A/N: Thanks all to everyone following and favoriting. 400+ is substantial, and looking at it, it kind of feels like a landmark for me. It's pretty cool. Double thanks to everyone reviewing too. It's because of all you guys that the story has made it this far. I do reserve a bit of credit to myself though, heh. But just a bit. Seriously, thanks. There will be a long list once we get to the end of this story.

Also, I just want to say, as I've been watching you guys follow this story, there are a couple of names I really had to smile at. Not to call you out or anything (and lol if you see this you definitely don't need to respond to this), but I really liked the usernames of you guys listed here:
youneedtocleanyourroom (yes, I probably do thanks lol)
plzupdate (I get your humor, sir)
particularlynobody
LiarLiarImoto on fire
1800gayloser
ninjacannibal
savageboss (I feel it)

You all are great, just wanted to tell you.

Guest Responses:

guest(2): Haha, thanks for the push. Here is the update.

guest(1): Yeeah, Killua was pretty happy in the MHA world. Thank you for saying so. T.T

i love hxh: Hoho, thank you so much. And heh, there might be a little something like that upcoming. (Also, are you the same person as the below two guests? I'm sort of going off the themed names and I'm not really sure. You should pick a name so I know who you are!)

lol: Drama indeed. :)

Ahh satisfied: I'm glad you liked it a lot. This was kind of an earlier chapter from my perspective, so I'm glad it was still strong! And yup, Killua definitely gave it away there. Aaaand you probably got it by now but definitely their friendship was forming by then... honestly I didn't expect it but because they are kind of grouchy in their own ways they got along. Thanks for the review(s?)! :)

To ReadingWizard:
Your review made me really happy. Like honestly, really happy. I barked a laugh when I read "Do you know them in real life by any chance?" I just saw your review after posting the last chapter, so here's my response to both!

... Actually, I don't know what to say except thank you. This review gave me a lot of good cheer and made food taste better, and gave me some courage too to look on and think "you know, I did something and I can keep doing somethings" . So I was really happy about that, especially when I read it at a low point at the end of finals. So thank you for that and bring on the geekage haha. I hope you keep enjoying the story and never hesitate to post a long review! Cause I love that sort of stuff.

And yup, side note, FFnet actually blocks anything with a dot symbol in it to prevent links to external sites. Kind of funny that it makes it block its own domain name too. :) But I got your point; it made for a fun fill in the blank.

Keep on swinging strong.

Chapter Nine: Investigations

Meanwhile...

"You know," Leorio grumbled. "This wasn't quite what I meant by 'good old-fashioned vengeance'. I thought there'd be a lot more pounding and a lot less research, you know?"

Surprisingly, Kurapika laughed. They had been at the books and internet cafes for a while, tediously gathering information on Mabda and the Yorknew City senate. They were trying to track down a history of Senate actions and any potential political dealings that may have led to Toshkiyo's, Hakira's lover's, death. They were trying to find evidence, and so far it was a painful slog.

Meanwhile, Kurapika had also been training Leorio more in nen, stating sternly that in his current state, Leorio would be unsuitable for taking on any strong enemies. Leorio had to unhappily agree when Kurapika pressed him on the fact that he only knew Ten. Before they could act, truly act, they had to get stronger - at least, that was how Leorio saw it, and the paperwork was only getting in the way.

"You haven't changed, Leorio," his friend said fondly. Then, more contemplatively, "but we have to do this in a legitimate way. If we act without licensing first – we could be the ones the Hunter Association sends Blacklist hunters against, rather than Mabda, the real enemy. I haven't found a bounty on him yet, which is strange enough, but it limits our ability to act."

He was quiet for a moment. Leorio sensed a change to the earlier droning of paperwork and perked up.

"I think we need to talk to the mafia," Kurapika said finally, shuffling some of the papers and passing them to Leorio. "The Yorknew government has been involved with the mafia for a long time, and Mabda's likely no exception. We can follow up on these reports… of special-ability 'guns' recently circulating the market... If this is what I suspect it is, and Mabda is involved, then we'll have good cause to act against him, based on the Hunter Association's rules. At the very least," and Kurapika sounded tired when he said this, "we will have done a service to the Hunter Association by investigating a possible nen leakage, and earned some good-will we can use to find more clues."

Leorio skimmed the paper through his round-rimmed spectacles, long hours of study through medical texts making the police jargon almost easy to read through.

The evidence seemed thin, but as Leorio flipped through report after report, he noticed the same pattern Kurapika must have: impossible shots taken by some of the mafia, with catastrophic destruction almost timidly described in the reports as if the writers knew it wouldn't be believed. It reeked of nen. Soon enough, he had reached the end of the documents and was tired enough of paperwork to be easily convinced that it was the right direction to pursue - especially when, he noted with raised eyebrows, that one of the incidents had occurred near Mabda's manor.

"Alright," Leorio grinned, pounding his fist into his palm as he stood up, ready to get moving. "I'm ready for some action. How about we knock down some of these mafia guys, then?"

Kurapika stretched out, standing, and Leorio realized that the paperwork had also taken a toll on his friend when his brows twitched with the motion.

"Yes," he said. "I think there is enough evidence to investigate."

Some moments later, Leorio waited as his friend began to pull out his phone, drawing on his contacts from the underground auction to determine a suitable location. "Alright," Kurapika said, finally turning to him. "We have a meeting point set up."

A car ride later, in a black-tinted-window sedan driven by mystery drivers, Leorio and Kurapika were led to an underground passageway, before emerging into a brightly lit room, adorned with fine ornaments and plush furniture. Leorio kept looking around, scratching at the back of his neck, feeling underdressed even in his own tweedy black suit. This was some shady stuff.

"Nice to meet you," a man greeted them as they entered. Leorio's attention immediately turned to him, and their guides moved to instead stand by the doorway. He wore a pristine black-and-white suit, shades to match, and a pleasant, polite smile on his face. "My name is Muraoka Iaso. Kurapika, correct? And… Leorio?"

They both nodded, Leorio's stiff and suspicious, Kurapika's cool and collected.

"We are investigating someone," Kurapika said, holding up his Hunter's license briefly before pocketing it away. "We would like to see if we can exchange information. I believe we have something you may find valuable as well."

"Oh?" Beneath his shades, the other man's eyebrows lifted. He gestured to a nearby table, also fancily set and adorned. "Well, come sit, and let's discuss business."

When they sat, Kurapika took over the conversation. Leorio's attention wandered, looking around the room, at all the money that must have been spent on the decorations, and wondering about it. When his eyes flitted over the guards by the entrance, they were impassive, nonflinching. He couldn't tell what they were thinking behind the sunglasses; he was sure that that was the point. Sneaky bastards.

"Senator Mabda!?" he heard the man, Muraoka, finally exclaim, before laying his hands on the table. Leorio returned his narrowed gaze to him. "I'm sorry, we cannot possibly give you any information on the Senator. It would be a breach of trust."

Leorio's eyebrows raised. "So you do have business dealings with him, huh?" he commented. He twirled the switchknife he had found earlier in his pocket, letting it keep his hands busy. "Funny. And I thought he was such an uptight senator, too."

The man's eyebrows disappeared beneath his sunglasses now, so Leorio figured he wasn't happy with the statement.

"Look," Leorio said with a nasty smile, coming in as the bad cop, "Why don't you just tell us what we want? We're Hunters. It's not like you're going to be able to beat us, are you? Why not just tell us what you know, and we'll let you go easy."

The man swallowed, then looked at the knife, then at Leorio, then at Kurapika.

In the resounding silence, however, a muffled thump issued from the other room. Abruptly, the man's attention was taken from them, looking towards the sound briefly, before he shook his head and recentered on them.

"I'm afraid - " he began stiffly, before he was cut off by another thump, then a large bang! and splint. It was the unmistakable sound of a firearm going off, plus the sound of - floorboards shattering? Leorio cocked his ear to the side.

The man's eyes widened, and he leapt to his feet. "Escort them out!" he barked to the guards. He briefly bowed to the two of them, "I will have to make my leave. I trust that this has nothing to do with you - if so, there will be consequences."

Before saying another word, the man had dashed out through the door, practically sprinting, and as soon as the door opened, a cacophony of noise streamed through. It was quite obvious that a scuffle was going on.

Kurapika sighed, then stood. "Let's go see what is happening."

"You bet on it," Leorio responded with a grin. "This is what I've been waiting for."

Ignoring and easily shoving off the attempts of the guards to force them to leave, Leorio knocked the irritants out with a good solid uppercut to their chins. He flashed a grin at Kurapika; he had been faster to act; but the Kurta only stepped calmly to the doorway.

Leorio followed quickly enough, curious at what was going on.

It was pandemonium. The fighting had obviously now moved on from the corridor, but the floor was littered with the bodies of suited men, some still alive, but many with gaping wounds and needles in their necks and with wrangled, broken arms. It sent Leorio's doctors instincts tingling, and his smile vanished. Yet, they had to find out what was going on first before stopping; the number of injuries was too extreme for him to do much alone, anyway. Slowly, Kurapika and Leorio kept proceeding through the hall, taking their time to walk forward to the sounds of still fighting. The walls were covered with craters, wooden splinters formed, and with a keen eye, Leorio saw bullet casings embedded in the center of each crater. He frowned.

Some mafia men ran past them, at some point, charging ahead into a room with an open door. They hardly gave Kurapika and Leorio a second glance. By this point, Kurapika and Leorio were suitably cautious; they sensed a heavy nen aura ahead of them.

"What are the chances that this is relevant to us?" Leorio said lowly, as they paused. "It's not my style to run away, but…"

"I know," Kurapika said just as quietly. "But without knowing, could we turn away?"

Leorio nodded, and they proceeded forward slowly.

A gunshot. Leorio had to dodge away, wide-eyed as it burst through the nearby wall, tearing through the construction and wood between him and the other room like it was nothing. When it landed into the wall just past Leorio, he whirled to stare at it with wide eyes, and there, he saw the bullet deeply embedded in the wood, a deep and explosive curvature concentrated around it, exactly like the other craters down the hall. He imagined what it would have done if it had hit his head, nen defense or not.

That was close.

Yet, at the same time - this was exactly what they had been looking for.

"Nen," Kurapika muttered.

Trading a glance, they nodded, and with greater energy, rushed forward to stand by the door where the painful cries and sounds of fighting were emerging from. A moment later -

There was an abrupt hush, as the noises that had echoed from the room over came to an end. Leorio gave Kurapika a nod. Slowly, defenses raised, Leorio reached over to the door, swung it open, then stood in the doorframe until he could see what lay inside.

Leorio's eyes widened.

Shit.

Illumi Zoldyck stood in the center of the room, holding a suited mafia member dangling in the air by his arm.

.

In another world...

Naomasa stared at the plastic bottle filled with white pills, as he turned them in his gloved hands. His forensics team had discovered them to be identical to the ones found in the yakuza stronghold, the unknown drugs Hiruzen Kato told him Kobayashi needed for his "treatment".

"You're telling me," he said slowly, "that these are 'Vitamin F' pills?"

The doctor, Doctor Kusai and the alleged suspect for this incident, sitting across from him in his own very office, nodded contritely.

"And that these are necessary for those of the… other world to survive here?"

"Yes," Doctor Kusai said softly. Then, obviously feeling the need to elaborate, somewhat defensively, "We were developing them for Gon Freecss, from a plant sample our lab researched from his world."

Naomsa had to fight not to pinch the bridge of his nose, and instead maintained a level and cool expression. "And your lab was able to create this… in weeks? Days?" Then, an eyebrow raised, "Or were you already working on this before Freecss', sponsor contacted your hospital?"

Kusai shifted uncomfortably.

"Well…" he said hesitantly, "our hospital is renowned for our rapid medical development. We have the cutting edge research technologies, and amidst all the other breakthroughs this hospital seems to have... who was I to question it?" Seeing Naomasa's expression, the man persisted, "I didn't know anything about it, I swear. I'm a doctor, not one of the researchers. Director Garaki told me that everything was okay and aboveboard… but I had my doubts, of course, just like you do." Then, growing somewhat more impassioned, first curling in his lap, "And when I voiced them -"

Naomasa raised a hand, and the man cut to silence. He had come a long way from Tokyo to Jaku to investigate this case. It was technically out of his jurisdiction, but given the link to his case and his truth-telling quirk opening doors that had a tendency to not just demurely give him access but instead yank him in and say "get in here, Tsukauchi, we need your quirk", he was here.

"And when you voiced them, you ended up in this position," Naomasa said tiredly. "You really believe you were framed?"

The man nodded again. "Yes."

Well, at least the man was truthful.

Last night, when Tanuma had called Naomasa, there had been a reported outbreak of a new drug hitting the black market. It was exactly the sort of thing Tanuma had been on the lookout for after they had discovered the unidentified drug in the yakuza stronghold. As he had thought, the possibility of a new addictive drug hitting the market had all the police up in arms. There had been a long night of chasing the trail in tandem with dozens of other police departments in Jaku, busting down rookie van drug labs and more subtly insidious pharmacy suppliers, until they had found a seemingly-unrelated allegation of a leak of hospital data at Jaku's very own famous Jaku Hospital. The accusation had led them to Doctor Kusai, who now the hospital administration were claiming had deliberately leaked the new drug's formula for his own personal profit.

By now, it was clear that this was an utter falsehood.

The administration, Naomasa knew, was very powerful and influential, and Doctor Kusai was a lucky man that Naomasa had arrived on the scene to remove any doubt of culpability. Otherwise, even if the doctor wasn't inculpated, the damage to his credibility could have ruined his life and career.

But, he wondered, what exactly is going on here? He turned the bottle again in his hands, before sighing and coming to a decision.

"Don't worry, Mister Kusai," he said, "we understand well that this case was out of your hands. I expect there will be no charges regarding the formula leakage towards you. However, we still will be investigating the circumstances behind the creation and administration of this drug. Your cooperation on this front would be appreciated by the department." He gave the man a pointed look.

The man swallowed, then nodded. Despite being a doctor, he seemed to be the nervous, rambling sort. Still young, Naomasa supposed, despite all those years of training.

The conversation finished, Naomasa stepped out the door. He traded a look with his senior partner, Detective Tanuma, who was waiting for him out the door.

"What do you think?" Naomasa quietly asked the tweedily-dressed man.

"Don't know," Tanuma said gruffly, shifting the unlit cigarette in his mouth. "Was he telling the truth?"

"Yeah."

A long pause. "Then something's up. Ain't been such a clear sign as this one. Why'd you think someone'd want to leak a formula only meant for people of another world to the black market?" A thoughtful. "Are they prepping for something, you think?"

Naomasa sighed. "That'd be the conclusion. We'll have to look into the hospital administration, see who was actually responsible for the leak. Either way, if I'm reading this right… someone's getting ready for a huge influx of people coming from the other world." Left unsaid was the fact that such an influx was highly illegal, especially given that the drugs were already being distributed through the black market where typically villains and other criminals dwelled. "Tanuma -"

When a hospital attendant came scurrying past them from a nearby corner, dashing past them, they both fell silent. They were still in a public place, and it wasn't the time to touch on the more tender details of the case.

"And what if you're wrong?" Tanuma finally said into the silence, playing devil's advocate. "What if the drug's got some use we don't know about? What's it being marketed as, anyway?"

"Good question," Naomasa said, turning the bottle over, frowning. "We'll have to find out. Let's bag this one as more evidence, then take it to the administration. This upticks the urgency of the case. Let's put everything on it."

Tanuma nodded shortly, then sighed, putting away the unused cigarette in his pocket. He always said it gave him a sense of reassurance, even if he couldn't use it in a building like a hospital. "Guess I'll have to look fancy for the admins, huh?"

Naomasa let loose a tired chuckle. "Look like. We'll see if we can get anything out of them yet."

.

Far, far away, in another world...

Illumi Zoldyck stood in the center of the room, holding a suited mafia member dangling in the air by his arm. When they entered, his gaze dispassionately turned to them. His black hair fell like a sheet around his head.

Holy shit.

"Oh?" Illumi's eyebrows raised in interest. "Leorio and Kurapika… right?"

"Yeah…" Leorio said lowly, drawing in a shuddering breath - they had unexpectedly encountered a real monster. At least, it was one that they knew. "And you're Killua's bastard brother, Illumi, right?"

"Yes," the assassin said mildly. "Are you here about Kil?"

Leorio and Kurapika exchanged a glance, and after a pause, slowly, Kurapika nodded.

This, in a way, was what they had hoped for, but not what they had expected.

In the past days, they had been keeping busy. One of their attempts had been tipping the Zoldyck family about a potential information leak - after all, if their identities were so hidden that a single photo of them was worth millions to the public, they likely weren't keen on one of their clients potentially having given a photo of one of them away. And like it or not, the Zoldyck's could be a huge aid in their investigation.

But they hadn't been expecting Illumi. Especially once their call had gone straight to the butlers and been turned away with reprimanding words.

And now? When they had just started their investigation into the mafia?

Leorio didn't know whether to groan at the timing, or be just relieved that something had come of it. No - relief was the wrong word here.

"Yes," Kurapika said seriously, not moving an inch as they stared across the room to Illumi and a scattering of fallen or fearful mafia members. "Killua has disappeared, and we have been investigating the circumstances behind the disappearance. Are you here for the same reason?"

"What?" The assassin, dark eyes flat and boring, cocked his head to the side like a broken doll. He shook the mafia member's arm somewhat in the motion, though the man looked to be long passed out. "Kil is really gone?"

Leorio swallowed nervously. A dark aura seemed to emanate from the figure.

"We think it has to do with an assassination that happened six years ago," Kurapika said smoothly. "The victim's lover was seeking revenge – and as we mentioned on the call to your butlers, it seems that your client leaked Killua's identity to the victim."

Illumi's gaze whipped to Kurapika.

"And?" The voice was almost impassive, but a shiver passed through Leorio nonetheless. "Where is he now?"

A taut pause. "We don't know," Kurapika finally admitted. "But we suspect – well, it is a place that is only accessible by a special nen ability. From our contacts, we have heard that Killua is fine where he is now. However, we have been trying to get to the bottom of why this has happened and who is responsible."

"Who are these contacts?"

"We cannot disclose that information to you. However, it may be mutually beneficial to share information so that we can best help Killua. Do you agree?"

A long silence. Illumi stared at them, unspeaking. As every second ticked by, sweat began to bead on their faces, the tension surmounting.

The nen aura was so oppressive that Leorio had to concentrate to keep up his Ten.

Kurapika's eyes flickered to Leorio, a wordless plea for help, a signal, and Leorio opened his mouth –

"Okay."

They both stared at Illumi in shocked surprise.

The assassin again tilted his head, more innocently this time, and even a small smile curved his face. "You'll help me find Kil, alright?"

Leorio swallowed. "Alright, but…" Rallying his courage, he took a step forward and pointed a finger at the monster assassin. "But you better not do any funny business like last time, alright!?" At the curious nonreaction, he pressed forward insistently, trying to sound threatening, "If Killua wants to go with us or with Gon, he can do whatever he wants, got it? Once you find him – that's it, if he wants to leave, then he can, got it?"

Illumi sighed, like this was the most dreadfully boring business he had heard.

"Of course," he said dismissively. "It's not like Father will let me do anything now anyway."

Then his boring dark eyes again landed on the both of them, and Leorio found himself taking a step back, returning to his original position. Yikes. This guy was scary. Throughout it, his expression never changed.

"So?" Illumi asked, finally dropping the arm of the mafia member he had been strangling this entire time, the body falling to the floor with a strangled and choked thump, "what do you know?"

The rest of the room looked on in fearful silence. They were right to – once they had begun explaining and Illumi had deemed the rest of the mafia here useless, Kurapika and Leorio became witness to a bloodbath that turned Leorio's stomach, worse than what had been in the hallway. Their silence would now last forever.

.

"So what job was it?" Illumi asked, once they had left the mafia base. "The one who revealed Kil's identity?"

Hushedly, Kurapika explained. They planned to jointly capture the culprit as a primary aim, along with a slew of evidence about his crimes. Illumi was intrigued, but impassively hesitant to attack a past client for the sake of the Zoldyck family's reputation – until Kurapika further explained their rationale, revealed Mabda's name, and the assassin instead became darkly and deeply angry about the slip-up of Killua's identity as evidenced by his out-of-control nen aura.

Kurapika had to convince him not to act immediately, saying that there might have been another mastermind behind it – they still didn't know who had sent Gon to their universe and Mabda should not have that means to do so. If they acted now, they would let the true perpetrator escape.

Leorio was surprised, as he had never heard this theory before, but Illumi seemed to think about it and go silent, closely following their investigation afterwards. It sent a shiver down his back every time. Monsters. Leorio kept being surrounded by monsters.

When they asked Illumi why he had been in Yorknew, it was clear that Kurapika and Leorio had gotten the raw end of the deal. He hadn't known anything about Killua's disappearance, until the butlers had traced back Kurapika's call to Yorknew City and notified him. Illumi was here for another client, probably for some political backstabbing, Leorio darkly thought, and had found it convenient to check on Killua's business and ask around, before he had run into the two of them. But now that he knew, he said in no uncertain terms, he would do everything to make sure Killua was found.

The only reassurance was that he promised to put all of the Zoldyck family's contacts on the case, while he himself followed Kurapika and Leorio's investigation to see what results they would find.

"Oi," Leorio whispered to Kurapika, side-eying the dark assassin following them out behind a cupped hand, "don't you think we hired a monster on our side? Isn't this too much?"

Kurapika's lips were pursed, but Leorio saw another shiver pass through him.

"You may be right," Kurapika whispered back, lowly, carefully not shifting his head back lest he give away the topic of conversation, "but I don't think there's anything we can do about it now."

Feeling sick, they both remembered the bloodbath of the mafia that Illumi had slaughtered without another thought. There were some serious monsters in this world; they just had the misfortune of having one tag along with them. That was like a force of nature you couldn't stop.

They just had to hope it would get bored with them, or that they could point the merciless assassin in the right direction.

.

Slowly, over the next days, Leorio and Kurapika learned more about Mabda's operations. Illumi was a surprising help in offering suggestions and aisles to investigate, though he often disappeared to conduct his own business in the city, presumably for his client. Leorio didn't ask. After reviewing Leorio's story of Mabda's attempted bribe, they contacted some of the past doctors who had been working to heal Zezu, gathering allegations and interviewing other people, such as Mabda's secretary. The first approach yielded results – most doctors, after being flashed the Hunter's license, admitted to having received a similar bribe but had lacked the courage to go through with it.

It was enough to get Leorio angry, angry enough that Kurapika had had to stop him from punching one of the doctors after they had confessed to withholding their treatment to "let nature run its course".

Leorio wanted to get into the action, but whenever they discussed it when the dark assassin was away, Kurapika also insisted that he train his nen more. He'd been teaching him along with Zezu, but Leorio only now was developing effective combat techniques. They both knew Kurapika would be the heavy-hitter though – if Illumi didn't beat them to it first.

Three days into the renewed investigation, Leorio and Kurapika received their first message from Hakira when they swung by the Toshkiyo mansion to check on Natkiro. The message was simple:

"Zezu's ability confirmed. Familial-location based, unrelated to object's original owner. Will come for pick up in a week with Zezu. Be ready."

They had both sighed in relief. Their plans had been successful, and Hakira hadn't run off on them either.

Hopefully, they would be able to share information again. And if all went well - maybe when Hakira arrived to help uncover Mabda's actions and give credibility to their actions, they could launch a raid on Mabda to capture him. She had been a Blacklist Hunter; given the doctors' testimony, surely with her aid they could finally pin the man down without fear of getting a bounty on their own heads.

Yet, inadvertently, as the week went on and they expanded their investigations to Mabda's political allies and other contacts in the mafia, they ended up uncovering far too much corruption in Yorknew, with the mafia paying off the police and government, and the mafia largely in Mabda's pocket. Kurapika wanted to be sure that what their raid plan would be covered by the Hunter's Association and wasn't going to blow back on them - and as a result of the thorough investigations, they ended up unravelling the corruption of Yorknew piece by piece, gathering contacts and meeting information brokers familiar with the seedy parts of the city.

The more Leorio learned, the more disgusted he grew at what he already knew: the world ran on money, money, money. It soon became clear that Mabda was only one part of the problem, and that his trail of influence ran wider, and that revealing this trail now would only result in chaos. Kurapika and him were often debating on what they should do about it; Leorio was insisting on "peeling off the bandaid" to get it done with and the man locked up, but Kurapika wanted to approach the problem with still more caution. It was almost ironic; when it came to the Spiders, Kurapika had shown none of the excessive caution was displaying now.

However, their efforts were diverted when Illumi came to them one day, clambering in through the motel window to give them a message. The assassin didn't dispense with pleasantries for long, and his face, as always, was impassively serious.

"In a related matter," Illumi said, after they had updated him on their findings, "there is a summit of the V5 occurring this Thursday. It is troublesome, but it looks like for Kil's sake, we will have to involve ourselves."

Kurapika and Leorio exchanged a shocked glance. This piece of news had them a united front again.

What the hell? The V5? The V5 was the governing body of the world, where the world leaders of five major countries came together to discuss diplomatic matters. It was beyond the payscale of any normal person, beyond even the discussion of a hope of a glimmer of seeing such an event, yet Illumi was discussing it like it was a minor troublesome affair he had resigned himself to. The escalation was… it left Leorio gaping. He simply couldn't comprehend the turn of events. The V5? What did those high-end, beyond-the-dream upperclass snoots have to do with this?

Illumi was frowning, a curled finger lightly touched to his chin. "It is better if the Zoldycks do not become involved in these affairs," he said finally. "We would like to request you to go in our stead."

That -

That -

"The V5?" Kurapika said from beside him, sounding startled and confused. "But… what relevance do they have to this case? And - further - why should we attend? It's hardly… the sort of thing that…"

"Exactly!" Leorio burst out, pointing an accusing finger. "What the hell do you think we are? Some rich folks like you? It's not like we normally get invited to some world government affairs like this! Give us a second to think, alright? And a damn explanation! What's this about then?"

Illumi nodded, as if it was due course. It only drove home the point of how different the Zoldycks' world was from his, and it left Leorio almost dizzy if he wasn't still sputtering from the change in conversation.

"I found something," Illumi said in way of explanation. "Can you follow with Zetsu? Or I can use my needles to transfigure your appearance. It is relevant to this matter."

"No needles," Leorio said with an expression of disgust, shaking his head to clear it up. "We'll see what you want us to see, then decide. We can both use Zetsu well enough."

Leorio didn't admit that he had made his first successful attempt at it only a week ago.

The assassin nodded, then with a motion, gestured for them to follow him out the window. Already knowing the assassin's habits, they made no protest, and instead silently followed, the tension feeling thick. Illumi led them through the streets, and when he gestured, they both muted their auras to nonexistence. He seemed satisfied enough with the result, because then he showed them the way through an over-large that led into a deep and grimy warehouse with many convoluted twists and turns.

Yet, the assassin led them confidently, until he had them climb into the vents again, until they came to an opening where they could stare down into an expansive factory floor. He gestured for them to observe, and Kurapika and Leorio both inched forward, peering through the hole. The suited people in there looked almost like ants, until Leorio's eyes adjusted and he was able to make out more detail.

What… what were they doing? What was Illumi trying to show them?

"You were correct in your assumption that there was a further mastermind," Illumi told Kurapika quietly from behind them. "See? There is something bigger involved. I found them by pursuing Mabda's trail. These men are preparing for war."

Leorio felt sick.

"War?" he muttered. Wasn't there enough already wrong with the world? "With who?"

"See for yourself."

Leorio's attention again returned to the factory floor. In one clump of black-suited figures, a circle of grim mafia men were watching one of their kind as he held out a hand, eyebrows furrowed in concentration. Leorio had to stop himself from hitting his head against the vent opening's frame when suddenly, in front of the man, a spiraling blue portal suddenly emerged, like something from one of those fancy comic books, making the air feel thick and abruptly different even from afar. His eyes widened.

Then, the portal disappeared, and the men in front of him began repeating the gesture, but no portal was again formed. When Leorio chanced sending his nen aura to his eyes in a rough gyo, he saw that the crowd of men were trying to manipulate their aura in a funny way, and it abruptly occurred to him that they were trying to make the same portal as the man had just demonstrated. What the hell? They were all nen users. What were they trying to do?

Elsewhere on the warehouse floor, they packed guns. Nen-augmented guns, Leorio could see by the hovering aura around them. The kind that punched holes through the floor with one bullet. Who was making those? Was that something you could even do with nen, get it to stick to some weapon that wasn't yours?

Finally, Leorio's eyes turned to another crowd on the floor, similar to the first one. Again, there was a demonstration, but rather than a spinning portal of blue - he saw a cloud-like foggy semblance splitting the air. Again, when it disappeared in a wisp, the surrounding crowd tried to replicate the feat. When he looked at the next gathering on the floor, it was the same deal - only a slightly different mutation of the portal. And again, for the next group, rounding up to a total of five groups at it. All of the, portals created gave him the same wrong and staticy feeling when they emerged.

"What the hell," Leorio muttered. "That's to the other world? It looks nothing like how Hakira did it."

"It seems that the enemy has multiple methods of transport," Illumi agreed. "Perhaps they are trying to match each method to a sufficiently similar nen aura of the user. This is not the only such room I have found. Regardless, it is clear that they are arming themselves. Perhaps they intend to take this 'other world' by surprise."

On the factory floor, there was an abrupt bright blue flash. One of the nen users in the crowds had succeeded in replicating the feat, and there was a big cheer as the others gathered around him and clapped him on his back.

There was a great big hubbub, but just as soon as it came, the blue flash of light disappeared. The man in his black suit looked sheepish and exhausted, but pleased. Leorio felt sick.

"War?" he muttered again. "What the hell."

"So you will pass on the message to the V5?" Illumi asked, looking at him with that damnably impassive face. This time, Leorio didn't feel a shiver, just a flat, deep, worried feeling in his stomach. From Killua, to Gon, to Zezu, to this...

"... Hell yeah. I'll do it."

.

In a galaxy far, far away, yet ever so close...

Makoto's first impression was that the woman, Uyeda Yuri, was crazy.

Her second impression was not much better. The woman was a zealot, and she was dangerous.

"And so the split between worlds must come to an end!" she said, spit flinging from her mouth, hands raising in the air. The crowd ate it up. "We, from our world and now yours with the quirk revolution, who are superhumans, must rise up! For too long we have been oppressed, separated! Your world was weak, but it will become strong with us!"

She had had to come investigate alone, because her brother, Police Detective Tsukauchi Naomasa, was far too busy to check out the crazy peddler who claimed to be from the other world. In a way, she was flattered that her older brother trusted her enough to manage on her own, especially when he had always been so tight-fisted and protective when they were younger.

In another way, she was disgruntled that he was so married to his work that he had no time for her at all. With her being his only source of real food currently, she was beginning to feel like a neglected domestic housewife. For her older brother. She never thought she'd be in this position when they were growing up.

"I had to hide in the shadows, hide who I was! Labeled quirkless, but with a hidden power inside me, something unbelievable!"

Still, she had to concentrate on her task. Something important was going on here, something that would change the world. She sharpened her attention back on the speaker, trying to catch every word.

"Nen! The ability to control your very life force, unlocking abilities beyond even the superficial abilities given to us by our quirks! Imagine having control of your life. Control of your quirk, or an ability to choose a new ability. Think - think of all the potential it can bring. To end this discrimination of the quirkful, choosing who has a right to their powers and who does not without our say! To allow citizens to act, rather than hide as mollified sheep behind the corrupted capes of heroes! To be able to fight back!"

There was a roaring in the crowd, and Makoto was perturbed.

This thinking… it sounded like Redestro, from many years ago, when the terrorist had urged ordinary citizens with quirks to rise up and fight against villains and corruption with their own hands. And there was a sprinkling of Stain's ideology, mixed here in the speech. The talk almost seemed, designed to call upon the elements that were bothering society, without parceling to only a single division or sect. What was this? Was this woman so crafty, so keen and rational to know exactly which prevalent ideas in society to call to, to deliberately stir the ongoing unrest? Or was it coincidence?

"Your world… it is full of these so-called heroes. In my world - we have something a little different. Hunters. It's a more honest title. Where your heroes pretend to be perfect and flaunt their fame and fortune, Hunters make no pretense. Anyone can grasp at that power, through the power of nen. Anyone - can take that power."

No, Makoto decided, narrowing her eyes at the woman, whose mouth was practically frothing, split flying out from her mouth as she raised her aged hands in the air like a supplication to the gods. Likely - she's a zealot who's been pointed in the right direction.

Makoto had experience reading people, having worked as Captain Celebrity's marketing agent for many years and many such other jobs since she was young. She had incessantly chased after the ability to read the heart of a person, decide their stance, their desires, and she knew.

"Join the Hunters, and you can make your own destiny. Throw off the chains of this Hero World, and grasp your own power! The union to our two worlds will begin, and it is your task to make the most of it!"

Having put together her impressions, it was clear: there was another player behind Uyeda Yuri's words. Based on a few strategically tapped calls of her brother's phone…

All For One.

A villain that All Might had fought against, many years ago, and whose existence, it seemed, was kept secret from the general public. Makoto had checked; there was neither hide nor hair of a villain of that name. At least, not in any of the aboveground circles she had access to.

But she was reasonably confident that this was what this was all about. The villain was a hot topic when it came to Naomasa's private phone calls, especially anywhere Killua Zoldyck or the other world were mentioned, and based on the urgency of his request to her, it could only be about this. By implicit comments and her own lack of turn-up in her investigations, she had gathered that the villain prefered to operate in the shadows and had a reputation for manipulation and using pawns to spread rumors and guide society into a beneficial direction for the villain's own aims. That - at least, was the mental model Makoto had built for him. The pieces fit.

Narrowing her eyes determinedly at Uyeda, she thought, Talking to this woman, will help me find out more.

So she stayed throughout the whole speech, which lasted for at least a half hour longer in the chilly, cold air, waiting patiently and gathering implicit cues from the mood of the crowd and the woman's words. Notably, there were several people who turned away from the mob, disgustedly pushing their way out and brushing shoulders as soon as they came. There were others who watched the woman with fixed attention, a rapt look on their faces. There was also a lot of shuffling and whispered comments, and the buzz of cicadas supplanting the environment surrounding the fervent speech with an almost droll air - as was typical of most large gatherings or crowds. A strange contrast of normality, against a stark picture of change and danger. It was almost easy to get bored in it, though Makoto was careful to not make that mistake.

After the speech was over, she lingered, making her way to the stand slowly. Many others had stayed behind to also talk to the woman, whether to shout down her argument or to praise her words. When it was Makoto's turn finally, Uyeda's attention catching on hers, a bright and velociraptorous gleam in her eyes from her speech, Makoto brightly called,

"Wow, what a speech! Not only did you come from another world, you had such an interesting perspective on ours, too!" Makoto had sidled her way until she stood right in front of the woman, other disgruntled bystanders behind her, and forcefully stuck out her hand. "It's great to meet you. I'm Tsukauchi Makoto. I listened to your speech from the beginning on. Can you tell me a little more about nen?"

Uyeda Yuri's skin was like leather, and she had an iron rod grip. Had the woman been speaking, Makoto's Polygraph quirk could have told if the woman was lying or telling the truth, from her pulse. However, it was a risky ability to use, especially if anyone figured out it had been abused, and she had decided only to concoct an excuse for shaking hands again over a question if it became a necessity.

The woman smiled over her hand shake, and despite herself, Makoto found herself respecting that strength.

"Of course," the woman said, letting go of her hand. "Nen is the ability to gather life force to yourself and conduct any strange effects with it. What do you want to know?"

"How did it come to the other world?" Makoto asked immediately. "We know that quirks arrived in our world suddenly, and inexplicably, in our own world two hundred years ago. Is there a similar story there?"

The woman cocked her head, somewhat like a reptile, then smiled again, curiously.

"No, actually," she said. "To my understanding, nen has been kept quite a secret in my world for some time. But I imagine it has always existed, its arts only kept secret to leave the rest of the world in the dark as those in power flourished and became strong."

"How did you get to this world, then?" Makoto asked. "It's been all on the news, about Killua Zoldyck - and he's been unable to get back to his own world for months. Is there some sort of technology on your side of the world that lets you travel here?"

If so, that would be extremely concerning. Makoto knew the truth of Killua's appearance in their world - it had been an isolated "nen" attack, an unexpected ability, apparently. Still, Makoto thought that Killua likely hadn't told Naomasa everything - and neither had Naomasa told her everything. If there was a possibility of the other world being able to arrive in theirs by choice, they needed to know.

Again, the woman's eyes gleamed, her smile lingering like Makoto was some interesting half-solved puzzle.

"You ask good questions, girl," she said finally after a long pause. "No, as far as I understand, nen is largely incapable of sending people between worlds. Though - I believe, if trained, one may develop the skill."

"Then how did you get here?" Makoto pressed, asking as if it were a light curiosity.

"It was a quirk," the woman revealed. "I was cruelly taken away from my own world by one with a quirk."

Makoto considered for a moment, trying to decide her next question, but the woman beat her to it.

"And you, Miss Tsukauchi? Why do you have such an interest in the worlds?"

Makoto blinked at her, momentarily taken aback before rallying her enthusiasm and courage.

"Well, who wouldn't be interested?" she exclaimed. "Another world! It's been impossibly exciting. The world is abuzz about it. When I was studying in America - the whole college was debating over it, whether it was real or not. When I finally got back to Japan, I was enthralled to realize that it all was! So when I heard about your speech, I had to come."

"And you believe me, that I am from another world?" The woman seemed bemused.

"Of course," Makoto said seriously. This time, she was genuine. "You spoke in too much detail, with facts and ideas that should be able to be confirmed by anybody else from that world, for it to be a complete lie. It would be far too risky for you. And moreover - I do not see a reason for it. As many people that have cheered you on, there have been more who have mocked and derided you for it. It would have been pointless, and stupid, and I do not see you as stupid, Miss Uyeda." If a zealot. Though now that the woman was acting quite radically different in this back-stage talk, much more cold and reptilian, Makoto was having to update her mental model of the woman.

The woman hummed. "And what are you a student in, Miss Tsukauchi?"

"Marketing and socioeconomics," Makoto replied sweetly. "I've been working on a dual degree. But enough about me, Miss Uyeda. I'd hate to take up more of your time when there are so many more of your supporters who want to talk to you."

The woman glanced around, seeming somewhat surprised at registering the crowd's presence. Then she looked back at Makoto, attention distinctly fixed on her.

"Of course," the woman finally murmured, then reached into her pocket. "Here, Miss Tsukauchi. I would like to speak with you again. Please call this number, and we can arrange a meeting. I can tell you more about the two worlds, then."

Makoto nodded, took the offered card with a flourish and smile, then made her way off the stage. As she walked, however, pocketing the card, her smile fell like a dead rock dropping into the sea.

That had been… interesting.

She hadn't expected Uyeda Yuri to take an interest in her. Maybe her questions had been too sharp. Maybe, on an off chance, Uyeda had recognized her as the sister to a prominent police detective known in hero circles, though the chances of that were rare. Or maybe -

Or maybe she was recruiting.

Recruiting for believers with useful skills. A civilian army that could influence society in their proposed direction. It would, at least, be in All For One's predicted MO. Makoto still believed that Uyeda was likely an underling or at least someone influenced by the villain. If she was actively recruiting - it was likely the former, and she had direct contact with the villain and was under orders. Otherwise, it wouldn't make sense. Most zealots would either ramble on and give their speeches, insist on wild changes to society without any real proposals for dealing with the logistics of change - or, more rarely, take things into their own hands out of frustration, like Stain had.

The fact that the woman seemed to fall well into the category of a zealot, while in actuality looking for people to presumably work towards some larger goal, sent warning bells of a broader plan in motion. Often, that broader plan was only a veiled attempt to grasp at political power via riling up the populace - but considering the likely presence of a powerful villain's involvement, and the hot topic of the two worlds in play, and the lack of a distinct political platform, Makoto was skeptical of that option.

But Makoto couldn't jump to rash conclusions, she decided, as she stepped into the train station en route to her apartment. She had an in, now. She would just have to see where it led to and try her best.

Over the next days, however, she saw the consequences of the speech. She had spoken with Naomasa about branding the two worlds in their favor, but before Makoto had been able to take action, Uyeda Yuri's words had already percolated and spread beyond that of her believers: soon, the two worlds became known respectively as the "Hero World" and "Hunter World" through the chatterings of the internet and word of mouth gossip. Once the names had spread like a storm across Japan, it was too late; given names, they seemed more solidified and were easier to discuss as a reality, and discussions grew even more frequent, cementing the titles further.

Makoto wasn't sure if she was entirely happy with how the naming came about; it brought into light the clashing ideologies of the world too heavily, and moreover, promoted only a small sect of each world as its defining feature, whereas there were sure to be many other complex societal features that truly characterized each world.

But she had acted too late; the other side had cast their dice; now she could only wait to see how the pieces would fall.

.

Back in the other world…

"I can't help but think that someone has directed us down this path," Kurapika murmured, once they were headed back to the motel room. "How likely is it, that we would have uncovered this all on our own by chance?"

Leorio looked at his friend in surprise. He still hadn't finished processing everything, and felt unusually grim. He couldn't follow along his friend's train of thought right now. "What do you mean?"

"It's just… that original message. Do you remember when I directed you and Gon to the Yorknew city council after Killua's initial disappearance?"

Leorio frowned, but nodded his head.

"The more I see the pieces, the more it doesn't fit. Why direct us to the city council, and not to Hakira's manor itself, or to Zezu? Why have our paths collide with Mabda first? And now, as a result, we have been able to uncover this deepening mystery, a chain of corruption. This spinning series of events… it's suspicious."

"Isn't that looking too deeply into it?" Leorio asked. "I mean, to imagine that there's some super mastermind there in the shadows…" His mouth ran dry. "Nevermind."

Kurapika tapped his finger against the window panel, the rhythmic sound filling the space of the car. After a few moments of this, he spoke.

"If we can, I would like to find out who sent me that original message," said Kurapika finally, "and what motive they might have had in this. It was sent anonymously in response to my query on the Hunter site. I believe they might have a key to unravelling this dangerous thread we and Killua have tugged on."