(FEW HOURS EARLIER)

After the fight ended, the Jester couldn't look away from the Kurta woman.

Her platinum blonde hair, the sweat glistening off her peach-like skin, the hazel-grey eyes staring back in disbelief at the man. The best part here is how flustered the woman was, how easily she embarrassed herself.

He enjoyed every minute of this.

As Hisoka watched the woman's eyes finally snap back to reality, all he heard was an embarrassing shriek; her hands pounding on his chest as she became disoriented.

"Let me go!" She demanded, "You p-pervert!"

Hisoka grinned ear to ear, "You should know me by now, Vivi-chan; I literally have no shame. If you think this is perverted, imagine what I can do to you behind closed doors."

He noticed her complexion turning red from the words he said. Shaking her head frantically from side to side, she eventually managed to get out of the Jester's grasp, standing a couple of feet away, pointing at him like a stuttering mess.

"You stay there!" She shouted, "Don't you dare come near me!"

Whenever Vividus acted like her usual flustered selves, Hisoka felt he was beginning to get relief from this torment. Hisoka loved to see the poor kurta woman react like that, he couldn't resist such comical behaviour.

After he cornered the woman once again, he felt his shirt suddenly being pulled backwards. He looked back only to see Hizashi. His bright green eyes staring at him with an eyebrow raised.

Hizashi asked, "You finished torturing her? Because I believe you broke her mind."

"Aw, but Hizashi-kun~," Hisoka purred, "I'm just getting started!"

Rolling his eyes, he would begin to drag Hisoka away from the flustered woman. As he brought him to the opposite side of the arena, he would throw him toward the chairmen, who was seemingly enjoying the scene being brought before him.

"You can torment her another time. This woman needs punishment." He said with a sigh. "Besides, Gaia wants you to meet her in her studio. Netero, are you free to accompany him?"

"With pleasure, dear boy!" The old man laughed and turned to Hisoka with a silly grin. "Come, young man, we have so much to discuss!"

The chairman left the stadium as Hisoka followed. But before leaving, he couldn't resist a glance at the platinum-blonde before he left.

He could just see Hizashi working Vividus hard while screaming at her to get her squats done. But despite his yelling, the young woman looked absolutely stunned. His eyes pierced towards Vividus as the woman turned toward Hisoka. Her hazel-grey eyes stared at Hisoka in a way that his own eyes couldn't.

Hisoka couldn't resist licking his lips in delight, leaving Vividus stunned once more by all she saw was a wink from the Jester. Hizashi is confused as to why she is again in this state as Vividus backs up against the wall.

Seeing the poor woman again get flummoxed, Hisoka couldn't but help but laugh. As the Jester was satisfied with the results, he left the arena with a large smile on his lips.

~.:x_X_x:.~

After circling the airship, Hisoka kept the chairman closely in his sight. Watching the chairman like a hawk as his footsteps echo through the hall, Hisoka couldn't help but be a bit overjoyed to be there.

He walked behind the hunters' association leader, and it was upsetting to see that he wasn't allowed to fight him. Sure, he's assisting the hunters, but there's a part of him that wants to get a good fight on right away.

However, he did promise Vividus that he would behave himself;

Hisoka was a man of his word.

"Tell me, Mr. Morow," interrupted Netero, "I am amazed that you accepted Vividus's offer, why did you accept it?"

Hisoka glanced at the Chairman, shocked that the old man had suddenly asked a question. He smirked lightly and paused for a moment before deciding to inquire about it.

"There are a couple of reasons; Not only would I get some cash, I also get to see Vividus in her prime, which is an opportunity I wouldn't want to miss!" He admitted thoughtfully, "Also, my fruits in Heavens Arena are not quite ripe yet, so I decided to do something else while waiting for them to ripen."

As he noted in his comment, he expected the chairmen to react with disgust, but instead, they laughed wildly.

"What an interesting reply!" he bellowed, laughing more which caused Hisoka to sweatdrop a bit.

'Does he always laugh at everything?' thought the Jester, his head leaning to one side.

"You seem to be a man of integrity Mr. Morow," Netero said, smiling as he looked at the Jester.

"No wonder Vividus liked you so much."

Hisoka enquired in response to the chairman's words; "Does she now?"

The old man stroking his beard nodded as they walked down the corridors. "My lips are sealed." He said, zipping his lips tightly.

The Jester was eager to know more, but before he could, the chairman and Hisoka abruptly stopped. Looking upward, all the Jester could see was a fairly large wooden door with earthy tones. Netero smiled and placed his hand against the wooden doors.

"We're here!" He exclaimed, opening the large doors before him.

Upon entry, the chairman opened both doors wide open and entered the room. With hisoka observing behind, he would raise an eyebrow and follow, wondering where the man had taken him.

The moment they entered, Hisoka glanced around the area. As he took in the view before him, he could not help but let out a small whistle.

He found the room quite intriguing; there were several trees and ponds in the middle. As he continued walking, it appeared he saw butterflies flying all around the room (as if inside a conservatory).

Walking farther, they came to a platform with a desk and large rolls of different fabrics adorning the walls. Yet, despite her youthful appearance, Hisoka could tell that the woman she looked up to was much older than she appeared to be.

He acknowledges that the woman standing in front of him was attractive, but still his attention was on Vividus.

While writing down some notes on her desk, her emerald green eyes sparkled as she noticed Hisoka and the chairmen entering the room. The woman spoke enthusiastically, turning to the two men as she left her desk;

"About time you got here, I was getting impatient."

"No need to be rude, Gaia," replied the Chairman. "Hisoka just returned from a match with Vividus: Give him some slack."

"Oh?" she asked, staring at the Jester. "And how did that go?"

"It was quite a victory, I must say." The man purred, his mind spinning as he remembered Vividus's look.

"Victory?" Gaia repeated. "What is this fool talking about?"

As the chairman approached the woman, he whispered all the details to her ear. He explained what had happened during the duration of the fight. Gaia first nodded her head in understanding, taking in every detail offered by the man. But soon, her eyes widened in shock as the gossip became more intoxicating by the moment.

"He didn't!" She exclaimed.

"Oh, he did." Netero grinned and whispered wildly. "But here's the best part," he said.

Whispering further gossip into Gaia's ear, the Jester saw an amusing look on her face. Staring at her, the Jester saw a glint of approval in her eyes.

She nudged his arm as she walked up towards him and asked, "You wanted to win badly, didn't you?"

Looking down at Gaia, he didn't know what to say, as he shrugged his shoulders and didn't answer her question.

"Who knows." He chuckled to himself.

Her eyes rolled and she snorted. "How cruel of you Hisoka, now I have to check up on the kid to make sure she's okay."

Hisoka replied, raising an eyebrow, "I'm sure she'll be fine. Besides, I don't see any problem with this."

Gaia stared blankly at the man in front of her, not impressed. "You idiot, what do you know about women?"

Imagining the platinum blonde, Hisoka licked his lips in delight.

"Oh, believe me, I certainly understand women in...different ways."

Hisoka suddenly felt pain in the back of his head due to the perverted comment about the Kurta woman. He slowly lifted his head, shocked that Gaia would have the audacity to hit him.

"Do you want to die?" Hisoka asked as his perverted grin turned into an angry scowl.

Gaia huffed, her hands on her hips and her chest forward. "As if you can kill me, you stupid child."

As they stared at each other, Netero stared between the Jester and the Earth Element user. Letting out an awkward cough, the Chairman would give a sigh and both fighters snarled.

"Even though I would love for you two to fight, I think we should get down to business here. Gaia, you still need to take his measurements for his clothes. Hisoka, while she does that; we need to discuss your role." he noted.

Netero's words caused a sudden change in attitude within Gaia as she bowed to him. As she continued to walk away from him, He watched her gather the materials for his measurements. After gathering them, she instructed Hisoka to stand on a platform.

"Stand here and raise your arms straight. The Chairman will be providing you with one-on-one details regarding your role on this mission while I take your measurements."

"Oh? So I get my own debriefing?" Hisoka grinned, "I feel so special."

"Oh shut up," Gaia barked, taking out her measuring table. "Just pay attention to what he has to say."

Hisoka looked up at Netero sitting on a stool in front of him. As he chuckled, he would nod his head and do as he was told.

"Tell me, what do you remember from Vividus's Water Memory ability?" Netero asked.

"Besides your long tangent and Hizashis hatred for the criminal organization, the only thing that appears relevant to me is that Vivi-chan is keeping a tight watch over...Esther?" Hisoka asked, looking to the side.

"Correct," Netero said, "Anything more?"

"Yes, the meeting went into fascinating detail regarding Esther's experiments about the Nen Beasts, as well as the White Garden Project. I must say, I never realized your organization would get involved with such matters." Hisoka noted, "We are hunters after all, however, what I don't understand is what this mission has on your team that led you to take on this job!"

"You are correct, we are hunters! Those who have proven themselves through the exam are now considered elite members of humanity." Netero nodded his head. "However, when the government is offering us work; it's not an offer we can refuse. Particularly with so much on the line with this mission." He sighed.

"How so?" raised Hisoka's eyebrows.

"You see, regardless of our profession and what we hunt; in a way in order to keep the balance and our resources we have now. A Hunter's job is not only that of looking for treasures and hunting what we seek. But true Hunters dedicate themselves to the protection of knowledge, people, and nature. A 'hunt' can range from a task commissioned by a client to one ordered of the higher-ups of the organization, to a quest a Hunter goes on their own volition."

"Volition you say?" Hisoka asked, feeling Gaia measure his torso as he raised an eyebrow, "If that is the case, what is yours?"

"Oh, I'm quite a simple-minded man, Mr. Morow!" Netero chirped, playing with his beard, and soon smiled at the Jester;

"I like winning."

"Winning?" Hisoka asked, blinking.

"Winning," Netero said, concluding his words.

As he clapped his hands together, the room suddenly grew dark and dim; soon, a hologram appeared out of nowhere; showing an image of Esther and Sairo, the leader of the Dragurs.

"Unfortunately, The Dragurs believe that they are the strongest nen-users in our time. Despite their plan regarding the White Garden Project, and nen-beast experimentation; they believe that they are the true hunters of our time...but I reject this statement."

Hisoka suddenly felt a rush of ren emanate out of the chairman. Looking back at Gaia, he could even see her hands tremble a bit from his sudden burst of annoyance and power.

"They want to tip the scale and wreak havoc, and for that, I cannot simply idle by and let them do as they please. Especially when it involves exposing Nen to the public eye. Nen is considered a dangerous power that is kept hidden from the public at large to maintain balance in society. Not some magic trick."

The Chairman's aura suddenly spiked. Not because he was trying to intimidate the Jester, but because he was passionate.

"They are only children, people that think they are the leaders of the underworld. But as you can see, the moment they decide to come up to the surface, we are there to take them on and eliminate them. I am a winner, Mr. Morow, the world is balanced in a way, despite hardships, wars or other events that took place within our time."

Netero finished his last statement, finally controlling himself and his aura, the room no longer suffocating and overwhelming as before. As much as Hisoka wanted to soak in the aura of the old man, he was disappointed to find it ended so quickly.

Besides rescuing the children kidnapped for the White Garden Project, we aim to capture and bring in the others involved. I am still worried that Vividus' life is at risk. So I needed someone who would kill without remorse to save her; that's why I asked her to bring you in."

"Ah, there it is," Hisoka said, putting his hands down as Gaia finished taking his measurements. "That's why I don't seem to understand, Mr. Chairman. What's so special about the Kurta survivor?"

"You've seen her abilities for yourself, haven't you?" Netero asked, eyebrows raised.

Gaia now appeared beside the Chairman with a tray of tea in her hand. Passing it over, he thanked her and sipped from the cup of warm fluid; letting out a small sigh of contentment.

The hologram changed, now showing various pictures of Vividus and her battles at Heavens Arena.

"You see, her Aquatic Power is unsurpassed. You have no idea how fearsome her Water Control is. Especially when she is near the sea." He explained, "We already know Esther is all about Vividus, we know that she will do anything for her personal gain.

Although I wanted to keep the child away from these activities; the eyes of her brethren are involved. In addition to her being a blacklist, she is also seeking revenge. I care for her, but I can't get in the way of her own version of volition."

Netero was no longer playing with his beard. His eyes stared into Hisoka's golden hues. He raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms over his chest. Staring at the man before him.

"At the current moment, this mission is like playing chess. Both Sairo and I are the players and as you can see, neither of us wants to lose. I am unsure how far Sairo will go in order to sacrifice his pawns... but I'd rather not lose anyone on my side."

"Are you aware that this mission is extremely dangerous, right?" Hisoka taunted, raising an eyebrow. "From the way you and your hitman squad are descripting the Dragurs, one way or another someone is going to die."

"Oh yes I completely understand, and you see... I am a stubborn old man. I would rather not lose anyone on my team if it is possible." He sighed, "Mr. Morow, your role is to act as Vividus's bodyguard. All I ask is that you make sure that Vividus makes it out of his mission alive. No matter what happens to him, I ask that you protect her in any way necessary."

Hisoka grinned, surprised at the words that escaped his lips. "I'm allowed to use whatever means necessary?"

"Whatever you think would be best," Netero said, looking at Hisoka straight in the eye as he meant every word.

As he held onto his head, all Gaia and Netero could hear was laughter echo throughout Gaia's bedroom as the Jester let out an unsettling laugh.

"My, you are indeed an interesting man, Mr. Chairman." Hisoka laughed, "You are supposed to protect others, and you are letting me do whatever I want to ensure Vividus' safety. Let alone killing others. How hypocritical of you." He teased.

At that very moment, Hisoka couldn't help but to grin even more. After noticing the old man's cocky smile turned into a twisted grin, he let out a small laugh and stroked his beard again.

"Don't get me wrong, I stand by what I said about protecting others and saving the innocent," Netero said, "However, Members who belong to or associate themselves with Dragurs are not worth protecting, much less saving. Mr. Morow, if I'm being honest with you, their deaths are insignificant to me."

~.:x_X_x:.~

The Chairman dismissed Hisoka after the briefing and let him go back to his room for the evening. Watching him leave the room, Gaia sighed in relief, relieved that his suffocating aura was no longer there.

Looking back at the old man, she saw him hop off the stool he was sitting on, then walked over to the window and stared at the sky distantly.

"Mr. Chairman, what the hell was all that all about?" Gaia asked, standing by his side.

"Whatever do you mean?" He asked, smirking as he slipped his hands into his kimono sleeves.

"That debriefing," she said bluntly, "Honestly, now that I have seen Hisoka up close, I don't understand why you think Hisoka will be beneficial on this mission."

"Oh?" he inquired, "Please, explain."

"With all due respect, Hisoka is a psychopathic serial killer," Gaia said, lowering her gaze to look at the ground. "He gets turned on by fighting others, let alone killing others for fun. Hisoka would compromise the mission."

"I think you just gotta have faith," He said, shrugging his shoulders,

"Faith?" Gaia laughed, "I'm sorry sir, but I'm seriously questioning your choice right now. Vividus is at risk and you entrusted her to a clown, why are you so confident that Hisoka out of all people will keep her grounded?"

For once, Netero didn't have any sassy remarks or an immediate response. She blinked a few times, wondering why the strongest man in front of her is actually quiet, white noise behind them became unsettling as it intensified around the two figures.

Upon hearing him let out a small sigh, Gaia would look up at him. His brown eyes bore deep into her own emerald green ones. She was looking at her in a way that made Gaia surprised at how his expression was filled with determination and confidence with his words.

"I am certain Mr. Morow will take good care of Vividus, seeing how he has looked at our beloved Kurta woman," Netero said confidently, "Despite what their paths may bring, they have always stood by each other regardless of their differences. Both of them always kept an eye out for the other from afar."

He then chuckled softly, looking away from the woman to gaze at the crescent moon rising in the sky. "According to an old friend of mine, I remember her telling me that their fates are always intertwined;

Just like the red string of fate."


[Author's Note]

Ok so, the reason why I've been so behind with the updates, is not only I've been working through this pandemic.

BUT I AM PROUD TO SAY THAT I FINALLY FINISHED REVISING THE CHAPTERS!

*insert confetti here*

I have added new scenes in certain chapters and changed up certain scenarios to make the chapters and the flow of the story better. If you have the chance, reread the chapters if you can! If you can, that would be great :)
I've also been working on the Kite x OC story, and I also may have been brainstorming ideas for a Golden Kamuy (I REALLY RECOMMEND THIS SHOW) x OC fanfic and a Sukuna (from Jujutsu Kaisen) x OC fanfic...so stay tune :3

I LOVE YOU GUYS AND APPRECIATE YOU ALL! THANK YOU FOR READING MY FANFIC UP TO THIS POINT.

AND REMEMBER, STAY SAFE EVERYONE!