked Leorio impatiently. "If Kurapika is the one you rely on, shouldn't he retrieve her as you fight, and we will take care of the spiders?"

Hisoka shook his head.

"No." he said firmly, looking at Kurapika. "You still can't control yourself around them, can you? And you wouldn't forgive yourself if it happened when she was around."

Kurapika slowly nodded in agreement, his eyes downcast.

"Who will do it then?" asked Gon. "Should we call Bisky? Or maybe Knuckle and Shoot? And Palm? They're all strong. We could use their help."

"We don't have enough time. Besides, even if we could, if we brought too many, he could withdraw." Said Hisoka. "Then little… Aada would have to stay with him for much longer before he prepared his other move against me. I won't have it."

Then he smiled for the first time since he's returned.

"That won't be necessary anyway. I have already made necessary preparations." He added, taking his phone. He selected a number and set the loudspeaker on. Four pair of eyes looked at him questioningly as they were waiting for the connection.

"Hisoka." An impassive voice filled the room. "I'm assuming you're bothering me because of the contract we've agreed upon. Barely minutes ago, if I may add."

Killua's eyes widened.

"Brother!" he exclaimed, surprised, and then looked at Hisoka angrily.

"You wouldn't trust Kurapika, but you would trust him?! Last time you two met, it cost you your eyesight. What if he hurts Aada this time?"

"Don't be ridiculous, Kil." Illumi's tone didn't change. "Hisoka and I agreed upon my terms. My services have been paid for, and as you know, they don't come cheap. I am a professional, and will honour my contract, as I always do."

"Hisoka is right. Illumi is well suited for this, Killua." Said Kurapika. "He can disguise himself as someone else and is highly skilled. He has the biggest chance of all of us to get Aada away from the spiders unharmed."

"Correct." Confirmed the disembodied, impassive voice on the phone. "That is my contract. Make sure Aada Holme is safe, and keep her that way until Hisoka and Chrollo's fight is over."

They discussed their strategy in more details for about thirty minutes before Illumi disconnected.

"I understand now." Said Killua. "Chrollo has used my brother's services in the past. Not only did you enlist a skilled nen user to help us, but you also prevented it from happening again. Given their past, my father and grandfather would not be likely to work with him either. Still…"

Killua looked at the magician and chuckled.

"I didn't know you were that rich."

Hisoka balanced the phone on his index finger, using a little bit of his aura to make it spin as he was deep in thought. He never cared much for money or other material possessions, driven only by his desire to find and fight strong opponents, to manipulate others to his enjoyment. His multiple fights at the Heavens Arena had only one underlying purpose – to sate this desire, the money he gained being only a byproduct of his bloodlust. He never thought he might have the need for what he'd accumulated over the years, but now considered it well spent. He trusted Illumi's professionalism and the reputation he needed to uphold, which made him someone he could rely on.

He looked to his left, and saw Leorio, Gon and Killua hovering behind Kurapika's seat, discussing animatedly and felt stunned that he could rely on more than Illumi, that all of them wanted to help him, even if it was only for Aada's sake. It was good; this time he'd want to make sure his chances of success were as high as possible. He wouldn't lose.