Disclaimer: I wish I owned Hunter but it already belongs to Yoshihiro Togashi :( Sadly, I just own my idiotic OC, Hitomi... yay...

Chapter 36: When a Miracle Happens x Breaking Down x Second Round

Everything stopped at that time. Time froze there and stopped flowing. Hitomi's sanity died down and she stopped thinking as well. All because something that had stopped too:

Kurapika had stopped breathing.

And, like it was a compensation, the girl's one quickened. There was certainly lack of air in that place, even though she was outdoors.

"Don't joke like that..." she said in a shaky breath, forcing herself to smile. "I'm the one always joking around, you know."

No response. The girl tried again to shake him awake but no avail. Even if it didn't look like it, a lot of time had passed already. At least more than what he could ever be able to hold his breath.

"It can't be," her heartbeats started to get stronger than ever, at the point to hurt her chest. "No... No... No... No. No. No. No! NO WAY!"

She gasped for air, but it was in vain. It died down in her throat. Her breathing got even harder, as she desperately tried to breath.

The air she was getting was too low.

All sense of reality got lost. She couldn't focus in anything but her dead brother. His smiling face crossed her mind again and again.

"What happened?" she just wasn't able to recognize that voice... It echoed from a place far, far away...

But blackness blinded her mind befor she could even try to recognize that somebody. Blood and blood could be seen, as she stepped in a dead village. Kurapika was there, along all her clan. His eyes were missing as well... She kept looking at his eyeball sockets.

It had happened, again.

"Hitomi!" the voice said again and she reacted.

She still couldn't recognize the people surrounding her, but they certainly were there. But it wasn't the matter now. It was another one.

Hitomi tried to breath again, but the lump in her throat didn't let her doing that freely.

"What happened?" he asked. She managed to recognize that he was a male.

"He... He used it..." she managed to say. "J-Jud... Judgment... Chain."

The other person straightened up, before she heard him explain her brother's ability to someone else... maybe his companions...

She didn't want to hear his explanation anymore. She wanted to wake up right now. To see her brother alive again... to see all her family smiling alive again...

But all because that day... Blood... Eye-sockets... Blood...

"Hitomi, listen to me!" she noticed someone shaking her hard. "You have to breath!"

That was when she realized she had stopped breathing at all. She opened her mouth, sucked the air in, but no avail. The only thing she managed to do is get her lungs hurting like hell.

"Please, breath! A little at least!"

"C-Can't..." she managed to choke.

"Okay, look at me," he grabbed her by the shoulders and made her face him. She shut her eyes tight, trying to erase the images from her mind. "And don't stop looking at me! Breathe!"

She opened her eyes and tried again to breath. Her strangled throat didn't let her doing so.

"Well, then... Tell me," he spoke. "Do you recognize me, by a chance?"

Hitomi tried to focus in vain. Her mind was way too dizzy to register anything.

"I'll take it as a no, then..." he sighed. "Let's start with something easy... uh... What color are my eyes?"

"B... Bl-Blue," she managed to spoke.

"Great. My hair?"

Her teeth gritted, feeling her ability to focus losing as the lack of oxygen reached her mind.

"R-Red?"

"Red? Wrong," he chuckled. "You always tease me about it and now you can't tell the color?"

Her eyes narrowed between gasps.

"W-W... W-White," she spoke.

"Good... Let's see... Name?"

"Ki... K-Killua," she finally recognized him.

"And surname?"

"Z-Zoldyck."

Killua smiled a little in relief. She was gasping for air now, but breathing for good.

"You pass," he said, unlikely kindly. "Now, breathe," she slowly managed to do so. "That's it... Breathe again..."

A couple of minutes passed by, the only noise being Hitomi's elaborated breathing. She glanced quickly at the others and recognized them as Morel and Knuckle.

"Fine now?" Killua asked.

She literally jumped at him, bringing her arms around his neck. She cried desperately, even more than last time when she saw Pairo.

"Shh... It's okay," he managed to say, brushing her hair in comfort, even if he himself was upset because losing a friend. He had to keep strong for her. "It's okay..."

The blond boy opened his eyes and found himself in the middle of nothing. The ceiling, walls... everything was white. Was that the hospital? No, it wasn't...

He was dead after all.

That was when he finally got it. He was dead for real.

"What the hell were you thinking?!"

That voice... No way. Kurapika's eyes opened in surprise, seeing the person who was kneeling next to him.

"Hitomi... No, it's isn't her..." he thought, looking at the adult face. "Is... Is this real?"

Short blonde hair... Loving blue eyes... It just couldn't be.

"Mom!" he exclaimed.

When he realized what was happening, Kurapika was wrapping his hands around the woman's waist. His mother smiled fondly at him and hug him back tightly.

Kurapika enjoyed the warm for a long time, feeling himself like a kid again. He didn't care though, he was happy. Back in his childhood, he had never thought how much he would miss his one and only mother.

"Kurapika, sweetie, what have you done?" she spoke, kindly, as he looked at her wide-eyed. "You should be somewhere else now."

"But, I-"

"Yeah, yeah, your sister, right?" she cut him off. "I know, she can be reckless most of the time, and I'm glad you protected her. But that's not the way, she needs you right now, at her side."

Kurapika's eyes opened.

"Think about her a little. She'd lost all his family now," the mother continued. "She must be devastated."

"You're right..." guilt shone in his blue eyes.

The mother sighed, looking lovingly at his little boy. Well, he was still little for her, he was a grown up man now. She was kind of sad of the thought of leaving him again, but she was well aware of what was the best for him.

And when she hugged her little child... She realized now that he had changed a lot from when he had twelve. Thinking of everything he had done... How proud she felt!

But still, she was angry with herself... To be absent in such an important part of his life...

Well, it wasn't something she could change, was it? At least, there was something she still was able to do...

"Live your life, remember, and say 'hello' to Hitomi for me, okay?" she told him, surprising him. Her eyes watered, but managed to smile. "I love you, don't forget that."

"I love you too."

He then felt her lips pressing against his forehead and his eyelids drooping, as he felt a lone, cold tear slidding on his cheek.

After a while, he came to himself and, weakly, opened his eyes.

Kurapika looked at his right just to find Morel and Knuckle staring at him wide-eyed. He then moved his eyes and spotted Killua and Hitomi hugging.

"Damn you, Killua," he said in a raspy voice. Both teens jumped at his sudden voice. "Taking advantage from a dead man..."

The girl froze there for a minute while the boy looked at him in shock. She turned around in a slow motion, watered eyes looking at him before she gasped. Her lips curved in a wide grin.

"You are alive!" she shouted.

He yelped a little, since he still was a bit sore, but chose to bear with it. He smiled at the sight his sister burying her head against his chest and hugged her as well as he could.

"How dare you?" she cried. "Next time don't bother to revive, because I'm going to kill you instead..."

"Well, sorry," he chuckled.

She got off him and he tried to move, but no muscle moved at all. He was way too weak to do that.

"Let me help you with that," Knuckle threw his arm over his shoulder, lifting him. "You don't look really well."

"Seems so," he mumbled.

"We should take him to a hospital," Morel nodded. "We should contact Knov."

Hitomi nodded, quickly dialing Knov's number. She talked a little, before hanging up and telling everyone that he was on his way.

"But I can't leave that like this..." he whispered, weakly. "I... I have to defeat Pouf."

"You had already done more than enough. You pierced him with the chain," Hitomi grinned. "And, because your condition, all of the people important for you are safe from him, right?"

"Really?" Knuckle grinned. "Does that mean that we are safe."

"'We'? Weren't you listening?" he said, with a straight face. "She said people important to me, and that leaves you out of his matter..."

"Wha-?!" he shouted at him. "You-!" Kurapika smirked, before closing his eyes. "HEY! How you dare?! You brat! To faint when someone's talking to you!"

The others just sighed. Knov came there pretty quickly and took him with him. Before leaving, Hitomi walked towards him.

"Please," she pleaded. "Save him."

Knov gave the little girl a long look, before smirking.

"Of course I will. He's one of my students after all."

After that, Knov and Kurapika left. Morel and Knuckle looked at each other and nodded, deciding to go after Youpi once again. The other two agreed to go and give Gon a hand.

Knuckle looked at her back and gave a step ahead, wanting to say something. He hesitated a little bit.

"H-Hitomi!" she looked at him after being called. "Are you okay?"

She looked at him for a while, before smiling warmly. Knuckle looked at her and blushed a little at the sight.

"Yeah, thanks for everything," she brushed her hair out of her face. "Take care!"

When she walked away, the older boy realized it. The sight of her laughing beside Killua remembered of that scene seconds ago: when he helped her.

Knuckle's heart stopped when he saw that: Hitomi was kneeling down next to someone lying in the floor, who Morel recognized as Kurapika quickly. They ran at her side, just to notice the horrible state in which she was. Distant, dull red eyes from where tears were flowing, without any sign of stopping. She didn't even react when Knuckle placed his hand on her shoulder.

She wasn't here anymore, her soul at least.

"Hitomi, what happened?" no answer. "Come on, answer please!"

He tried desperately to make her react, but it was on vain. He clenched his fists, he had never felt that useless in his entire life.

That was when the brat entered in the scene. He froze in his spot when he looked at the girl and narrowed his eyes when he realized what was happening... Or at least he guessed.

"Hitomi!" he shouted in worry, before turning to Knuckle. "What's this?"

"I don't know..." he whispered. "I... I just found her like this..."

"Okay," he ran to her, with a calm expression. "Get out."

Maybe a little rude, yes, but he had no choice but to obey. He looked at the little teen and noticed that, little by little, he managed to make her react. He even got from her that her brother was dead because of his Nen ability.

And then they hugged, Knuckle's heart burning in his chest. He bit his lip, looking away.

At the en remembered that he was useless at that time. She was gone at that time, and it was Killua's voice the one that brought her back...

Not his.

"Like a star..." he thought, as the girl walked away. "She shines so brightly... so beautifully... But I will never, never be able to just touch her."

He then looked at Killua, who was smirking as well.

"I give up. You win, Killua," Knuckle smiled, sadly. He wiped a tear that rolled down his cheek. "I never realized that, before all of this started, I had already lost."

Morel placed a hand over his student's shoulder. He nodded, before starting to walk along his master.

"Well, then," he sobbed a little. "If I get out this battle alive, I'll start again. I'm going to look for another girl... and maybe one older will work as well..."

Hitomi blinked, as she looked at Killua. Said boy had just broke some wires and was... charging up. It was true, she could tell by looking at the sparkles surrounding his hands, but...

Let's just say it was not normal for a boy to do that.

"Once I'm charged up, Hitomi and I are going back to Gon," he spoke as she nodded. He turned to Meleoron. "You go help Knuckle. Pouf is outside the barrier, so it's very likely the big guy was taken out. Review the situation, then you and Knuckle decide what to do, and whether to retreat."

"Wh-What about you guys?" he stuttered.

"Once Gon is in that state, he won't budge. At worse, he'll trade his life for Pitou's," the ant gave him a worried look. "I'm kidding! It'll be fine. I've always got the magic word, 'Kite'! I have it under control."

But the chameleon-like ant was aware that he was lying all along, but chose to not ask further. He gave them a thumbs-up, before he was gone.

As soon as he left, Hitomi sat on the floor leg-crossed. Her eyes didn't leave the lighting in Killua's hand, since she had nothing better to do. Absent mindedly, she remembered everything that had happened in the last half hour...

It sure had been a long day.

"Hey, how are you feeling?" Killua asked, all of sudden.

She looked at him, feeling a little shocked. Realizing what he had done and what he had said, the albino boy looked away, blushing in embarrassment.

"Fine, I think. I don't know what came over me," she shrugged. "Also... uh... Thank you."

Killua's eyes opened.

"You helped me way a lot out there. I'm kinda surprised, though," she continued, smiling warmly at him. "You were being gentle, for a change."

"Shut up, idiot, this is getting weird!" he shouted at her, in a tsunderish manner as always. "It's normal to help a friend! Just normal! I already told Ikalgo, we don't need to thank each other."

"Oh, sure," she rolled her eyes in disbelief.

Killua was annoyed at her attitude, but chose to not say anything. A while after that, he withdrew his hand from the wire.

"Okay," he spoke. "All charged up."

"Good, has been a long while," Hitomi stood up and stretched herself. "Let's go."

In silence, the pair got out the room and ran through the halls of the huge palace, after making themselves sure that no one was following, of course.

Killua then stopped suddenly in his tracks. Hitomi stopped a little ahead, turning to look at him in wonder, before noticing it as well.

"Someone is watching us," he whispered as the girl nodded. "And it's probably someone we know."

"That we know?" Hitomi tensed. "Who in hell...?"

The preteens walked and stopped in the corner of the corridor, from where they felt being observed. Hitomi peered, but found no one.

Then, Killua took off his pocket a yo-yo - which Hitomi had never seen before - and let it roll into the hallway, so they could use it as a mirror.

After a little, a shadow appeared, walking closer. They held their breath, as the person's footsteps got closer and closer to them.

"Wait," Hitomi blinked, recognizing the person. "Isn't that Palm?"

"That's true," Killua nodded, shocked. "But... looks like... she was captured by the Royal Guard... And she's been transformed!"

"And if Gon sees her like this... If the transformation has reached her heart..." the girl added, in worry. Killua winced at the thought. "What would happen to him?"

He then straightened up and started to walk, since he needed to know if she really was the Palm they all used to know. There was hope after all, since she had approached them herself.

"What are you-?" she whispered at him, but it was late.

The boy was in front of the ant. Hitomi bit her lip as she forced herself to remain quiet, in hiding.

"Palm must have sensed either Hitomi or me before we noticed her watching us using that power she told us about before," Killua thought. "I thought she could use some kind of divination to locate people, but it probably closer to her position, Palm shouldn't have been able to see me. The only conclusion is that she was watching me by some other means."

Killua looked at the girl at the eye, who stopped.

"Palm?" he acknowledged her.

Hitomi narrowed her eyes.

"That's good. If she were an enemy, no matter how much she tried to hid it, she would have reacted differently," she smirked. "She must remember Killua!"

"Killua, yes?" she smiled, surprising Killua. "Where's Gon?" at the thought of it, she grimaced. "Once he's seen what I've become, will Gon hate me?"

"Gon doesn't judge people by appearances," the boy placed his hands on his waist. "And you're assuming that he doesn't already hate you."

The girl in hidding Hitomi shook her head from her spot. She was about to walk towards her when she heard her talking.

"You're always so spiteful..." Palm retorted. "Well, it doesn't matter. I have nothing to gain from your pity. Speaking of spiteful, I see that Hitomi isn't here with you. Where is she?"

The Kuruta tensed, opening her eyes in full capacity as well as Killua.

"Why can she see me, but can't see Hitomi? She was right at my side!" the boy was shocked. "Wait, she can't see Gon either?"

The girl kept still, deciding to not jump in there.

"Was it a chance that you happened to find me?" the boy asked.

"Huh?" Palm was confused. "What are you talking about? You're the one who turned the corner."

"Wrong! I sensed you watching me. That's why I came this way!" he argued. "You noticed me first. Why are you lying?"

Palm frowned at his question. For the girl in the corner, that wasn't a good sign at all.

"Troublesome brat... Just where is Gon?" she spoke, angrily.

"Answer my question first."

Hitomi frowned as well, at the sight of a tense Palm.

"Did we notice Palm watching us only when she physically saw Killua? Does that mean Palm actually saw him and only him once, then immediately left? Then she used clairvoyance to watch him follow her, and turned around so it'd look like she was approaching Killua?"

"For the last time..." Palm was pissed off. "Where's Gon?"

Killua frowned as well, as he swung his yo-yo to his hand, gritting his teeth.

"I won't tell you. You're an enemy, aren't you?"

Palm then exploded in anger. All of sudden, her hair started to grow and wrap around her, surprising Hitomi a lot. It then hardened, it turned to be a dress-looking armor.

"Why in the hell did she put an armor like that?" Hitomi raised an eyebrow. "She looks like a scary princess..."

Killua swung his yo-yo at her, but didn't manage to hit her. The young woman just broke it with ease by punching it, surprising the boy.

She charged at her, but a wave hit her on the chest. Palm split blood, stepping back because of the pain.

"Well, well, what do we have here?" Hitomi smirked, standing next to her friend. "The yandere girl is not in her 'dere-dere' state, I suppose."

Palm smirked as well, wiping the blood out of her face.

"So you were here all along, right?" she ran to them. "No problem!" she hit them both and spun around. "I'll kill you both!"

They tried to fight her, but it was really difficult. Even when they were fighting two against one, they were losing pretty badly.

"What now? Will you die without a word?" she land a kick in Hitomi's back, who fell in the floor. "Will you die after speaking?" a hit threw Killua against the wall, leaving a crater.

Palm then stood in front of the two.

"Or will you just die?"

Hitomi gasped for air, while getting up.

"Hey," she groaned. "Isn't there an option in which we all live happily after?"

Not only Palm, but Killua glared at her too, raising an eyebrow.

"Got it, got it... There isn't..." she released a long sigh.

That battle was a tough one. They did their best to dodge and block, but it hurted like hell, and even made Killua's nose bleed when he tried to block one. Hitomi avoided a hit and made a quick movement, managing to finally punch her in the chest.

CRACK!

Killua's head snapped towards the sound and got really shocked. The younger girl was grimacing in pain while Palm was just smirking.

Hitomi then jumped back, holding her hand tightly against her stomach, doubling herself in pain.

"Great," she groaned, trying to stand still and forget her hand. "I already have a broken bone."

"It can't be..." the boy mumbled. He then looked at Palm and frowned. "Hitomi only punched her... Is her armor that hard?" he looked at the bruises in his own arm. "If the fights drags on, we'll be at a total disadvantage. But I can't run away... Gon's mind is already at its limit!"

Hitomi glanced at the boy by the corner of her eye, understanding as well. If he met Palm like that... Something terrible would happen. Gon would finally explode.

"We can't let them meet," Hitomi mumbled and Killua nodded.

"Yeah, even if Palm's heart is still there..." the boy clenched his fists. "It'll have a negative effect now!"

Palm charged to them, cartwheeling as they tried to avoid, but got hit by the little rocks that got flying because of her. Hitomi jumped dodging a punch while Killua avoided a kick by rolling in the floor.

The ant went towards the boy, making the girl panic.

"Killua!" she called.

Palm gave him a hard kick, and released a thick cloud of dust. Hitomi, however, sighed in relief when she spotted him sticking in a wall, like a cat would do.

Taking advantage of the cloud, the girl jumped and tried to hit her by a sound wave. Palm was hit and she took advantage of it as well, so went to punch in the face - the only part that was not wrapped by hair.

The ant reacted quickly, though. She held her fist and spun Hitomi around. The girl leaped in the air before standing meters away from her.

"Palm!" Killua called her all of sudden. "Why are you looking for Gon? Depending on why, I might be willing to tell you where he is."

Hitomi didn't take advantage of that distraction, because she herself wanted to know it. She chose to simply keep her guard up.

"Huh? Why are you asking now? There's no reason..." the female smirked. "I just want to see him. He's probably nearby. I'll find him myself. Once I've killed you both!"

"Seems okay to me!" Hitomi exclaimed.

The females charged at each other, not thinking about anything anymore. However, Hitomi felt something wrapping in her hand and dragging her away of the battle.

She looked at Killua, as well as Palm, confused at his actions.

"Please, stop for a little," he whispered at her.

Hitomi looked at him like he was nuts for a long while.

"Sorry, Palm!" he said to her. "I panicked and called you an enemy... But even if you look different, you're still Palm, right?"

Palm's eyes flew opened. The other girl just looked at her in surprise, it looked like that his words had hit her hard.

"Gon is suffering. Someone he deeply respects was completely transformed. That person had his soul taken away. Right now, Gon is facing off against the one responsible!" he explained. "If you appear before Gon looking as you do now..." he paused for a little. "Gon will... totally snap."

Now it was time for Hitomi to be worried. Killua's expression had changed radically. She couldn't even see his eyes, because they were covered by bangs.

"So you have to call him by his name first. You must say, 'Gon'. That's the condition," his voice came out like a whisper. "Tell him you're okay. Before we entered the palace, Gon was really worried about you. Give him some peace of mind."

Killua had never realized how much affected by this situation he was until now. But, after starting voicing out the situation, his feelings and the truth started to come out without even wanting to.

The first tear rolled down his cheeks and hit the floor.

"Help... Make him feel a little better, if you can..." he sobbed a bit. "Only you can do that now! No one else... can do it..."

His knees then hit the floor.

"I can't... DO ANYTHING!" he then shouted.

Out of shock, Hitomi stood still next to him. She had never seen him like this... Crying hopelessly in front of someone else... In his knees... In such a broken state.

She was aware of what was happening, though. He had just broken. The sight of it broke her heart as well.

"Killua!" she finally reacted.

Following only her instincts, she hurried over her friend and kneeled down next to him. Quickly, she reached him and hugged him tightly, embracing the shaking boy. He didn't say anything, just continued crying in her chest.

"Hiding his pain like this... It was kinda logical he would break anytime soon," she looked at him. "It looks like he always was the one suffering the most..."

She watched Palm's fist clenching, so she tensed up. She hugged Killua tighter, before releasing him, glaring at the ant in determination.

"He has been hurt emotionally more than enough," she stood in front of the boy, her eyes shining scarlet. "I won't let anybody hurt him again, even if it's just physically! But..."

Palm's face remained straight for a little more.

"Who are you?" Hitomi whispered. "Just, who are you?"

There was still silence. She looked at her, determination shining in her red eyes.

"We had a few problems with her, that's true, but Palm was different. She had emotions, she had a heart..." Palm twitched a little at her words. "You are not Palm! And I want the real Palm back!"

Palm didn't react, leaving the girl releasing a sigh of surrender.

"Then, if Palm is dead, you leave me no choice," Hitomi got in a fighting pose. "I can't let you hurt my friend, Killua, nor leave the other one alone in that body that used to be hers... So, Palm... Please... Come back!"

Minutes passed by like hours, but no one said anything.

That was until Palm's eyes regained his characteristic shine.

"Shut up," she spoke. They both looked up to her, in surprise.

That was when Hitomi noticed something else: there was a little-Pouf flying next to her head.

"I am Palm Siberia," she frowned, before turning angrily to Pouf. "I'm not Number 1! I will never become a pawn for you ants... Even if it costs my life!"

And like that, the young girl punched the little Pouf, and he shattered into smaller parts, before disappearing from their sight. The other two didn't say anything, just looked at her.

Slowly, Killua got back in his feet at the same time the armor made by hair vanished into thin air.

"Killua... Hitomi... Thank you both," she smiled at them. "There was a wall inside my head. My emotions were separated from my body. I couldn't do anything about it. I've been like this since I woke up. You removed the barrier."

The youngest ones were too shocked to speak. The woman focused mostly in Killua.

"Don't say that there's nothing you can do," the boy's eyes went wide at her words. "If I can do anything to help Gon, I'll be happy to. But you must not forget that Hitomi and you are the ones that Gon needs most."

Killua didn't move nor talk, just kept looking at the female ant with wide eyes. Hitomi looked at the boy, before letting a smile out.

"Come on, stop grimacing for once," she took his hand, in comfort. "We can get moving instead."

He looked at the floor, nodding weakly and hiding his eyes behind his bangs. Without losing his grasp of the girl's hand, he smiled faintly and the three began to walk away.

The girl kept a tight grip on Killua's hand, as they walked through the halls along Palm hoping to find someone. That's when they all stepped back, avoiding being crushed by a falling tower like pancakes.

That was when the two teens spotted a familiar ant, who looked at them with wide eyes. He then blinked at their wrapped hands.

When they noticed that, they instantly broke away.

"Ikalgo!" Hitomi tried to cover up that. She smiled, before pointing at Palm. "Look."

"Palm..." he whispered, relieved.

They then sat together in a spot where they remained hidden from the other ants. After then, Hitomi did her best to fill Ikalgo up, leaving out the 'sentimental parts', like when Killua broke down.

"I see. But I'm glad to see you," he turned to Palm. "You returned to us. Then, as planned, I'll take you to Peijing by car."

"Ah, don't bother," Hitomi went on, without any expression. "She said she wants to stay."

Ikalgo was surprised after knowing that.

"Well, she'll certainly be useful in a fight. In terms of raw offensive power, she has Hitomi and me beat..." he mumbled, in annoyment.

"Did he admit that-?" Hitomi blinked, in surprise.

"Probably..." he added.

"That's him alright..." the girl facepalmed.

Ikalgo was the next one to blink his eyes at Killua's statement and Hitomi's reaction.

"To be honest, I want to go to Gon at once," Palm admitted. "However... I'll wait. I'll respect his wishes..."

"His wishes?"

"He's decided to fight Pitou by himself. And once he's made up his mind, that's it. He won't budge," the Zoldyck boy stated. "In return, he performs his best when circumstances are as expected. Which means all we can do is stay out of his way."

"B-But what if-?" Ikalgo was cut down by a female scoff.

"Try to talk Sadako into cutting her hair and dye it with the brightest shade of pink you can think of," Hitomi rolled her eyes. "You have a better chance..."

Killua just ignored her sarcasm and nodded.

"If he gets into serious trouble, we'll immediately rush in to help him."

Drops of cold sweat rolled down Ikalgo's head, but chose to remain in silence. The whitehead sighed, before standing up.

"We're looking for Knuckle and the others," he said, as the other two girls stood up as well. "Want to come?"

"Absolutely," the ant nodded.

At the sight of the two males smirking at each other, Hitomi chuckled. It was kind of relieving to see Killua alright again.

"Well then, let's go guys," she began to walk away, and the others followed.

Hitomi stepped in the room along Knuckle and Killua, since Ikalgo and the others were somewhere else, hidden. Inside it were a bloodthirsty Gon with Pitou and the other girl, who was awake now and looked totally clueless of the situation.

"Gon, want me to use Chapter Seven Bankruptcy on Pitou?" the older one asked, raising his fist charged with Nen to him. "If there's an escape attempt, I can track Pitou down. And if Pitou tries to fight back, APR will protect you."

The nameless girl panicked at the sound of his words.

"Thank you, Knuckle. But it's okay. I trust Pitou..." he spoke, emotionlessly, before pointing at the girl. "So until Pitou and I have met with Kite, keep an eye on her."

Pitou's eyes widened in shock and fright.

"A-Are you talking about me?" said girl pointed at herself.

But the question went unanswered, just gaining a raised eyebrow from Hitomi.

"Once Pitou turns Kite back, we'll let her go," Gon turned to Pitou. "I'm sure you're also willing to trust me, right? Pitou?"

Shaken out of shock, the ant nodded. Knuckle freaked out a little while the other two just frowned. They had never dreamed of the day that Gon would take someone as a hostage.

Hitomi released a long sigh, walking towards the girl and helping her up since she was blind. Well, you didn't have to be a genius to notice that. She even stayed with her eyes closed for that simple reason.

The blonde one put a hand over her shoulder, guiding her as they walked out the room. She felt a little guilty when she noticed her shaking a bit at every step.

"Have a name?" Hitomi asked, kindly. The other girl jumped in her spot. "Do you have a name?"

"Ko-Komugi..." she mumbled.

"Kokomugi?" she joked, and the girl shook her head in embarrassment. "Isn't? Well, Komugi, that's it."

Once they reached their destination they stood still along the others who were hiding, waiting for Gon to say something.

"Pitou and I will go by ourselves," dull, dark eyes gazed at Killua. "I'm counting on you, Killua."

In a normal situation, he would just smirk and say something, but he wasn't able to. His voice was that cold that he just couldn't recognize it... He wasn't the friend he used to know anymore.

As he walked past Hitomi, without a word, guilt hit her chest. It was awful... She would prefer being insulted, hit, shoot, killed... whatever but this. His friend had just ignored her, not recognizing her as one as well. Treated like trash...

Well, maybe that was what she got from yelling that things like that.

And without saying anything else, she saw him jumping along Pitou and leaving. Little did she know that memory would get stuck in her mind forever.

In the other second, Gon was gone.

"You sure about this, Killua, Hitomi?" they just gave Ikalgo a look as response. "You aren't going with Gon?"

"It's okay. That was always the plan," Killua's sapphire gaze didn't left the place in which Gon had been little before. "And I feel better after hearing what he's doing."

"You mean the hostage?" Knuckle asked.

"Yeah. The danger would be if we went along and Pitou managed to capture one of us. Then she would have the option to exchange hostages," he continued, before pointing at Hitomi. "And as an extra problem, we have that idiot. Someone, including herself, would end dead if something happens in a frenzy attack."

Hitomi looked at him, as he was nuts.

"You are-!"

He glared at her, and she sweatdropped.

"... probably right..." she mumbled, in irritation.

Knuckle frowned.

"It's all right." Palm reassured them. "Now that I've seen Gon with these eyes, I'll know immediately if something happens."

"Besides, Pitou won't abandon her," Hitomi patted Komugi's shoulder, startling her. "In other words, he's safe. Solved problem."

They all returned to the tower, in Zetsu state, while Meleoron and Knuckle were using God's Accomplice. That was when Pouf got into the room, looking for something or someone like mad, making the others hide further.

In a flash, Knuckle used punched him and placed APR on him. Palm then showed herself and looked at him, with a serious expression.

"I've seen you once before. Before I was placed in the cocoon," she placed the palm of her hand over her right eye. "So I can see you, no matter where you are."

That was when the female ant saw something, that made her jump in her spot. Right then, Pouf disappeared into tiny particles.

"The King... is alive!" she gasped, surprising everyone. "Pouf's main body is with the King!"

Komugi had still no idea of what was happening. Well, she now was in Killua's back, who was standing next to Hitomi, Knuckle, Ikalgo and Meleoron, all holding hands to be unseen thanks to God's Accomplice.

The violet-eyed one looked at the millions of Pouf, that looked like ordinary dust, and sighed.

"They are looking for someone."

"He must be after Meleoron," Knuckle stated. "Since, from their perspective, he's a traitor."

"You can't be that sure. There are a million of possibilities," she spoke. "It could be Ikalgo or Palm as well, since they are on the same position. Maybe it's us, trying to rescue Komugi. Who knows, he can also be after Pitou because he doesn't know that she went with Gon. Or maybe-"

"Hold on," Killua cut her ramble down. "Let's make sure."

"Wait," Hitomi blinked. "You can't be thinking of..."

Sadly, he was. That was why he was now standing on a roof with his hostage, staring at the clones in determination. When they spotted them, they merged together in one body and charged after them.

But in a flash, he was gone. Electricity ran all over his body, using Godspeed to run away.

That was when Pouf felt a huge wave hit his body, throwing him to the roof. He looked up to the source, just to find the blonde girl. She had her hands stretched at him, like she had just attacked.

"Missed me?" Hitomi grinned at him. "Let's hope you still remember me..."

Pouf just gritted his teeth, before flying away. Hitomi pouted a little, using her enhanced speed to run as fast as she could, still way behind Killua.

"Then, if you are ignoring everything else that bad, that means that she is your target," he smirked, pausing his running for a bit. "I'm up for a game of tag. I can go all night."

That was when Pouf splitted himself up again, so they started to run away. Hitomi, from the distance in which she was, did her best to help him out by waving her bracelet around to hit the ant, but was useless.

Hitomi looked at the ant and the memories of Kurapika falling, dead, hit her mind. It was exactly like then.

"Cease this futile resistance," Pouf shouted. "Your plans have already been thwarted!"

Hitomi's teeth gritted. What the hell was he talking about?

"What is the point to your transgressions? If it is the fear of retribution driving you to flee, you needn't worry," he went on. "The King will forgive you. He is a benevolent ruler."

"Don't make me laugh! You think I'll believe that!" Killua snapped, turning his head over his shoulder. "You'll probably tie us to a tree, and turn us into soldiers!"

Komugi frowned at the conversation being developed in front of her. Pouf smirked, since everything was going like he had planned. Now, he needed them to keep running and getting the girl as far from the King as possible.

"Your twisted sense of justice will never help the people! The King and I seek open dialogue. Now, release her at once!"

"Open dialogue?!" Hitomi growled. "The only thing open you have is your mouth, just to eat us all in the most disgusting way we can think of!"

Killua couldn't understand what was happening, until the girl he was carrying around started to hit the boy and move to free herself.

"Please put me down!" she started pulling Killua's white hair as Hitomi blinked from a far away spot. "Something's wrong with you! You're all tingly!"

"What are you talking about, fool?!" he yelled at her. "I'm trying to save you!"

"You're lying!"

Hitomi gasped in disbelief.

"Are you kidding me?!" she shouted. "You mean that you find a bunch of carnivorous insects more reliable than us?! Are you blind?!"

"Insects?" she asked her, still struggling. "What are you talking about?!"

Hitomi's face fell.

"... Now I remember..." she sighed. "... She is blind for real..."

Killua tried to endure the pain and the urge to hit Komugi for good. Angrily, he turned his head towards Hitomi.

"Hey!" he shouted. "Do something, Dummy!"

"What do you want me to do?!" she shouted back, a little pissed off. "I'm literally meters behind you! You run way too fast!"

"Run faster, then! And use that pretty thing called brain that you always brag about!"

"Oh, sorry for not being the genius here!" a vein popped up in her head. "Why don't we start with something like 'Hey, don't freak out, but you've been living in a castle filled by giant ants whose favourite dish are raw, living humans'? Seems a good idea to me!"

Hitomi shut up, but not at her own accord. She watched Pouf charging at Komugi, as Killua quickly stepped back before she could get injured but hitting her with the back of his head by accident, knocking her out cold.

Killua stood still, as his friend took advantage of that to reach him and stood still at his side. Hitomi looked at his murderous expression and frowned, Kurapika's face flashing in her mind.

Her eyes shone even redder.

"He wasn't aiming for me... He was aiming for the woman," Killua looked at the ant. "He was trying to kill her!"

"Komugi-san! The enemies consider you a valuable hostage," Pouf shouted. "They will not kill you... Keep struggling! Keep fighting back! I'll save you soon!"

"You won't have any luck doing that," Hitomi said, as Killua placed the girl in the floor. She stood behind the boy, pressing her back against his. "She is unconscious now."

"Well, I have no idea what's going on here, but I know that you're making me mad," Killua jumped, spinning around with his foot full of lighting, managing to create a ring around them three. "If you enter this ring, I'll kill you."

Pouf charged at them and Killua quickly used his electricity to burn his cells and take his eye out. That was when, out of nothing, quick sound waves hit him, making him stumble against the wall, chopping his arm off.

Shaiapouf then noticed it, the girl had her hair somehow sizzled and stood up in the mid air. He then looked at her hand - the one that wasn't broken. It was wrapped in Killua's, like they were both sharing their Nen.

"I'd never noticed how useful sound from the electricity can be," Hitomi smirked along her friend, as the sparks flew around them. "And since it's everywhere, sound waves are everywhere as well."

And like that, waves of sound and blue sparks surrounded them and instantly transformed itself in some kind of shield that Pouf wasn't able to pass through.

"I'll call this the second round," the girl spoke, with a serious expression.

End of another lame chapter!

First of all... FOOLED ALL OF YOU GOOD! Kurapika is alive now and everyone happy XD I mean, I would never be able to kill him (for real at least) because he still is one of my favourite characters and if he died, I would die along him :(

Sorry, sorry... Please don't hit me because of this...

Anyway... Reviews!

Last Future of Embryo: I'm glad you liked it! I mean, I was kind of insure because you know, Gon's outburst is a scene that is awesome, true, but really difficult to write. I was really afraid of not being able to trasmit the feeling to the readers... I completely agree that Gon is also great and his development is something awesome... Now that I think about it, it's true that he would do an excelent antagonist! I haven't noticed... But you know, for me no one can beat Killua, not even Gon (Sorry, a Killua fangirl is he one talking here XD) Anyway, thanks for the review and I hope you enjoyed this chapter :D

JokeLover123: He is not dead after all XD Sorry for letting you thinking that! Yeah, Hitomi was really mean even in my opinion (sometimes she can be a real bitch), I hope you still can tolerate her... Anyway, thank you for reviewing! Hope you liked this one!

Mr. Kohen: Thankies for the review! Happy you liked it too! Next chapter will include the episode 131 and I really hope it turns out well (because that scene is one of my favorites too). I wish you had fun here :D

SoulXHunter: How could I kill him? Killing him XD Just kidding, he is just alright. Nanika won't have to heal him :D Sorry though for Hitomi's bitchy personallity, I just can help but writting about her that way (I guess it makes me as bad as her, lol XD) Thanks for reviewing and I wish you liked this chapter!

Terra-Vail: Hehe... I don't think I have that high quality in storytelling, but thanks! I'm glad you liked that part (it took me awfully a lot writting it). Thanks for writting a review and I hope you liked this update :D

Guest: Don't cry, your sunshine is alright now, he got away alive from my hands XD I not that mean (I'm a little bad, though). Thanks for the review and I hope you liked this chapter :)

Veno: *Backs away* There won't be a funeral scene because, you know... he still alive... *backs again* It still counts, right?... Thanks... for the review... and hope you liked... a bit at least... And please, don't kill me... *runs away*

havanatitiana: Yeah, she had already a breakdown... that counts, right? Anyway, thanks for reviewing and I hope you liked this :)

Elisablackcat (34): Exactly that XD You still have to love Killua! Thanks for the review! Hope you liked the chapter:D

Silent Readers: Thanks for reading! Wish you have fun:D

See you all later!