It doesn't take long for them to devise a plan and set it into action.

Si and Gon are acting as bait. Si will stay at the hotel where the Scarlet Eyes are in case the Troupe manages to find the Nostrade's reservation again, while Gon will be closer to the Spiders' base. Whichever one of them manages to draw out the Troupe will contact Kurapika. Melody is partnered up with Killua to do reconnaissance on the psychic woman, Pakunoda, and Leorio's in charge of driving Kurapika around. All in all it's not a very concrete plan, but it's the best they can come up with on such short notice.

They disperse one by one. Killua leaves first, followed by Gon and Si. Kurapika and Leorio leave last to meet up with Melody.

Si runs all the way to the hotel and steps into the lobby with time to spare. She's not expecting the Troupe for another hour. Even if they're on the Hunter website, they couldn't possibly have found out the room number yet.

As she steps inside the suite, she finds a man already in there. He identifies himself as Squala, Kurapika's coworker. After a quick exchange with him, Si finds that the man is all too eager to leave her to guard the apartment alone. It hardly takes him a minute to high-tail it out of there. She makes a mental note to tell Kurapika to find more trustworthy coworkers, although she can't deny she's grateful it was that easy.

Once she hears the door click shut, Si lets out a sigh. Her shoulders slump a little and she sags against a wall, grateful for the small reprieve. Keeping up with Kurapika and Gon is an arduous task. She's sure Killua and Leorio would agree with her. Since meeting the four of them, she's been thrown from one adrenaline rush to the next with scarcely a break in between.

Si lets out a light laugh. In a way, she and Leorio are the begrudging parents of the group. Killua's usually trying to protect Gon, but he doesn't always choose the best way to do it. Kurapika's surprisingly reckless whenever the Spiders are in sight, and Gon...well. She loves the kid, but he's extraordinarily impulsive and reckless. She swears he's going to give her a heart attack at some point in the very near future, if he doesn't straight up get her killed.

She supposes, though, it wouldn't be such a bad way to die - protecting someone she loves. That's how she'd wanted to go when her friends had been killed. Not that she's planning on it any time soon. She still has far too much left to accomplish, far too many promises left to fulfill.

With that reminder, with that glint of silver gleaming in her mind's eye, Si straightens. The Spiders could be coming any minute now.

Groaning, she rolls out her neck and closes her eyes briefly, accessing the full power of her Nen. En is exhausting, but she'll need it if she's going to warn Kurapika in time.

Her En flares to life. She stumbles, hand shooting out to brace herself against a wall. After such little rest, her body is paying the price. She'll need to be careful about using her Nen, at least until she can get more than four hours of sleep. Which, she thinks grimly, might not be for awhile.

The next several minutes pass monotonously by. Si stares straight at the door to the suite and keeps a close handle on her En. She's careful not to let herself get distracted, for well does she know the disaster even a fraction of a second's delay could cause.

As the minutes grow from five to fifteen to thirty, Si pulls out her phone and pulls up Kurapika's contact. Her thumb hovers over the send button of the text she wrote. If the Spiders are coming, they'll be coming soon.

It's scarcely a minute later that she senses a bright array of colors emanating from the elevator three floors below, rapidly ascending. At least two Spiders, maybe three. Her thumb hits the screen and she tosses the phone on the couch. The Spiders would've felt her En, so there's no point in trying to hide. She needs to hold them off until Kurapika can get here.

The silence grows thick with anticipation. It holds its breath; waiting, waiting, waiting.

There's a knock on the door.

Si says clearly, "Just kick it down. Nostrade can pay for it."

There's a low chuckle, then a crash as the door splinters and three Spiders step into the room. Chrollo first, then Pakunoda and a small, shadowy figure with one eye peering out from a mop of blue-gray hair. Probably a weaker or new member tagging along for the experience.

Chrollo smiles. "We meet again."

"I keep wishing we wouldn't," she replies.

It's true. On the one hand, there is no repaying what Chrollo did for her three years ago. Yet he and his Troupe have slaughtered, tortured, and stolen from hundreds of innocents. She can't let that go unpunished. Chrollo's actions towards her don't redeem or excuse what he's done since.

Yet...yet the part of her that is still that small, terrified, girl protests.

She glances at the other two members, eyes alighting on the smaller one. "What is that you're holding?"

"Oh, this?" His one eye shifts up to look at her. He lifts the cover of the object he'd been holding.

"But that's..." The Scarlet Eyes. She glances back at the table. The container holding the Eyes is still there. "Mine are fake, then?"

The figure nods. "I made copies of all the merchandise sold in the auction hall. The one I'm holding is the original. It's how we found you. My copies also function as En."

"Kortopi," Pakunoda scolds, "Was it really necessary to tell her all that?"

The small figure, Kortopi, shrugs. "I don't see why it matters one way or the other."

Si barely hears them. Her mind is racing. Copies of all the merchandise? The amount of power that scrawny figure holds must be enormous.

"So," she says casually, "I'm assuming you didn't just come here for a friendly chat."

Kill time, she reminds herself. You don't want to get into a fight until Kurapika's here.

"We're looking for the chain user," Chrollo says. The faint smile he'd held vanishes and his expression chills to ice.

Si tenses, recognizing an unavoidable fight is approaching. Chrollo won't let her stall them. In that case...

She lunges forward. She moves so fast the glowing of her fist isn't even visible until Kortopi drops like a stone. Rainbow flashes behind her and she ducks, hearing the rush of Chrollo's arm pass above her. She spins around and leaps over Pakunoda's outstretched leg as it comes towards her.

The next few seconds are a blur of movement. She, Chrollo, and Pakunoda fight at a speed almost impossible to process. Only Nigg's intense training enables her to keep up with the Spiders. Even then she can feel herself flagging. She has had neither the experience nor the training they have. Although her power is vaguely comparable to theirs, fighting two against one is only ever good when you're part of the two.

Pakunoda appears to her right and Si puts her fists up to block the incoming punch, but nothing happens. Confused, Si focuses on Pakunoda for just a moment too long. She sees her opponent's eyes drift backward-

Something glints out of the corner of her eye. She looks down. Freezes.

"You're smarter than I thought," Chrollo says, sounding pleased. "Yes, the knife I'm holding at your neck is coated in a poison that could paralyze a whale instantly. You're wise not to want to try it."

She stays still and silent. Her eyes briefly drift over to Kortopi. He's still unconscious.

"You see, when Pakunoda first checked you, we didn't understand. Machi had told us you were connected to the chain user, but Pakunoda's power said you weren't. It was only recently that I realized why that was."

Chrollo shifts behind Si, but the knife doesn't move. "He hadn't yet revealed himself as the chain user. We didn't realize just how secretive he was. But now, here you are, standing beside the Scarlet Eyes, in the very hotel his employers are staying in. You can't hide it any longer."

"Hide what?" Si asks, praying that Kurapika shows up soon. "That I think you're a complete dick, and a murderer to boot?"

Chrollo's silent for a moment. She can feel his eyes watching her, assessing her. "Really, Si, that's hypocritical coming from you. Have you forgotten what happened three years ago?"

The cruel, sadistic grin on Illumi's face; the blood staining the ground, staining the woman's clothing, staining Si's vision red.

"Don't you dare. Don't you dare bring that up."

"Why not?" He's as unaffected as ever. A spike of hatred shoots through her heart. "I am the one holding the knife, after all."

She almost snaps back with something spiteful, but stops herself. She needs more time for Kurapika to get here. It's been, at most, three minutes. Even if he sprints all the way here from his hiding place, it'll take him longer than that.

Chrollo's gaze bores into her back for a few seconds.

"Pakunoda," he says finally. "Come here."

No, she thinks, eyes widening a fraction. No. If Pakunoda touches her, they're done for.

Even though Chrollo already knows Kurapika's name and face, the information she could give them - his powers, his limitations, his personality - would render Kurapika helpless against them. She cannot allow that to happen.

Think, she tells herself. She needs to think of a way out of this. Physically wresting herself out of here is an impossibility with a poisoned knife at her throat, but maybe-

Pakunoda's hand touches her cheek. "What do you not want us to know?"

Think!

She stares at Pakunoda.

Think!

And closes her eyes. The thoughts, memories are stirring up, shaken by Pakunoda's prodding touch. Red eyes-

No. No.

Think, Si!

Red hair. Red hair and golden eyes. Pale skin and pale hands shuffling pale cards. Soft laughter and rare, genuine smiles and jokes. And...and that letter, burning in the fireplace. Flickering ash mixed with it was all just a game, I never wanted you.

She vaguely senses Pakunoda's confusion, hears her ask again, "What don't you want us to know?"

She thanks God Pakunoda sticks to that word choice as Si slips back into her memories again.

Si reaches deep into the recesses of her mind and dredges up every memory she'd never wanted to think of again, every thought she'd never wanted to see the light of day. Hisoka, Illumi, her mother. Alluka and Satoshi and the gate to the Zoldyck mansion.

She forces herself to remember every embarrassing moment of her life. She forces herself to remember every thought, every idea, every memory she never wanted to reveal to anyone.

She forces herself to remember everything she doesn't want these strangers to know about her.

Si shows Pakunoda every flaw, every tear, every scar painted on her body. She tells Pakunoda the true story of Illumi - the story she'd never fully, truly told to anyone. She describes Chrollo as he saves her; describes the blood painting the alley more vividly than she'd ever dare tell willingly.

At last she finishes. At last she has gone through every mar in the story that is her life. She has spoken of every lie she told, every laugh she stifled, every sorrow that broke her. At last she has told Pakunoda of things she'd never told anyone before: of Hisoka's letter, of her mother's curse, of Illumi's last crime.

Compared to that, Kurapika's identity is nothing.

Si opens her eyes and realizes she's short of breath, as though she'd just ran five miles without stopping. Pakunoda is staring back at her, but the rage Si had expected is absent. She sees only her own pain mirrored in Pakunoda's dark eyes.

Chrollo looks at them expectantly. He obviously knows something's gone awry, but he waits for his friend to speak first.

Finally, Pakunoda tears her gaze away from Si and looks at Chrollo. Her stance is strangely lax still, her eyes unfocused, but her tone is steady as she speaks. "I wasn't able to find anything."

"Why?"

Again, no anger. As Si thinks about it, she supposes she wouldn't have expected him to lose his temper over that.

A small smile turns up one corner of the other woman's mouth. "I should've worded my command more carefully."

He sighs, looking begrudgingly impressed. "Nicely played, Si. However, you've gained nothing for your effort. I still have my knife at your throat. All I need to do is tell Pakunoda to try again, with a clearer command this time. Her Nen ability will work, whether you like it or not. We will get what we want from you."

Dammit, Kurapika! She thinks. Hurry up!

When Si remains silent, Pakunoda steps forward again. And this time, they all know there's no escaping the inevitable.

Si grimaces. She really hadn't wanted to resort to this, but... "Hypnosis."

The soft lights of the suite catch on the silver chain about her neck, setting it aglow.

Si locks eyes with Pakunoda, watching as they begin to dull, then drift away as though seeing someone in the background. Chrollo's grip loosens and the knife clatters to the ground, very barely missing Si's foot. She wrests herself away from Chrollo. Her eyes flick between the two Spiders. She hesitates.

Hypnosis isn't meant to actually hurt anyone; it's only supposed to distract. She'd wanted to do it when Kurapika had actually gotten here, but she'd run out of options. She knows, however, that she doesn't have much longer. Once a person realizes the hallucinations they're seeing are false, her ability stops working.

She glances back at Kortopi. He's still clutching the Scarlet Eyes. Should she take them and run? Or should she continue to fight, even if Kurapika doesn't come? Her lip stings as she worries it with her teeth, clenching her fists.

Chrollo's face shifts from pain to confusion.

She doesn't have much more time - seconds, maybe even less. She takes a deep breath and makes up her mind.

Thud.

Si spares an instant to watch Pakunoda's body hit the ground. It's an instant too long. Si instinctively ducks just in time to watch a pen hit the opposing wall with enough force to crack it. Although no Nen shrouds its form, she knows that the speed with which it was thrown would've been enough to incapacitate her.

Dammit Kurapika, where are you? Si swivels around to face Chrollo and is met with a foot in the face. She flies backwards and hits the ground hard enough to render her breathless.

With a grunt, she scrambles to her feet and activates Ren. It's just powerful enough that Chrollo's next blow doesn't throw her off her feet again.

"You continue to impress," Chrollo says as a fist flies by him. "I didn't expect you to be this tricky to deal with."

"You know me, always love to surpass expectations."

The next few seconds are met with silence other than the sounds of dulled, Nen-blocked blows and the click of shoes against the marble flooring. Si concentrates only on survival. Chrollo is extraordinarily fast and she realizes he must've been holding back when he was teamed up with Pakunoda. He's neither as fast as Nigg nor as strong. What makes him difficult is the strangeness with which he fights: Nigg's attacks had a certain rhythm and pattern to them. Chrollo is a complete mystery.

Seconds pass by with neither getting the upper hand, but Si feels herself tire. She endeavors not to show it, but she can feel sweat breaking out across her forehead, can feel her breaths getting quicker and quicker. Chrollo, in contrast, seems just as before; silent, calm, and deadly. No perspiration trickles down his cheek, nor do his movements seem the slightest bit labored.

She makes her first mistake about twenty seconds into the exchange. It sends her flying into the ceiling and she winces as she feels the accompanying crack in her rib. As she falls, she twists in midair and lands on top of him, tackling him to the ground. There's a moment of blind chaos, then Chrollo is kicking her off him and the fight resumes. But now it begins to steadily turn in her opponent's favor. Her rib is throbbing now, not enough to incapacitate her but enough to distract her, and for Chrollo a split-second distraction is all he needs.

He slowly wears her down, hit by hit. Blood begins to drip from her growing amount of injuries, staining white marble red. Her breaths turn to gasps, turn to heaves as the throbbing in her chest becomes a fire.

And finally, Chrollo pins her against a wall, other hand raised to deliver the finishing blow. Torn between humiliation and anger, she stares him down.

"Good," Chrollo muses softly. "Just not good enough."

His hand descends towards her.

And stops.

Chrollo freezes, chokes, and glances down at his chest, where a shimmering chain lies.

Si looks past Chrollo. Standing at the doorway is Kurapika, red eyes blazing.