Chapter 65 – Dangerous Combinations


''Gin. You look wonderful tonight.''

''You came. I was almost afraid you wouldn't.'' I admitted, although deep down I knew there were ways of me summoning him, planting the idea in his head to the point that he thought the idea was his.

If Hisoka knew how deep my hold on him was, would he kill me?

That was the question.

Countermeasures will need to be done. But this was not the time for that. When I approached him the night before, I threw caution to the wind and gambled Gon's safety.

But what was the saying?

Keep your friends close but your enemies closer.

In exchange, I got to keep my powers in relative secret from the Phantom Troupe as summoning Shizuku to come to me meant that I will have to kill her afterwards. No one else, especially those I have marked should know my control over them.

Hisoka chuckled lowly, cocking his hip to the side and shrugging. ''Your wish is my command.''

''I think we're past that now, Hisoka. We both know your only command is yours.'' I tilted my head to the side as the world raged around us. ''What do you want in return for my favour?''

A fight to death? My brother's life? Chrollo Lucilfer's head on a plate? Perhaps my head on the plate?

Hisoka smilingly shook his head. He lost some weight and yet instead of making him look weak, it made his features sharper. More dangerous. Under the nightlight, his skin shone like marble.

''Seeing you is enough.''

I scoffed but didn't push. There will be time for his favours and capriciousness later. ''If that is all then, you may leave her here.''

He chuckled but somehow I just knew that the order hurt and aggravated him.

After Chollo Lucilfer has been cleared out of the equation, the plan was that we would be sending Shizuku to the Mafia's custody, to do with her that they will. I can imagine vividly of the horrible things they can do to a woman like her.

There was a pinch of conscience within my chest which I quickly smothered, reminding myself that the same girl could deliver the same horrid things to others. She was hardly an innocent being.

And yet by doing all this, neither was I.

I turned away from the redhead and gazed at the city sprawled before us. Total chaos. Most buildings had lost their lights, angry and infuriated shouts rang out from the hubbub here and there. Gunshots and bursts of explosions continued. Most came from the rest of the spiders as they tried to stay their ground.

In a flash, the redhead materialised next to me, peeking down to the ground far below us idly.

''Why didn't you join them?'' I asked him softly as if I didn't know why.

I liked him when he talked. Not for any romantic notions but for the chance he may give himself away. I had made the mistake of taking him only in face value and memories alone. Made the mistake of not reading him as clear as I thought I did.

He watched me with amber eyes, cold and calculating like a viper's stare. One rainy day while we were keeping warm in Zevil's island, Bean once said that snakes stare at their owners when hungry.

An unwanted memory of Hisoka back in his room at the Heavens arena surfaced up in my consciousness but I fought away the discomfort and met his stare. His mouth curled into a close-lipped smile before he glanced down to the streets below us and over where the sound of fighting continued.

''I'm tempted now that you and your little shadows are here.'' He said expectedly. With a flick of his hand, a battered card appeared in between his fingers, the Queen of Hearts. ''I want to know how strong you've become.''

Hisoka, who lived for the thrill, he would not find easy pickings thrilling at all. To him, fighting the mafia's men was like swatting flies, or having little cheap snacks when he could have a luxury dinner somewhere else.

I gave him a sardonic smile, not rising to his challenge. ''Not strong enough.''

He tilted his head to the side. He let out a low hum. ''I don't know. You seem pretty strong now to me.'' He nearly moaned out the word and my heart beat in caution.

''Are you tempted?''

His smile widened, eyes roving on my face and then to the rest of me.

Very, his eyes fluttered.

I shook my head and glanced down to the streets below us, to the sight of so many lives lost so brutally. From afar, they looked almost like squashed bugs. All the while the red-head studied me in ominous silence, the air coming from him oozed heavily with desire, temptation, madness.

I have influence in his mind and body should I want it. And yet, it doesn't mean I would. Better to leave him to his sensibilities, or lack thereof. That desire he had for me, that mad obsession, I could use that to my advantage.

Besides, he must not know. Not until the very last moment. Even if he killed me, he would die with me. I am determined to keep his life force tight with mine and never let it go.

If I die, will my captured life energies go back to their respective peoples or would they die with me? Would Gon, who was alive now as a result of my manipulations continue to live? It was a field of my power that I have yet explored and remains a mystery even to myself.

However, as far as my experience with Nen, almost everything was based on thoughts and courage. I will just have to find out through training and sheer determination.

I closed my eyes as I took a deep breath, bringing in the scent of blood and gunpowder to my nostils. I caught a series of visions flash in my head. The visions was from Josh, reminding me of the problem the leader of the Phantom Troupe currently posed and the current affairs about the merchandise.

My shadows have told me that the last of the Mafia's Shadow Beasts have been found, tortured and barely alive and more importantly, the merchandise have been stolen.

I finally turned to Hisoka and then with a smile touched by mischief and madness, just the way I know he liked it, I held out a palm to him.

''If you're not doing anything, would you mind doing me another favour then?''

He looked down at my hand and then up to me, eyes expecting.

''Say, how would you rate your acting skills?''


I flew back into the building swiftly. I easily located my brother and Leorio who were both trying to get away from their shadow guards. I took my mind off them quickly, telling myself that I would sort them out later. Killua was the same, engaged with trying to side-step his own shadow guard, electricity snapping at his fingertips in annoyance.

With a sigh, I ignored them for my plans.

Hidden with my Nen shroud, I entered the Great Room where the leader of the Phantom troupe and the Zoldycks were and watched them behind the tall beams, closer to where the shadows were thickest.

He held his thieving book in one hand and a strange mantle in the other as he ran around, evading attacks that are nearly invisible to follow. Only my Nen and my brief time with Netero made me more able to follow their movements. The old geezer can be goddamn fast when he wanted to and I was pretty sure he wasn't even doing his fastest then.

The only reason I had beaten him once was because of thedefensive nature of my Nen and because I aimed to end things once and for all, marking him for dead and letting him know it.

Sometimes I wonder if letting go of my mark on him was a good idea.

Even if my shadows and I weren't interested with the fight, it was still impressive to watch the three below me.

Impressive and scary.

The hits coming from the older Zoldyck were fast and strong, and in a normal setting, would definitely kill me. Just him holding on to his Nen filled the air with energy so thick that you can barely use it for breathing. His every hit shook the earth.

Nothing new but it was still impressive.

My Nen shroud would be helpful to avoid attacks like his but will I be able to emulate them one day? To be as strong and impressive as them one day?

I shook my head and watched them, memorizing and following, learning.

'Learn your opponents at every opportunity, my dear. Not just how they fight but how they talk, how they walk, how they laugh, what ticks them off, what doesn't. What they like to eat, how they eat, how many times a day they poo-poo –'

I made a face at him. 'Ew.'

Netero chuckled. 'Only then, you'd know everything about him. His past, his present and his future.'

A smile lifted my lips from the quaint and shining memory before Chrollo Lucilfer once again caught my eye as he ran from Zeno Zoldyck's conjured dragon. It blazed dark violet in its savagery. Meanwhile Lucilfer held his book religiously in his hand while escaping the man's attacks. He paused and with last flutter, the mantle from his other hand disappeared with the closing of his book.

He needed that book in his hands at all times and when the book was closed it deactivates the stolen ability. It was an unsurprising piece of information. He probably had a condition made to make his thieving ability stronger.

As the two men ganged up on him, I watched, only transfixed and to be honest, rooting for the Zodycks to kill him. I didn't need him alive for my plans after all and his bounty no longer appealed to our plans. Gon's idea of the two billion reward will be worth little if say, I had the game in my hands.

The Spiders' goal for tonight was to steal the merchandise and to avenge their dead comrade at the same time. I almost felt bad stopping their requiem but them killing so many people to avenge one who was hardly good assuaged that guilt.

Chrollo Lucilfer, if that was even his real name, was stubborn in his desires, I'd give him that. Though, in this case, I don't think it is not all about wanting the merchandise itself anymore. No. This is also about the principle of it. A band of murdering thieves who are unable to thief? Humiliating. It goes against their principles.

But how much does he care for the merchandise compared to his precious legs?

I watched as Killua's father threw two big violet balls of Nen while his father held Chrollo Lucilfer down. I closed my eyes and instinctively covered my face as flying debris blasted around the room and gusted through my shrouded form. The attack caused a resounding boom that quaked the earth.

Then, an unexpected and out of place shrill sound of a phone rang just before the havoc settled.

''Illumi?'' Killua's father answered before his eyes fell on their target who effortlessly got out of the rubble. ''He's right here.'' He was silent for a moment as he listened to the other person on the line, unfazed. He ended the call and pocketed his phone. ''The Ten Dons have been killed.'' I frowned as the man continued. ''You can wire the money to Illumi's account as agreed.''

''Aren't you supposed to kill me?'' I turned to Lucilfer and found him smiling. A red gash was on his left cheek, blood dripping from the cut. But other than that and his clothes, he looked unharmed. Instead, he spoke with that honeyed voice and brought a flutter of deep irritation in my chest.

Two powerful men were after him and he had no hint of fear. I was impressed, jealous and annoyed.

''Do you think we do this for pleasure? I refuse to work for nothing or die for nothing.'' The old man scoffed as he picked a small piece of rock off his robes.

''Did you know that I hired Illumi to assassinate the Ten Dons?''

''Of course.'' The old man linked his hands behind him. ''But that's irrelevant. We simply do the job we're hired for. ''

''Then, can I ask you something? If we fight,'' he paused, smile twisting. ''One-on-one, who would win?''

''Most likely, I will win.'' The old man smirked, ignorant of my growing turmoil. ''Unless you decided to actually try to kill me.'' He clicked his tongue and shook his head as if brushing off an annoying a grandchild. ''Honestly, you are one cheeky child.''

Cheeky?

The Zoldycks made to leave but paused at the sight of Josh by the double doors as if they have completely forgotten his presence during their fight. Their eyes narrowed.

Finally, the old man spoke. ''Are you just going to watch the whole time?''

I materialized above my shadow summon, still garbed in my Nen-shrouded form. Killua's father blinked, recognition sparking his eyes before he carefully blanked it while Zeno Zoldyck seemed unsurprised.

I ignored them both and with more vitriol than I initially intended, I threw Chrollo Lucilfer's precious members in the middle of the room to tumble freely and fall.

The head of the Phantom Troupe observed Hisoka and Shizuku from afar and I tried to read as much as I can from him as he did. His eyes scanned the motionless bodies of his comrades (if he even refers to them as such).

Save from the scratches and dirt from tumble, their bodies sustained no other injuries. His dark eyes glanced up and met mine and I knew that he knew that no battle happened. The two were taken before they knew what was even happening. In his eyes, I saw sharp intellect, motivation and interest.

Dangerous combinations.

I hoped that he knew that I can easily do capture him too once I had my hold on him. Which right now, being in my area of En, I did.

But I was not stupid enough to allow myself the arrogance. Who knows what sort of things he had in that book of his?

He took a step forwards and then stopped. Three pairs of penetrating eyes watched me from the other side of the room with a hunter's precision.

Seeing that I made no move to start the conversation, he finally spoke: ''Who are you?''

The silent shadows within the room gurgled as if they were in the stomach of a great shadow demon. I stabilised my hold on the four walls that surrounded us again so that it will be harder for him to get away. Undecipherable whispers and hissing emanated from them. I bent down to my shadow summons's ear and whispered.

Just as we practiced. Say it, my shadow child.

For a moment, nothing happened except for a growl emanating from his chest. Then, finally, an imitation of Hisoka's voice, made flat and gravelly came out of my shadow summon.

''I offer you a bargain: your precious members for the merchandise. Choose.''


The silence was suffocating at first and then his voice echoed. ''Check mate.'' There was that smile again. ''How did you do that?'' He asked, face pleasant and innocent as if he was only asking for the weather. And yet, he was asking me to talk and slip out as much information as possible – information that he would piece together until the curving and tapered edges of my words sharpen, pointing at my neck.

''Hurry up. I am impatient.''

A tensed silence once again. He took out something from his pocket. The yellowed parchment rustled as he opened it, steady brown eyes quietly scanning the page.

Behind him, the shadows read for me, whispering it at my ear.


The Calendar loses a precious component.

The remaining months gather to mourn.

The mourners play a melody

As the eleventh moon rises with the lady and her shadows.

The chrysanthemum withers and falls,

To lie on black ground beside bloody Scarlet Eyes.

But you will remain supreme

Even after losing all your limbs.

Do not pursue the dark one in the interlude.

Search out new allies.

East is the direction to go.

You will find one who awaits you.


A fortune. A blue-haired girl flashed in my head before her image phased out but I knew enough to go by.

A fortune-teller.

That did not sound well.

I motioned left, letting him see the rest of his limbs, floating vertically in the middle of a nimbus darkness with their eyes closed. They were running when I captured them, were they dreaming still of running away?

''The merchandise. I won't ask again.''

He watched me for moment, eyes scanning down from the top of my head to my arms around my shadow summon. I purposefully hid the rest of my levitating body behind him. Then Chrollo Lucilfer pocketed his piece of information and then released an uncharacteristically loud sigh. He spread his arms out, casting me a small agreeable smile.

''Alright.''

He started to walk towards us, stopping until he was near in line with other two assassins who stood in the middle of us like referees. With no flourish or pomp, the leader of the Phantom Troupe reached down to his other pocket and took out a small pouch, tied up at the top like a dumpling and deposited it on the floor carefully. A few beats later, he calmly stepped back to his original position.

My shadows rushed in and the two Zoldycks jumped away in instinct. The ribbon was untied and the contents of the sack spilled out great and glimmering jewels and bric-a-bracs. I didn't let myself linger. My shadow creatures threw away the mantle towards Lucilfer who merely watched it disappear in the air as if by his will. If he was disappointed that I simply did not take the merchandise with the mantle, he did not show it except, perhaps, through a smirk.

''My members?'' He motioned to his motionless friends.

The shadows receded. Hisoka and Shizuku was pushed towards him until they were both at his feet while the image of his other limbs faded out from the shadows.

''They are just outside of the city. You can find them there.''

''Will they be alive?''

The answer nearly left my lips but then I remembered who I was speaking to. ''Why won't you go and find out?''

He stared, weighing me in, asking himself if it was worth it. The air between us tensed as Josh under my hands also stiffened, preparing himself to battle. But then as fast as a blink, Hisoka and Shizuku appeared over the leader's shoulders and then they were all gone from the Great Room.

I followed his presence disappear out of the building, racing towards the edges of the city and to their precious hideout. Only when I was sure he was gone did I remove myself behind Josh, levitating towards my loot, ignoring the two other men in the room.

Killua's family did not feel threatening. At the back of my mind, I idly wondered what were they thinking but then thought little of it as I summoned out my Nen surrounding the entire building and removed my shadow army happily loitering outside.

I continued to circle the stack of merchandise before me and picked up a random box which had a lock of hair (again) inside. I threw it over my shoulder, disinterested. I checked out a necklace of pearls next and with a hum also threw it away.

Our sea men find bigger pearls from home and they always go about giving them away to the children to play with as marbles.

''You've grown quite strong, ojosan.'' Zeno Zoldyck broke the relative silence.

I paused, turning to them and let another heavy jewel fall from my hand before I fully turned to execute a bow politely. I also materialized back into my original form so they can see me in my normal – grown up – glory.

I haven't forgotten my visit to their abode, nor the spyware Kalluto attached to the once-beautiful dress that they gave me as a sort-of-apology gift after their torture – their brand of hazing, probably.

Also, I don't remember checking but I am certain that Killua's home was littered with security cameras.

So of course, they knew me.

But so long as I stayed a precious friend to Killua, I had a feeling they won't hurt me. Or at least, if they plan to do so, they will make sure it will not come back to them.

''Thank you, Zoldycks-sama. It is an honour to finally meet you, although I am afraid not in friendlier circumstances.''

Killua's father let out a low, vibrating chuckle while the older man only leveled me with a stare. ''I am glad to finally meet one of Killua's precious friends as well.'' He said, deep blue and almost violet eyes smiling warmly at me. I blinked before looking away, suddenly feeling shy until suddenly, I felt him coming.

''Uh-oh.'' I said as I turned towards the double doors with rising dread. The two older Zoldycks disappeared without a word just as a flash of electric blue light exploded in front of me. Killua stood there and his gaze, a blue-filled tempest, landed right on me.

''You!''

I scrambled to my loot and rummaged the items until I found a rectangular piece, resembling a normal JoyStation. I grabbed it and stood up, smiling widely at Killua who suddenly appeared right in front of me.

I placed the game between us and waved it at his face. ''Oh, hey look at thi—''

Killua grabbed my ear, twisted and pulled.

''Aw! Aw! Son of a— Ouch! Let go!''


AN: Dangerous Combinations, indeed. This was meant to be part of the previous chapter but I had it cut off. I know some of you wanted to see CL and GF fight but with the fortune and his 'limbs' weighing over Chrollo's head and because the two are so careful in general, I don't think they will fight (I mean, look at Silva and Chrollo in canon). However, there were many, many ways things could go wrong (especially for Chrollo when fighting Gin at night and pissing her off).

I will think about the reviews/requests you made guys! Thank you for your kind messages and I am glad you are enjoying this story. What do you think of this new chapter?