Killua followed Kurapika down the street with his hands behind his head. Gon was at his side and Leorio was strutting along behind them. The four were walking down the street their hotel had been on. They all had packed up that morning and now were on their way to Heaven's Arena. Kurapika had informed them that it was just around the corner.
"Before we arrive," the blonde began, "Allow me to explain how Heaven's Arena works. As you already know, the tower is a battle royale in which each participant is working their way to the top. The reward at the top is fame, fortune, or a reading from the psychic witch Neon. But in order to win the big prize one must either defeat or impress one of the floor masters in battle, the floor masters being the Spiders. Now about getting to the top: there are 400 floors in total that you must clear to make it."
"400?!" Leorio squeaked.
"That's a shit ton!" Killua complained.
"Yes, let me finish though," Kurapika said patiently. "As I said, there are 400 floors. The unlisted floor is the 401 floor, that is the top. Where the Phantom Troupe are. There used to be 251 floors moving up in increments of 10, but that was before the Phantom Troupe took over and turned this place into a money making machine. Obviously, with so many floors it is incredibly time consuming to work your way to the top. However, there is a possibility to move up multiple floors at a time. One clears a floor by winning their battle on said floor, but as one fights they wrack up points based on various factors during the fight itself. Depending on how many points you end up with, you can move up dozens of floors at a time with just one win."
"I see!" Gon exclaimed. "We're just gonna have to fight full out the entire time! That way we reach the top faster!"
"Correct. The amount of points also dictates how much money you earn," the elf concluded with a nod.
"I get it now," Killua said nonchalantly. "The only thing I'm confused about is the living situation? We all packed up and checked out of the hotel, are we living in Heavan's Arena or something?"
Kurapika smiled, "That is correct." He turned back to face forward, and the group turned right and Killua laid eyes on the most incredible structure he had ever seen! The scenery completely changed the second they exited Cherrygrave Drive. It went from a beat up old street to a sparkling block just like that! It was like stepping through a portal to a different world! Killua had to look behind him to make sure his eyes hadn't been playing tricks on him.
The four roads that intersected turned from asphalt's usual murky black to navy in Heaven's Arena's city block. The lines on the road went from yellow to clear white, and the sidewalks were embedded with sparkling diamonds. The buildings around the edge of the block were sparkling in white and silver, with glistening turquoise windows that reflected the fluffy clouds a hundred times over. The street lamps were of a completely different model, and looked far more futuristic than any other in Yorknew. They looked almost like pieces of modern art, and their flawless black surface seemed to swallow light itself.
And none of that held anything to the Heavan's Arena itself. The tower shot 4,000 feet into the air, and was a collage of melded shapes and blocks of metal. It was made of a slippery looking white substance, and was flawless in its glorious asymmetry. It was a patchwork building that looked like it had been thrown together and added onto over the course of several decades, but even still it was the most refined structure Killua had ever laid eyes on.
A sparkling fountain made of solid diamond stood in front of the building, spraying a rainbow mist into the air. Trees with leaves of flawless and waxy emerald green adorned the city block like rings on the fingers of a queen. Even the people milling about seemed to be greater than everyone and everything else in the entire city.
"This place is freakin' incredible!" Leorio screeched. For once Kurapika did not scold him for his noise.
"It truly is," the Elf breathed as he joined the others in their gawking. "I may know all there is to know about this place, but I have never actually seen it in person. It is truly a sight to behold."
"Yeah no kidding," Killua murmured.
"Killua! Kurapika! Leorio! What are you guys waiting for!?" The three in question turned their attention to Gon, who was all but frolicking over the crosswalk and up to the building. "Come on! I wanna see inside!"
Killua laughed out loud and shook his head, then sprinted to catch up with his hyper friend. Kurapika and Leorio followed suit, and the four of them entered the Heavan's Arena through the largest set of glass doors Killua had ever seen in his life.
The lobby was just as incredible as the outside, and was milling with people of every species, gender, shape, and color. There were even a few aliens sprinkled into the mix! And was that a Chimera Ant rabbit-bird thing in a thong?
The floor was a sparkling turquoise and white marble tile, and the walls made from elegant marble bricks bigger than Killua's head. Crystalline chandeliers lit by light bulbs showered a clear white light down upon all of the inhabitants, and the din of voices in multiple languages and dialects ticked Killua's ears.
Gon and Killua turned in circles as they walked, taking everything in. The four followed Kurapika to one of the dozens of desks positioned at every bare wall space. The Elf quickly identified an empty one, and made a beeline towards it.
"To answer your question, Killua," the Kurta said as they crossed the main lobby, "We will be staying in the Arena. However, that leaves me with more explaining to do. Only lower level fighters stay in the actual arena, all of the higher ups stay off-site in either those buildings you saw out there or other Arena owned properties scattered across the city. Until we clear the 200th floor, we will be staying here with the other lower ranking fighters. It used to be that every Arena fighter lived on-site, but the Phantom Troupe changed that in order to fit more people and make more money."
"You say it as if that's a bad thing!" Leorio commented in shock. "Just look at this place!"
"True, this place is incredible," Kurapika responded, "But soon you will understand why it is beneficial to live off-site." Gon brushed up against Killua's shoulder, and Killua brushed back. The two of them shared a glance and then dissolved into giggles.
"What was that all about?" Leorio asked.
"This place is just so cool!" Gon declared. Killua hummed in agreement, but kept walking close enough to brush shoulders with Gon. He liked being this close, something about it made his chest all tingly and warm.
Leorio shook his head, "You kids are something else."
Before Gon could berate him about their being only a year younger, the group arrived at the desk. An elven woman with teal hair and striking green eyes smiled at them as they walked up. "My name is Menchi! How may I be of assistance to you gentlemen?"
"We would like to check into the battle royale," Kurapika said coolly.
"Alright then!" Menchi's smile turned feline. "It's been a hot second since I got to enroll some newbies." She clicked away at a slender computer screen, and then ducked under her desk. She emerged with four stacks of paperwork, and launched into a regulation explanation of how the Arena worked. Killua zoned out as she talked, Kurapika had already given them this whole spiel. Besides, he had never been one to pay any mind to safety warnings or we-are-not-responsible-for-your-impending-dooms.
"Just sign here, here, initial here, and you'll be all set!" Menchi concluded.
They each grabbed a pen from the basket on her desk, and scribbled where instructed.
"We don't have to pay any money to enter?" Leorio asked skeptically.
"Nope!" Menchi declared with a tone of pride in her voice. "Any battle contestants need not pay a single penny! Just chill and let the money roll in!"
"Awesome!" Leorio cheered, greed glimmering in those Goblin eyes of his.
"Now then," Menchi asked, "Would the four of you like single occupancy rooms or would you like to board together?"
"We would like to board as a group," Kurapika answered. "That being the case, if one of us clears the 200th floor then we all move off-site together, correct? No matter the floor number of the other three?"
"Correct!" Menchi answered. "You sure know your stuff, blondy. I'll just get that set up for you real fast…" the elven woman paused to clack away at her keyboard. "There! Now, would you rather be high up or low down?" She had a certain twinkle in those green eyes.
"High up, but you already knew we'd say that," Kurapika said.
Menchi gave a chuckle. "Astute of you. You knew that the second you signed into that hotel last night that you'd be on file. A wise move, selecting a high level last night. Had you not, we wouldn't have had a space reserved for you."
"What? No way!" Gon said in a tone of astonishment.
"I had a feeling," Killua drawled. Easy to see coming, really.
"Now then, here is your key." Menchi handed a little plastic circle thing on a glass chain. "You will be staying on the 334th floor in room 589. Go to your room and drop off your things, once you enter the television will display the scheduled times of your placement battles. Best of luck to you all!"
"Thank you very much," Kurapika said politely with a bow of his head. With that, the blonde turned away. His three tag-alongs followed him like a row of ducklings, heads still swiveling to observe everything in sight. "Perfect, we got a great room."
"Why'd we get one so high up?" Gon asked. "There are only 400 floors, and we'll be living on the 334th!"
"Selecting a high room is a strategic move," Kurapika explained as they waited on an elevator. "The higher up the room the more likely we are to run into a high level fighter with strong social ties. If we are able to make a lasting impression, or better yet they take interest and pop in on one of our battles, then we will earn interest. The fighter will no doubt spread the word about our potential as enemies, and we will build up a reputation. That reputation can be used as a psychological weapon as we ascend the tower. Anyone with a reputation is a threatening opponent, and any fear that we strike into our enemies' hearts is a good thing indeed."
The elevator door opened with a melodical ding, and the foursome stepped inside. Once within the metal box, Killua pressed the close button so that no one could join them. Gon then selected the 334th floor, and the elevator began its climb.
Gon darted over to the far side, and looked in awe out the window as they rose higher and higher up the side of the building. "Woah!" he exclaimed as the view just got better and better. Killua was at his side without a second thought, and leaned against the handrail with him to gaze out over the vast cityscape.
"Heaven's Arena is the tallest building in all of Yorknew City," Kurapika said cheerfully.
"That's so sick!" Killua declared. "We'll be living in the most badass place this city has to offer!"
"That's for sure!" Lerio agreed in that goofy voice of his. The Valkyrie and the Goblin high fived and continued watching the city from their birds eye view. A couple of minutes later, the elevator came to a stop with another musical ding.
Kurapika led the way as usual, and the four traversed the residential halls of the 334th floor. The place was incredible! It was like a maze! Not as mazelike as the Neko-Village (there was a set pattern that was easily traversable), but it was just so ridiculously large that it qualified as one. The carpets were a wine red, and the walls a honey yellow. The crown molding was pearly white and carved in a winding filigree pattern, and elegant light fixtures lit the way. The hall they traversed was lined on one side by a wall of windows looking over the city and on the other a seemingly endless expanse of rooms and hallways. They walked all the way to the end, and room 334 was the furthest room to the left of the elevator.
Kurapika held that plastic thing Menchi had given him in front of a machine looking device above the doorknob, and with a flash and a click the door unlocked.
"Woah!" Gon exclaimed. "How'd it unlock like that?"
"It is a digital key," the Kurta answered. "Remember the internet and digital devices that I was telling you about? This is under that field of technology."
"Awesome," Killua said, as Leorio mumbled "witchcraft" at the same time.
Kurapika opened the door and the four of them entered the room of which they would be staying for the foreseeable future. It was a spacious suite style room with the entire left hand wall taken up by a giant window overlooking the cityscape. It had black hardwood (or laminate? Some hard stuff? Was it tile?) floors with accent rugs in red. There was a white leather couch off to the side before a modern looking metal fireplace that was pretty much just a metallic cylinder extending from the floor to the ceiling in a random pillar like fashion. The couch was surrounded by a matching set of chairs, as well as coffee tables to match.
There was a kitchen, not a kitchenette but a kitchen, with sparkling silver appliances and red cups and plates. The countertops were flawless white marble, and the sink was big enough for Gon (the shortest of the group) to bathe in!
This was just the main area, and there was a hallway that extended to the far wall that sported five doors. After inspection, it was discovered that four of the doors led to completely identical bedrooms and came with their own walk-in closet. They held king sized beds furnished in black floors and red and white furnishings. The fifth door was a colossal bathroom with a fabulous tub, and a shower that had sprayers on the ceiling AND on the four walls! There weren't multiple toilets or tubs, but there were four sinks lined up along a mega-vanity-bathroom-counter. All of them before an elegant mirror.
"This place is amazing!" Gon yelled as he sprinted back and forth down the hallway, sliding on his socks as if he were ice skating. Leorio was making bed-angles in the clover soft sheets of his bed while yelling, and Kurapika was taking stock of what all was in the kitchen. Killua was leaning against the wall watching Gon sprint about in his usual hyper fashion.
"Everyone! Come to the television so we can see when our fights are scheduled!" Kurapika called out, voice echoing through the large room. Gon turned from where he had been sliding towards the far window, and sprinted in the direction of the kitchen. On the way past Killua, he slapped him across the back of the neck. The Valkyrie startled at the sudden contact, but quickly chased after him.
Gon slid across the black flooring on his socks, and vaulted over the back of the white leather couch using one arm as balance on the back. Killua jumped and flipped over the couch, landing sideways and laying down with his legs draped across Gon.
The hybrid got the wind knocked out of him from the sudden weight of Killua falling onto his unsuspecting lap, but he recovered quickly and was soon leaning forward to pull at the Valkyrie's shirt. The two of them wrestled around until Leorio arrived in the room and Kurapika scolded them to calm down.
Giggles subsiding, the two boys detangled and scooted over to the left so Leorio could join them on the soft leathery cushions. Kurapika picked up the tv remote and switched the dark screen on. The second it lit up a battle schedule was displayed.
"How'd it know what we wanted to see?" Gon asked in wonder.
"It's programmed to turn to this specific channel at certain times," Kurapika explained. "Now then, this chart gives us the times of our scheduled fights. Killua and I are fighting in the first round of battles which starts at- 10:00 am! It's 9:34 right now, we've gotta hurry down there! Leorio and Gon, the two of you are placed in the fourth round of battles which begins at 2:00 pm. Killua, are you ready?" Kurapika switched off the tv and started darting back and forth across the room like a troubled nanny.
"Yup," the silver haired boy responded. He stood up from the couch and stuffed his hands into his pockets.
"Good!" the Elf said as he popped up from behind the kitchen island. Gods only knew what he had been doing back there. It was like he was their mother. "The four of us will have to split up since we are in different rounds. Gon and Leorio, I assume that the two of you will be wanting to watch Killua and I's fights?"
"Yeah, of course!" Gon exclaimed.
"What he said," Leorio added with a lopsided grin.
"As I suspected," Kurapika said as he walked back around, tucking a pair of wooden swords under his tabard. "We will all be going to the battle arena on the first floor proper (the structural first floor is just the lobby). However while Killua and I will be going below to wait for our fights the two of you will go into the arena itself to find seats. The fights will be quite time consuming, and after we actually complete the battle we will still be held inside. There will not be an effective overlap of time for us to meet up between the matches. Are the two of you alright with staying in twos until the battles are completed? It will be quite the hassle to meet back up just to separate."
"Fine by me," Killua said, though he had to admit he was downtrodden at being separated from Gon. They hadn't left each other's sides since they had started traveling together. This would be an interesting experience to say the least… but at least it was Kurapika and not Leorio that he was stuck with for the next several hours.
"Sounds like a plan!" Leorio declared.
"It's decided then!" Kurapika said with a clap of his hands. "Come, we must hurry."
The four of them walked to the door, put their shoes back on, and reentered the hallway. Kurapika locked the door behind them and tucked the key into his pocket. "I have been assigned to keep hold of the key," the blonde explained, "so the two of you will be left to your own devices for lunch. You will be unable to access room service without the key."
"Cool! That means we can explore the food section! I saw a sign in the lobby that said several sub-floors are located all across the tower with restaurants and stores!" Gon hopped from foot to foot as he spoke, clearly giddy to get this day started.
"We'll eat at the goodest place we lay eyes on!" Leorio declared, and he and Gon snickered together.
"'Goodest' isn't a word, Leorio," Kurapika sighed.
The Elf prodded the down button on the elevator, and the four of them waited for the doors to open. Killua shifted his weight, and in doing so his arm brushed up against Gon's. "Are you excited for your fight?" the hybrid asked him.
"Yeah, this'll be a good way to stretch out my violence muscles," Killua quipped, doing his best to suppress the light blush threatening to spread down his neck. The metal doors opened, and the four stepped into the metal box. With a happy little sound, Gon pressed the button for floor one, and the elevator began its descent.
Killua leaned against the railing on the reflective metal wall, and gazed down at his shoes. The familiar purple sneakers were right next to Gon's green boots, and Killua would hate to see them without their green companions.
It'll just be for a few hours. I won't even be completely alone, Kurapika will be with me.
There's no reason to get sad.
The silver haired boy peaked through silver lashes at the hybrid beside him.
But still… I get the feeling that I'll miss his presence at my side.
The elevator came to a stop, and the four of them exited onto the first floor. The halls were just like the ones upstairs on the 334th floor, only the carpets were golden yellow and the walls a creamy shade. Not to mention the dense crowd of people. The foursome shoved their way through until they came upon a crossroads between two hallways. One led up to the stadium seating, and the other led down to the fighters' warm up rooms.
"See you in a few hours," Kurapika said to the hybrid and the Goblin. "Don't get lost, Leorio," he scolded with a firm pat to male in question's shoulder.
"I won't, I won't," Leorio grumbled.
Gon looked to his side at Killua, and eyes of amber met eyes of sapphire. "Good luck in your fight, I'll be watching from the sidelines."
"As if I need any," Killua drawled. "And I know, I'll make sure to put on a show for you."
The two boys gripped their hands in the air between them.
"Give 'em hell," Gon said in a low voice, a devious smirk on his face. That sharp toothed grin was positively dangerous, and the glint in his eyes was so… Killua couldn't find the word he was looking for thanks to the barrier.
The assassin smirked back at his friend. "Right," he agreed with a bubbling stomach.
With that, the four of them split up. Killua waved casually at Gon as they lost sight of each other through the crowd, and it was the sight of Gon's smile disappearing around the corner that set him into battle readiness mode.
He would win this fight with ease, he had a lot to prove.