"What's the plan, Dancho?" Shizuku spoke up eagerly. The young girl had been noticeably depressed with recent events. Then again, that could apply to all of them. Nobunaga still looked enraged. Feitan, like herself, exhibited nothing but controlled passivity and just a tinge of disconcertment. But Franklin and the others openly wore sober, gloomy expressions.

Machi glanced around at the sober faces of her teammates. Her eyes landed on Hisoka's cunning smile. He waved cheerfully and blew her a kiss. She turned away in annoyance. Well, most of them were upset anyway.

"Patience," Franklin gently chided, seeming weary yet wise, "Let the Dancho explain everything first."

On cue, they all turned toward their leader.

He had his eyes closed and Machi, as she always did, marveled at his trust in them. They were all murderers, experts at the game. All shed blood without remorse. Yet, he ignored this and placed a confidence in the Spider that was deeper than what most religious fanatics could fathom. She wondered if she would dare do what he was doing before them—remove his defenses, close his eyes, and rely instead on blind faith.

Probably not. But that was why he was Dancho.

"Dancho?" Kurotopi questioned softly.

The black-haired man seemed not to hear. His lips moved swiftly, as if reciting. But none of them could not hear the words. Machi had a feeling that they were not supposed to hear.

"Hush," Franklin interceded firmly and they simply watched on in silence. .

The deaths of Pakunoda and Ubogin had long thrown a dark mood over the whole gathering. Unlike previous meetings, there was no longer the feeling of greedy anticipation. The usual thrill of being together had been effectively destroyed. It had been worse while the Dancho was gone, searching for a Nen remover. That period had been filled with internal dissension and marked by frequent bickering.

But now that he was back, Machi could sense their spirits lifting. Things were bound to get better. They had to. He was the Dancho, after all. She looked at the man before her with respect.

"Gomen," he apologized, opening his eyes and smiling with that elegant grace that never ceased to calm them, "I was just saying a prayer."

Nobody asked for who.

"I suppose you've all been wondering where I've been. You've all got questions, no doubt. I'll try my best to answer them."

"Did you find a Nen-remover?" Hisoka suddenly asked. Machi narrowed her eyes. It was unusual for the clown to show such blatant interest. Most of the time, he lounged about during meetings as if bored.

But now there was a wild emotion in his eyes that Machi found troubling. She pursed her lips and scowled at him. Most of the Genrei Ryodan followed suit, especially Nobunaga. The samurai's hand rested tensely on the handle of his katana, his face contorted in an angry glare.

Hisoka no baka. The question felt… inappropriate. The Dancho had been gone so long, his absence a worrisome situation that had pulled at all of their heartstrings, whether they wished it or not. And to deal him this question first, of all the ones that were plaguing their minds, upon his return. It wasn't right, it was almost rude.

Ignoring the hostility around him, the clown pressed, "Well?"

Kuroro nodded, "Hai, I found one when I headed East."

"So can you fight?" the joker drawled.

"Shut your damned mouth!" Nobunaga could hold back no longer. Patience had never been the man's virtue. Now, he was trembling with animosity, aching to attack. If asked the reason for this flare of fury, he would not be able to answer. But the answer laid somewhere in the depths of his grief, in his mourning for his best friend, in the unexplainable suspicion that the bastard clown had something to do with it. Nobunaga would not be surprised by how close he was to the truth; he had never liked Hisoka anyways. 

Hisoka raised an eyebrow, "Ohhhhh? The minute the Dancho returns, you start giving orders? My, my, how rude…"

"Say that again!?!?" the long-haired man snarled, starting forward, "Who's the one being rude?!?!"

"Nobunaga…" Kuroro sighed. He had sensed stored-up frustration within the man and had been waiting for its release. This outburst wasn't unexpected, "Calm down."

Hisoka snickered as the man forced himself to obey, muttering curses under his breath.

Machi found her patience snapping as well. Hisoka was standing next to her, too busy sniggering at Nobunaga to notice her irritation. A perfect opportunity to avenge herself for that stolen kiss. She contemplated knocking him out and resigned herself to doing so only if he asked another idiotic question again. A thought caught her; she would be breaking the rules…

"So, Dancho, now that Pakunoda's gone, find any hot girls to substit—"

Rules be damned. Machi karate-chopped at the joker's neck with all her might. He dropped like a stone. She smugly recalled that among the Genrei Ryodan, she was the sixth strongest in arm wrestling. Hisoka, lying unconscious at her feet, was proof of that.

"Machi!" The Dancho was astonished. His black eyes clearly showed his shock, "You know the rules!"

"Gomen," she said, not bothering to offer any explanation. But it was obvious that she didn't mean it.

Kuroro sighed again to himself. Only a few weeks away and already the Spider was losing control. "You'll have to be punished," he said heavily. 

For a moment, his gaze of accusation and disapproval almost made her hesitate. Almost made her feel shame. Against her will, her own gaze dropped briefly to the floor. Then, she remembered who she was and her chin lifted proudly. She was Machi with a heart as cold and hard as ice. There was no room there for regret.

"I know, Dancho," she said, barely able to refrain from smiling, "And you may punish me as you like."

She hoped that she sounded somewhat penitent. Yet, her defiant eyes betrayed her. Kuroro pursed his lips, frowning. In the silence, Machi grew nervous but she maintained her cool, unruffled exterior. Deep down, she knew that he knew there was nothing that he could do to make her feel remorse. 

"I'll deal with this later," he said finally, "But first, business. This may seem unnecessary to state. But our main objective is going after the chain-user."

Nobunaga cheered loudly. Shanaark smiled in open relief.

"I'm sure Pakunoda has given most of what you need to know… His appearance… His past… His skills…" He paused, sad and forlorn, "…Although the information came at a heavy price."

For a moment, Machi held her breath, wondering if he was going to cry. It seemed so strange to see their leader weep so openly, but it had happened before. A light stream of tears trickled down his face but that was all. His voice remained the same, strong and calm. Like an anchor and they all clung to it. The words flowed steadily as he outlined the plan.

But by the time it he finished explaining, the Spider was gaping at their leader in disbelief.

"Split up?" Nobunaga said the word almost weakly, "Now?"

Machi bit her lip in confusion. To split up now was too dangerous. Together they were strong, undefeatable. Alone, they were vulnerable. As much as she hated to admit, she doubted she could handle the chain-user by herself.

"But Dancho, isn't this unwise?" Shanaark frowned, "We would be comparatively weaker apart."

"Easy prey," Phinks added in dismay.

"Well, we won't be completely separated."

The Dancho smiled at all their uncertainties, reassuring them that he knew what he was doing. He had figured out the chain-user long ago, he claimed. Machi watched him carefully. Her instinct told her that there was something that he wasn't telling them. Something drastically important.

"Machi, Shizuku, Feitan, Phinks, Shalnark, Hisoka," he announced, "You six will divide into groups of two and infiltrate the three major Mafia-owned buildings in Yorkshin."

"Infiltrate? How?" Shizuku furrowed her forehead.

"Well, these buildings also function as mansions and those sort of places are always needing more servants."

Feitan snorted, obviously unhappy with the idea.

Machi frowned in displeasure. Go undercover as servants? Did that mean she would have to wash dishes? The prospect wasn't appealing, to say the least. She hated washing dishes.

Shalnark was puzzled, "Won't we be recognized?"

"Probably. But it doesn't matter," the Dancho replied confidently, "They lost the war they tried to wage on us. They won't bother us even if they know who we are. However, that in itself is unlikely as well since only the Mafia elite are aware of what we look like. The ordinary people generally don't have a clue."

"That's true…" the blonde admitted, becoming quiet as he turned the plan over in his head, "And the bounty on our heads is gone…"

"So no one will have the guts to come after us," Phinks stated matter-of-factedly, smirking.

"Not 'no one'…" Kurotopi said. Noone could see her face behind the long strands of hair but her Nen revealed how apprehensive she was. She had long grasped the purpose of this plan. It was simple but dangerous.

"The chain-user will come," Kuroro finished, "He will come and try to catch one of you when you least expect it. But the rest of us will be on constant alert, ready and watching. And before he makes his move, we'll make ours."

Nevertheless, the chosen six tensed visibly. Well, minus Hisoka, who was lying still on the ground.

"But Dancho…" Phinks began to voice the doubt on all their minds.

For a moment, their leader seemed upset. His aura shifted just the slightest bit from persuasive to hesitant. Picking up on this, Machi shrugged uncomfortably to herself. Her instinct was bothering her again. But this time, she didn't want to listen for it put the Dancho in a negative light. Still, it nagged, annoying and vague.

As if sensing her struggle, Kuroro smiled at her with a gentle expression that almost won her confidence had.her instinct not persisted.

But it continued to warn, There's a secret in the Dancho's smile today…

"Phinks, when have I ever let you down?" Kuroro spoke smoothly, turning back. His voice reminded her of the first time he had gathered them to form the Spider. It was rich, persuasive, and because of the occasion, just a bit hurt.

"Never…"

"Have I ever done anything to give you reason not to trust me?"

"Never…"

"Then do it. Just trust me."

That, too, was from the past. It rang through all their memories, as it was meant to. He had told them those exact words on their first mission. At that time, the Spider had nearly been destroyed by fear of exposure and punishment. But the risk paid off. Their first mission had been an absolute success, earning them notoriety and wealth beyond their wildest imaginations. It proved the strength of the Spider and the wisdom of the Dancho. More importantly, it sealed their loyalty.

For some reason, she knew that Kuroro had delivered that line on purpose. Machi was sure that Phinks recalled it just as surely as she did because the young man ceased all protests immediately.

All that was left was a heavy resignation, "Hai, Dancho."

Kuroro clapped his hands cheerfully, "Well, I guess that ends it then, neh? Our next meeting will be—"

"What will we do with the chain-user once we catch him, Dancho?" Franklin questioned abruptly.

Did he also sense something wrong, too? Machi wondered. So she wasn't the only one. There was a hint of uneasiness on the giant's face.

"Kill him, of course!" Nobunaga said.

"We'll offer him an opportunity to join first—"

"Nani??!!" the samurai exclaimed in disbelief, "Dancho!!"

"—and if he refuses, we kill him," he finished, ignoring the horrified man who had dropped his katana due to shock. It clattered loudly as each of them pondered the possibility of recruiting the chain-user. It almost seemed ludicrous.

And yet…

A few stole glances at the still sleeping Hisoka. Being apart of the Genrei Ryodan didn't mean you had to earn the affection of your fellow teammates. After all, none of them really liked Hisoka. Still, he had qualified for the Spider at the expense of a former member. And now, he was one of them. And if someone like the deranged clown could make it on the team… Well then.

"Does that satisfy you, Nobunaga? We give the boy a choice. If he joins, he lives. If he doesn't, he dies."

"Dancho…" the man said weakly, wanting to object but not daring to.

"He won't join," Machi told Kuroro.

He looked at her, shoulders slumping slightly, "Instinct?"

She nodded. She had seen enough of their enemy through Pakunoda's memories to make the judgement. The chain-user was like the young Hunter boy, the one with jet-black hair and fiery temper. He would die before joining them.

"And I don't think he will fall for the bait either." He was too damn intelligent. And because of that, the real danger laid not in acting as prey but in being outsmarted by a clever hunter.

"Ahhhh…" Kuroro slapped his forehead at the news, "I should probably revise the plan then."

He was obviously disappointed.

"No…" Machi said, feeling slightly guilty, "I don't mean to make you change it."

"But your instincts are always right."

The remark caused a flash of resentment within the girl. She disliked it when people said that, as if she could never be wrong, as if her predictions were always one hundred percent accurate. She never said that they were. Granted, they were usually correct but that didn't mean they would always be. Perhaps she was just on a lucky streak. Whatever it was, she didn't want the responsibility for influencing others and changing their decisions and consequently, their lives.

Especially not when the existence of the Spider was at stake.

"Dancho…" she said, almost as if pleading. She was already regretting having spoken up,  "It's just a feeling. Please don't read too much into it. I'm just guessing, after all."

"But Machi, your instincts have never gone wrong before," Shizuku said and there was a general murmur of agreement, "And he really doesn't look like the type who would want to join us."

For an instant, the thread Nen-user wanted to smack the girl back into silence. Instead, she glared, "Well, if you went by appearance alone, neither are you."

"Don't bicker," the Dancho instructed and Shizuku closed her mouth obediently. He gazed calmly at Machi and then with a business-like air, he said, "Shall I pretend then that I never heard that?"

"If you want." She was a bit surprised. Never in the past had he ignored her instincts, not even when she had urged him to disregard them. Nevertheless, the weight of responsibility was gone from her shoulders now. Overall, she was relieved that he was sticking to the original plan. If something were to go wrong, it would no longer be her fault. 

He gave a curt nod, "I will then." To the rest of the members, "The next meeting will be in two weeks. If nothing happens, I'll think of something new."

But there was a wry grin on his mouth that suggested something would happen. As if, somehow, in some way, he knew that something would happen. Machi frowned again. There was something about his expression… She couldn't figure it out but comprehension was just beyond her reach…

"Machi?"

She jerked out of her contemplation. The room had emptied and the only people left were her, Hisoka – still on the ground -- and Kuroro. "I was just thinking," she said.

He walked closer to her, saying abruptly, "Alright, I've think you've been punished enough."

"What do you mean?" she was startled by his words. Rather baffled, actually. He had executed the punishment already? When? How? And more importantly – she was dreading the answer to this one -- What?

"O-ha-you…" a distinctly familiar voice pronounced the words with a casual drawl.

Machi paled when she realized it came from below. Looking down, she met a pair of delighted eyes that were staring unashamedly upward into her kimono. 

"Nice panties," Hisoka commented with a wicked smirk. He mentally counted the seconds before the ice queen went ballistic. He estimated three seconds at the most. One… Two… Three…

No reaction.

Hisoka quirked his eyebrow in a  'Huh, would you look at that.' manner.

A deadly whisper, thinly lined with venom, "Exactly…. Exactly how long have you been awake?"

"Hmmm…" The clown pretend to think and then said off-handedly, "Now if I told you that, you'd probably hit me again."

She cracked her knuckles loudly and the sound reverberated across the room. "Were you… awake the whole time?" she asked again in that strained tone.

"If I was?"

"Dancho! Did you kno—" Machi trailed off as she met the amused gaze of her leader.

A sly smile graced the man's lips. He brushed his bangs away from his face and remarked off-handedly, "I suppose I may have noticed that Hisoka was acting the part of a hentai."

Machi took a slow, deep breath. She was trying not to appear disgruntled but it was difficult. For one thing, her right eyebrow would not cease twitching. The outrage was overwhelming. And the way that clown bastard was looking at her, arrogant satisfaction all over his painted face… It was enough to make her scream.

"Awww, Machi-chan," Hisoka laughed, appreciating her fury, "Don't be so embarrassed. I was rather… impressed."

Her threads appeared on her fingers. She advanced, murderous vengeance as her sole objective. Maybe he was strong, but so she was. And if he were better, it would not be by much. Part of her brain was telling her to ignore this transgression. Ignore it and leave with as much dignity as she could salvage. If she fought, she would lose. It went against reason to pick a fight that one couldn't win.

"Ano… who would've thought that you wore pink panties?"

…It didn't matter if she lost the battle so long as she made him feel lots and lots of pain the process…

She was close enough to strangle him. He was lying at her feet, after all. And soon, he would be lying in a pile of blood. Her lips curved upwards in a fatally beautiful smile as she prepared to attack.

A second later and she standing on the opposite of the room, having been transported against her will. She glared at Kuroro, who had his book out. She was about to protest when he said,  "Haven't learned your lesson yet?"

Her eyes widened as he used his Nen again. This time, she found herself in mid-air, high and helpless.

"The rules are meant for a reason, Machi," the Dancho told her strictly, "Especially now, it's important to keep them. And if you can't abide, you'll just have to be punished until you do."

At that, she felt his Nen leave her. She was dropping at a rapid speed. Thoughts flew like lightning in her mind. Should she attempt to save herself? But that was futile for that was what he was punishing her for. And if she defied him, he would only punish her again and most likely, with something worse. Her logic told her to shut up and simply take it. With angry acceptance then, she braced for the impact. The ground would be hard as a rock.

Instead, she landed on something relatively soft. Strong arms caught her, preventing her from hitting the floor, and enclosed around her firmly. She gaped at Hisoka, momentarily at a loss for words. In a swift movement, she then found herself pulled close until her lips were nearly brushing against his.

"Ohayou again," he murmured, licking his lips in anticipation.

To her utter horror, she suddenly felt a warmth in her cheeks that was both alien and undeniable. Her disgust mounting, she couldn't help but hate every minute of this. Looking over his shoulder, the Dancho was watching with almost an apologetic expression. Evidently, he had found her weakness and had decided to use it to keep her in line. Meaning… he had planned her current torture.

Damn you, she thought bitterly.

On the other hand, Hisoka was enjoying himself immensely.

There was the sudden thrill as if it had been raining gold and he had just caught all of it. But in a sense, this was better than wealth. She was evidently in her shocked state, a rare occurrence but also a golden opportunity that he would never pass up.

He inhaled deeply. She smelled good and she felt very warm. He let a finger stroke her cheek, which was burning hot and an unusual shade of… He paused and then blinked as if he couldn't believe his eyes.

Regaining her focus, Machi growled, "Let go of me!"

Hisoka stared at her curiously and then began to laugh. But he did as he was told. Machi stood up and stalked angrily out of the room. He watched her go almost regretfully. But his remorse was lost on the beauty as she vanished from sight. Hisoka shrugged off any lingering emotions and turned to the remaining figure, "Kawaii, neh?"