Mask
Chapter 3
Leorio..?!
His dream faded to black before he woke up moments later. Still, the picture of a somewhat younger Leorio standing at the center of a burning village he recognized as his ruined one remained in front of him, even after he has opened his eyes. He blinked and the image disappeared. Killua was looming over him with trepidation etched all over his features, the boy's small yet strong hands holding his previously shaking frame still.
"Welcome back," the young Zaoldyeck murmured softly, releasing him and sitting back down. "…Did you have a nightmare?" he asked tentatively, reaching for a cold compress, and placing it on top of his friend's forehead.
"No…" Kurapika muttered almost inaudibly, taking the damp cloth off of him and sitting up. He returned it to its place in the metal basin on top of his bedside table, before finding himself staring down at his pale hands. "It was a memory…" His eyes turned scarlet and the chains reappeared on his right one.
He felt Killua cross his arms in front of him and lean back on his chair. "…Kuruta?" he inquired quietly.
"Hai, the genocide," Kurapika replied quickly, feeling sick as blood-spattered episodes played over in his mind once more. A wave of nausea washed over him as he strived to push the memoirs to the back of his mind. "How long have I been unconscious?" he questioned, looking up at his silver-haired companion.
"A day at most," he answered, looking outside at the night, twinkling stars scattered across the dark sky with the lady moon's borrowed luminosity outshining them all. Still, its light didn't remain unchallenged, dark clouds of the presently pouring rain hiding it once in a while. "You've been sleeping since last night."
"Sou ka."
"Senritsu went out for something to eat while Gon's down for a short nap," Killua added even before Kurapika had the chance to ask. Not that the golden-haired youth seems to have heard. He appeared lost in thoughts, cerulean eyes possessing a glazed-over look as if seeing something else more interesting instead of the empty air in front of him.
"Saa…" he finally acknowledged, fortunately before the silence got to his younger friend, and fell back down on his bed. He couldn't exactly say why, but he suddenly felt totally drained, as if he had just ran a few miles or so. A weary hand came up to wipe the sweat off his brow, the chains on it disappearing again before he could accomplish the task.
…Kurapika, have you satisfied your thirst now?
The voice came, gravely familiar yet he had a hard time determining whose. The throbbing pain bore further into his mind, preventing him to think about it any longer, so he instead shifted his attention to the enigma's question: Has he satisfied his thirst?
He truly didn't know the answer. He doesn't feel happiness and nor does he feel contentment. If anything, the sense of cold and danger that has always surrounded him ever since the death of his whole tribe seems to have gotten worse a trifle now, his instincts screaming at him that something was definitely wrong. Though he has set his mind on the thought of ridding the head will kill the entire Spider, he gets the peculiar impression that something is amiss, like he has forgotten to do something imperative.
Of course, he didn't trust the Genei Ryodan danchou not to have devised a back-up plan if something like last night's events occurred. Surely a tactician like him wouldn't have been so foolishly insolent as to have overlooked the possibility of being spirited away from his beloved Spider? And yet they have been given a full day and still no one has come to slit his throat open.
A bitter smile appeared on his lips as he stared up at the ceiling. Maybe they're planning something much more painful for him. After all, not only had he killed one of them but he has also taken their leader away.
And with that sweet little cheering thought, he closed his eyes again, overlooking the lack in presence of his best friend, as Killua stepped out of the room to wake Gon up.
***
Machi leaned against the wall of one of the fifty copies of their hideout, unmindful of the slight drizzle that was a raging storm a few hours earlier. Her hair remained unbound, cascading down her shoulders with small droplets of water that glinted like jewels in the faint light. She looked up at the dark sky, a small smile on her lips. Harsh solace, some might think, but it's comforting to know that danchou, wherever he may be, is still under the same dark sky as she is.
She shook her head at the too-schmaltzy thought, must have watched too many of those sappy movies yesterday for her own good - out of boredom.
Still, being bored to tears downtown with only Shizuku to keep her company as she flipped through every channel the wide-screen TV in the hotel room the two of them shared has to offer is far better than the tension and anxiety that has kept them busy these last few days. Nevertheless, by midnight she was restive with pent-up energy and apprehension that she left the room, with her young friend sleeping soundly on the couch, and found herself where she is right now a little over half an hour later.
After Pakunoda died, the six senior members of the Genei Ryodan remained silent, finally aware of what their self-sacrificing comrade has been through for the last hours and the state their danchou has been forced to be in. She was first to make a sound, suggesting that they call the 'alternate Spider number one'. The others promptly started voicing out their qualms, most pointing out that they didn't even have a single clue to where Kuroro's cousin might be. She, however, knew better, knowing that Leorio was currently staying within Yorkshin City, having seen him in the hotel the whole group met up the night Kuroro was captured by the chain-assassin.
She almost smirked at the memory. He appeared as a loud, arrogant jerk, yelling not only at the one he was speaking to over the phone, but at everyone else at the hotel's lobby too. A good actor, she mused, no one would have thought they knew each other. Had Kuroro not restrained Shizuku, she would have attacked head on who she didn't know would be her future leader. Machi was slightly amused when the young girl didn't recognize Leorio when he came to their hideout yesterday morning, but only slightly. One can't exactly say that the Deme-chan wielder possessed the most retentive memory in the world.
Along this line of thought, something inside her woke up suddenly, and she dodged a blow someone from behind launched almost on pure instinct. She landed a few feet away, looking up to see Coltopi staring back at her with one large visible eye amidst the mass of messy blue hair. The moment their eyes met she saw the other visibly relax, both hands retreating back to the pockets of the long white coat.
"It's just you."
"Yeah, sorry if I alarmed you or something," Machi answered, slightly feeling guilty. She knew Coltopi guards their hideout 24/7, discerning instantly any presence that should come near the copies. "I shouldn't have bothered you. I shouldn't be here," she added though keeping her voice carefully callous.
Coltopi shrugged. "You're not the only one."
"What exactly do you mean?" she asked, instantly alert. "The enemy's here?"
"No. It's Nobunaga. He came back, said something about seeing the new leader…probably about the new members," Coltopi answered, and left.
Machi huffed, walking off towards the single abandoned building that is real and not made of Nen. So the samurai still hasn't given up yet, has he? When will he get it through his thick skull that the two boys he wants to join them and keeps on ranting about will sooner die than join the Spiders? And furthermore…
***
Is he serious?
Leorio looked blankly at the man before him, trying hard not to let his thoughts wander off as Nobunaga paced back and forth, telling him all the details of the Genei Ryodan's encounters with a couple of strong brats he wants to recommend as new members of the group. Nothing much really registered, but one sentence of sense seems to repeat itself over and over in his head: This guy's talking about Gon and Killua!
"They've got potential, Leader, and with the proper training, the smaller one, the one with the Strengthening Nen type, would be just like Ubogin!"
I sure hope not, Leorio thought, cautious not to let any emotions play itself across his face. He's talking about Gon. He's dead-serious. The young man's mind raced, frantically trying to think of any way to put a stop to the samurai's absurd intentions. He might not be as good as a tactician as his cousin, or as clever and wise as his best friend -former best friend- but he has to come up with something. Being a cold bastard is one thing, but to turn his two young friends into cold bastards too would really drive Kurapika towards killing him.
Not that the blonde would hesitate to end his life once he discovers everything he has accomplished in the past.
"They do sound interesting, but from what you've told me I can only say that they will never agree to joining us," Leorio answered slowly, keeping his voice void of any emotions that may lead him into a fix, hoping that the samurai would just take his words and give up the idea.
No such luck.
Nobunaga burst out laughing, silenced only moments later with a cold look from his Leader. "Gomen nasai, Leorio. It's just that those were Kuroro's exact words when I told him about it. And I answered him it won't matter, that I'll find some way to get those two to join us."
And what way is that? Torture, blackmail, something not so nice for sure. No way am I letting him lay even a single finger on them.
Something inside him clicked, he could practically see a bulb light up behind his head like in those cartoons with two-dimensional figures suddenly struck by sudden brilliance. That's it.
"And when did you tell him that? I presume before the Spider found out that the two young ones are the chain assassin's comrades?" he asked testily with a slight sneer. The smile on Nobunaga's face turned upside-down into a frown, his gloating completely dissolving into nothing. "Nobunaga, they are in league with the chain assassin, do you understand that? I am not taking any chances!"
He's silent, but he's not going to relent this easily…
"He might be like Ubogin, but he is not Ubogin! Ubogin is dead, let him rest," Leorio said and the moment the words left his lips, he knew he has gone a bit too far. Nobunaga glared at him before leaving with no words, passing Machi without even glancing at her.
"Did you manage to tack him down?" Leorio asked, not needing any answer at all. He saw the fast move Machi pulled, the way she stuck one of her needles into the leather sheath of Nobunaga's sword.
"He's obstinate and simple-minded like his best friend. This is not the end of this, you know," Machi told him, ignoring the question, arms crossing in front of her.
"I know."
***
Standard disclaimers applied. The prologue and idea of this story is by pixie-atme and is purely a fan's work - a few 'certain' elements not true in the real series.
Chapter 3
Leorio..?!
His dream faded to black before he woke up moments later. Still, the picture of a somewhat younger Leorio standing at the center of a burning village he recognized as his ruined one remained in front of him, even after he has opened his eyes. He blinked and the image disappeared. Killua was looming over him with trepidation etched all over his features, the boy's small yet strong hands holding his previously shaking frame still.
"Welcome back," the young Zaoldyeck murmured softly, releasing him and sitting back down. "…Did you have a nightmare?" he asked tentatively, reaching for a cold compress, and placing it on top of his friend's forehead.
"No…" Kurapika muttered almost inaudibly, taking the damp cloth off of him and sitting up. He returned it to its place in the metal basin on top of his bedside table, before finding himself staring down at his pale hands. "It was a memory…" His eyes turned scarlet and the chains reappeared on his right one.
He felt Killua cross his arms in front of him and lean back on his chair. "…Kuruta?" he inquired quietly.
"Hai, the genocide," Kurapika replied quickly, feeling sick as blood-spattered episodes played over in his mind once more. A wave of nausea washed over him as he strived to push the memoirs to the back of his mind. "How long have I been unconscious?" he questioned, looking up at his silver-haired companion.
"A day at most," he answered, looking outside at the night, twinkling stars scattered across the dark sky with the lady moon's borrowed luminosity outshining them all. Still, its light didn't remain unchallenged, dark clouds of the presently pouring rain hiding it once in a while. "You've been sleeping since last night."
"Sou ka."
"Senritsu went out for something to eat while Gon's down for a short nap," Killua added even before Kurapika had the chance to ask. Not that the golden-haired youth seems to have heard. He appeared lost in thoughts, cerulean eyes possessing a glazed-over look as if seeing something else more interesting instead of the empty air in front of him.
"Saa…" he finally acknowledged, fortunately before the silence got to his younger friend, and fell back down on his bed. He couldn't exactly say why, but he suddenly felt totally drained, as if he had just ran a few miles or so. A weary hand came up to wipe the sweat off his brow, the chains on it disappearing again before he could accomplish the task.
…Kurapika, have you satisfied your thirst now?
The voice came, gravely familiar yet he had a hard time determining whose. The throbbing pain bore further into his mind, preventing him to think about it any longer, so he instead shifted his attention to the enigma's question: Has he satisfied his thirst?
He truly didn't know the answer. He doesn't feel happiness and nor does he feel contentment. If anything, the sense of cold and danger that has always surrounded him ever since the death of his whole tribe seems to have gotten worse a trifle now, his instincts screaming at him that something was definitely wrong. Though he has set his mind on the thought of ridding the head will kill the entire Spider, he gets the peculiar impression that something is amiss, like he has forgotten to do something imperative.
Of course, he didn't trust the Genei Ryodan danchou not to have devised a back-up plan if something like last night's events occurred. Surely a tactician like him wouldn't have been so foolishly insolent as to have overlooked the possibility of being spirited away from his beloved Spider? And yet they have been given a full day and still no one has come to slit his throat open.
A bitter smile appeared on his lips as he stared up at the ceiling. Maybe they're planning something much more painful for him. After all, not only had he killed one of them but he has also taken their leader away.
And with that sweet little cheering thought, he closed his eyes again, overlooking the lack in presence of his best friend, as Killua stepped out of the room to wake Gon up.
***
Machi leaned against the wall of one of the fifty copies of their hideout, unmindful of the slight drizzle that was a raging storm a few hours earlier. Her hair remained unbound, cascading down her shoulders with small droplets of water that glinted like jewels in the faint light. She looked up at the dark sky, a small smile on her lips. Harsh solace, some might think, but it's comforting to know that danchou, wherever he may be, is still under the same dark sky as she is.
She shook her head at the too-schmaltzy thought, must have watched too many of those sappy movies yesterday for her own good - out of boredom.
Still, being bored to tears downtown with only Shizuku to keep her company as she flipped through every channel the wide-screen TV in the hotel room the two of them shared has to offer is far better than the tension and anxiety that has kept them busy these last few days. Nevertheless, by midnight she was restive with pent-up energy and apprehension that she left the room, with her young friend sleeping soundly on the couch, and found herself where she is right now a little over half an hour later.
After Pakunoda died, the six senior members of the Genei Ryodan remained silent, finally aware of what their self-sacrificing comrade has been through for the last hours and the state their danchou has been forced to be in. She was first to make a sound, suggesting that they call the 'alternate Spider number one'. The others promptly started voicing out their qualms, most pointing out that they didn't even have a single clue to where Kuroro's cousin might be. She, however, knew better, knowing that Leorio was currently staying within Yorkshin City, having seen him in the hotel the whole group met up the night Kuroro was captured by the chain-assassin.
She almost smirked at the memory. He appeared as a loud, arrogant jerk, yelling not only at the one he was speaking to over the phone, but at everyone else at the hotel's lobby too. A good actor, she mused, no one would have thought they knew each other. Had Kuroro not restrained Shizuku, she would have attacked head on who she didn't know would be her future leader. Machi was slightly amused when the young girl didn't recognize Leorio when he came to their hideout yesterday morning, but only slightly. One can't exactly say that the Deme-chan wielder possessed the most retentive memory in the world.
Along this line of thought, something inside her woke up suddenly, and she dodged a blow someone from behind launched almost on pure instinct. She landed a few feet away, looking up to see Coltopi staring back at her with one large visible eye amidst the mass of messy blue hair. The moment their eyes met she saw the other visibly relax, both hands retreating back to the pockets of the long white coat.
"It's just you."
"Yeah, sorry if I alarmed you or something," Machi answered, slightly feeling guilty. She knew Coltopi guards their hideout 24/7, discerning instantly any presence that should come near the copies. "I shouldn't have bothered you. I shouldn't be here," she added though keeping her voice carefully callous.
Coltopi shrugged. "You're not the only one."
"What exactly do you mean?" she asked, instantly alert. "The enemy's here?"
"No. It's Nobunaga. He came back, said something about seeing the new leader…probably about the new members," Coltopi answered, and left.
Machi huffed, walking off towards the single abandoned building that is real and not made of Nen. So the samurai still hasn't given up yet, has he? When will he get it through his thick skull that the two boys he wants to join them and keeps on ranting about will sooner die than join the Spiders? And furthermore…
***
Is he serious?
Leorio looked blankly at the man before him, trying hard not to let his thoughts wander off as Nobunaga paced back and forth, telling him all the details of the Genei Ryodan's encounters with a couple of strong brats he wants to recommend as new members of the group. Nothing much really registered, but one sentence of sense seems to repeat itself over and over in his head: This guy's talking about Gon and Killua!
"They've got potential, Leader, and with the proper training, the smaller one, the one with the Strengthening Nen type, would be just like Ubogin!"
I sure hope not, Leorio thought, cautious not to let any emotions play itself across his face. He's talking about Gon. He's dead-serious. The young man's mind raced, frantically trying to think of any way to put a stop to the samurai's absurd intentions. He might not be as good as a tactician as his cousin, or as clever and wise as his best friend -former best friend- but he has to come up with something. Being a cold bastard is one thing, but to turn his two young friends into cold bastards too would really drive Kurapika towards killing him.
Not that the blonde would hesitate to end his life once he discovers everything he has accomplished in the past.
"They do sound interesting, but from what you've told me I can only say that they will never agree to joining us," Leorio answered slowly, keeping his voice void of any emotions that may lead him into a fix, hoping that the samurai would just take his words and give up the idea.
No such luck.
Nobunaga burst out laughing, silenced only moments later with a cold look from his Leader. "Gomen nasai, Leorio. It's just that those were Kuroro's exact words when I told him about it. And I answered him it won't matter, that I'll find some way to get those two to join us."
And what way is that? Torture, blackmail, something not so nice for sure. No way am I letting him lay even a single finger on them.
Something inside him clicked, he could practically see a bulb light up behind his head like in those cartoons with two-dimensional figures suddenly struck by sudden brilliance. That's it.
"And when did you tell him that? I presume before the Spider found out that the two young ones are the chain assassin's comrades?" he asked testily with a slight sneer. The smile on Nobunaga's face turned upside-down into a frown, his gloating completely dissolving into nothing. "Nobunaga, they are in league with the chain assassin, do you understand that? I am not taking any chances!"
He's silent, but he's not going to relent this easily…
"He might be like Ubogin, but he is not Ubogin! Ubogin is dead, let him rest," Leorio said and the moment the words left his lips, he knew he has gone a bit too far. Nobunaga glared at him before leaving with no words, passing Machi without even glancing at her.
"Did you manage to tack him down?" Leorio asked, not needing any answer at all. He saw the fast move Machi pulled, the way she stuck one of her needles into the leather sheath of Nobunaga's sword.
"He's obstinate and simple-minded like his best friend. This is not the end of this, you know," Machi told him, ignoring the question, arms crossing in front of her.
"I know."
***
Standard disclaimers applied. The prologue and idea of this story is by pixie-atme and is purely a fan's work - a few 'certain' elements not true in the real series.
