Ahh, thanks for all the reviews so far! I'm so glad that you readers gave constructive criticism instead of flames. I'm all the more encouraged to write so arigatou! ^_^ I'll keep in mind all the advice provided but I apologize in advance if any OOC occurs. I've watched a couple of eps of HunterxHunter but not a whole bunch so bear with me. Thanks once again and now on with the story!
Machi's footsteps faded away, leaving the two men alone. There was a casual silence although both knew the other's intentions. Intentions that were neither generous nor kind. Yet, they smiled at each other with subtle understanding. After all, maintaining the façade of cool control was part of the game.
First, the small talk.
"Kawaii, neh?" The question dangled in the air.
"Machi's always been very beautiful," came the neutral reply. Kuroro sighed privately to himself. No doubt, Machi was beside herself right now. The woman could not stand teasing of any kind with the exception of her own taunts. He was going to have to work hard to compensate for his actions, especially since he still needed her cooperation.
Hisoka sighed in a mocking imitation of a lovesick fool, "Haaaiii… I can imagine…"
Kuroro remarked, "I remember, you took a liking to her the first time you joined…"
The killer clown shrugged, "It's generally boring around here. But she's more intriguing than the rest."
"She won't be easy to win. Machi's not one for love. She's had bad experiences."
Hisoka arched an eyebrow, "Who said it had to do with love? I like… challenges."
"Hm. Well, I can't say you've made much progress but I think you are starting to get to her."
"Good," Hisoka licked his lips again, "But she's not my real target." His eyes darted toward the other, the dim light illuminating a fierce need and joy. He looked almost half-crazed with impatience.
The leader of the Genrei Ryodan said nothing.
Hisoka calmed himself. It was not time yet, "Why didn't you tell them?"
"They don't need to know," was the response.
"Surely," the joker drawled, "you know what a threat I am?"
"Of course."
"What makes you think I won't turn on any one of them when they least expect it?"
"Because then the rest of us would come and hunt you down."
Hisoka's expression became a hidden, almost contemplative look. He studied the head of the Spider who seemed not the least bit bothered. Kuroro was not the type to lie regarding these sorts of things. He didn't make empty threats and they both knew it.
"Why then are you keeping me around? I'm a traitor to the Spider."
The other's simple grin faded briefly. Hisoka felt a small thrill of triumph. Ahhh, so the man wasn't as untouchable and emotionless as one would assume. You just needed to press the right buttons.
"I won't forget," Kuroro said coldly, "But at the moment, you have the potential to be very important to us."
The clown pulled out his cards and began to shuffle them about aimlessly, "And what makes you think I'll willingly help?"
"That's simple."
Without warning, Hisoka threw one of his razor sharp cards. To a normal person's eye, it was a mere blur. A specially packaged Death-in-an-instant.
But Kuroro caught it easily and with a sharp jerk of his hand, returned it equally swiftly back to its owner. Hisoka moved his head a few centimeters to the right, just barely avoiding danger. The card struck soundly into the wall behind him.
"If you help us, I'll give you what you want," Kuroro said casually.
The joker considered and then questioned teasingly, "And what do I want exactly? Can you tell me?"
"…The fear before falling. The joy of ending," he spoke poetry in a way that mesmerized his enemy, "You want death."
Every word was truth. Hisoka chuckled and the two locked eyes once more. This time, there were no fake smiles but a genuine admiration and anticipation. They were the same, in a way. If there was to be a fight, he would not be the only one looking forward to it. As if proving this, Kuroro made the first move; he stepped forward with his hand before him.
"I can give you what you want," he repeated and the light glimmered dark on the cross on his forehead. His gaze was intense and Hisoka marveled at the solemn beauty that surrounded this man. It was beyond physical. There was an inner character of determination and fierce strength that outshone the mere attractiveness of his face. More than that, a dark quality that soiled this loveliness or, in Hisoka's eyes, simply enhanced it. Here was a heart that dreamt happy nightmares and a soul that never broke black promises.
Shake on it… if you dare.
Hisoka laughed and took the offered hand without hesitation, "Deal, Dancho."
But you're wrong, Kuroro. The death I want isn't my own…~@@@~
The atmosphere of the whole room became heavy with Machi's entrance. The rest of the Genrei Ryodan cringed involuntarily as she approached. Her Nen was smothering, burning. Her cheeks were an odd shade of pink and one of her eyebrows was twitching erratically. She was tense, ready to lash out at anything and anyone.
Phinks raised his eyebrows and opened his mouth as if ready to say something
.
Machi glared at him, like a cat silently hissing.
She was not in the mood for one of his jokes. He shrugged and remained silent.
"What happened?" Feitan was the only one brave enough to ask. If only because he really didn't care, "Were you punished?"
"None of your damn business," she spat, crossing her arms as she sat down. She struggled to compose herself. It was hard to erase the emotions raging within her. The best she could do was put on a brooding front and even then, everyone could tell she was in a bad mood. Her temper flared as she relived the last ten minutes in her mind. 'Bad mood' was an understatement.
Nobunaga stepped forward, a-heming uncomfortably.
"Nani?" she growled.
"I just wanted to say… If you hadn't done it, I would've chopped his head off."
He was thanking her, in a sense. But she was not going to appreciate his gratitude. In fact, it only irked her more.
"I didn't do it for you," she told him coldly.
"Well, the punishment was undeserved, in my opinion."
"Me, too," voiced Franklin, "The Dancho's acting odd." Shalnark and Kurotopi nodded.
She couldn't help but scoff privately at their support. It was somewhat comforting but overall, worthless. She had already been punished. Nothing they said could erase her humiliation at the hands of the Dancho. Nothing except maybe Hisoka's gruesome death but that wasn't likely.
"But Machi broke the rules," Shizuku stated, "Doesn't the Dancho have the right…" She trailed off, uncertain as reproachful looks were shot in her direction.
"Hmph," Nobunaga muttered, "The Dancho does have that right. But… Hisoka's a bastard."
There were murmurs of agreement.
"But the rules…"
Machi resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Shizuku had long ago established her fixation for adhering to the rules. Normally, Machi admired the girl for her steadfastness. Even if she weren't as strong and clever as the rest of them, Shizuku more than made up for it by being one of those who stuck firmly by the Spider's laws. But now, this virtue was nothing short of annoying.
"I'm not angry at the Dancho," Machi said crossly. At least not as angry as I am at Hisoka, she added silently, "So stop preaching."
The girl stared at her with an open sadness. From behind glasses, black eyes shined with apology, "Gomen, Machi…"
Against her will, the purple-haired girl was oddly touched, even puzzled. Shizuku was never one to appear troubled. Usually, she just accepted everything as it was. When she had first joined, she had won their approval with her tolerant, unquestioning nature. Her cluelessness was a bonus as it added both distance and a touch of innocence. At the tender age of nineteen, she had found her calling: she was the perfect Spider.
Shizuku could not be touched, not by her comrades nor by the murders she committed willingly. And half-awake, half-asleep, not there but not completely here, loyal to death and obedient in life--this was how they welcomed her.
But for now, the distance had been breached. The young girl seemed affected by something. Sad, even. Her fingers went unconsciously to the upside-down cross on her shirt, a sign of her reverence for their leader.
"Gomen," she said again, "I'm just tired of all this fighting. Now that the Dancho's back, I don't want any of us to fight anymore."
Her glance flittered to the side. Machi followed and was greeted with the sight of Pakunoda's grave. The lit candles that had been carefully arranged were the only source of light in the darkness.
Machi felt a pang that came and went. She softened a little as she remembered the memories that Pakunoda had left her. "Hai, there's no need to fight anymore," she said in a subdued voice. She was no longer furious with the Dancho either. All that was left was a hollow regret.
"So…" Phinks sidled up to her curiously, "What the Dancho do to you? Why were you blushing when you came in?"
A second later, he was stumbling backward, clutching his eye and howling in pain.
"I told you to wait before asking," Feitan remarked, tone slightly admonishing. He studied the bruised eye on his partner's face with admiration. Turning to Machi, he praised, "Nice…"
"Hmpf," she said, ignoring the rare compliment.
"Machi! The rules!" Shizuku was stunned.
"Don't worry," she assured, "It was an accident. Honest." But she was smirking to herself and anyone with half a brain could tell that she had lied. The real truth was, punching Phinks had been refreshing.
"An accident, MY ASS!" snarled the victim. His eye was already bruising horribly and swelling.
"Gomen… my hand slipped."
"I'll make you regret it," he stalked towards her, fists clenched, Nen flaring.
She crossed her legs and glanced at him with an expression of dislike and boredom. And then her beautiful features became fierce with challenge and she motioned with her fingers for him to bring it on.
"Bitch…" he cursed at her, "You should've died instead of Pakunoda…"
Her eyes narrowed with hatred. Phinks really knew how to piss her off. He surpassed her in strength but in overall combat, they were well-matched. She had dealt him a beating a while back but apparently, he had forgotten it. No matter. She wanted this fight. Her whole being ached for it. The day had been nothing but repressed anger, simmering tension, and here was a perfectly good chance to let it all out.
Shizuku stood between them firmly. "I can't allow this," she declared, tightening her hold on Deme-chan. But this was not like hitting Nobunaga from behind as she had done before. At that time, she had the element of surprise. Now, she was standing against an unstoppable flood of fury.
"Get out of the way!" Phinks screamed, barely restraining himself from ripping his opponent to shreds.
"I don't need you to protect me," Machi told the girl calmly, "I can take care of Phinks myself. I'll squash him like a bug."
"NANI??!!" the man roared, leaping forward past Shizuku's defense.
And so, despite Shizuku's protests, the battle began.
Machi's instinct warned her abruptly where his attack would land and she blocked easily. She noted with satisfaction that his out-of-control temper was making him reckless. She would use this to her advantage. Dodging his destructive fist, she launched a swift kick into his stomach followed by a neatly delivered uppercut. He flew backward and landed roughly on his back. He leapt quickly back onto his feet but she had already rushed forward, elbowing him in the neck and knocking him down again.
Hisoka walked in, his eyes taking in the ongoing scene of violence. "What's going on?" he inquired with interest.
"Machi and Phinks are fighting," Kurotopi informed him, "Because…" Here, the long-haired Nen user paused. The reason was rather obscure actually.
"They just got on each other's nerves," Franklin said simply.
"But what if the Dancho finds out? I thought fighting was forbidden."
Shalnark answered sheepishly, "Well, he doesn't have to know. These kind of fights happen sometimes…" He turned to Shizuku, who had taken in his words with obvious alarm, "Don't worry. Nobody really gets hurt and it gets rid of the tension between members."
Hisoka chuckled to himself, "I see…"
Phinks blocked the onslaught of kicks that were sent his way. When they stopped coming, he quickly whirled around to face Machi who had stolen behind him. Too late. She delivered another stinging blow to his face and body-slammed him to the floor.
"Ahhhhh… But why aren't they using their Nen?"
"The purpose of the fight is to make the other feel pain. Not death," explained Franklin, "It's not a matter of life-and-death, but a test of endurance."
Hisoka couldn't decide whether he was disappointed or excited by the revelation. Nevertheless, the spectacle before him was entertaining.
"Machi must be pretty angry," Shalnark commented, "She normally doesn't fight so intensely. Most of the time, she doesn't even get involved in these little spats."
"And who usually does?"
The blonde pondered this, tapping his chin in thought, "Well… Phinksa and Nobunaga, most of the time… Ubogin, too, before he died… Feitan and Franklin occasionally…"
"Not you?"
Shalnark shook his head. "If I were to fight, I'd probably lose," he confessed humbly, "And to be honest, I don't like pain."
Hisoka played carelessly with his cards, shuffling them from one hand to the other, "That's strange, coming from a member of the Spider…"
There was a reason why nobody enjoyed the joker's presence. When he showed any interest at all in the other Ryodan members, it was to provoke those around him. But Shalnark had long figured out the best strategy to deal with this. He faced the glow of contempt in the clown's eyes with an unperturbed, almost cheerful front, "We're not all like Feitan. I'm part of the Spider for different reasons."
But Hisoka had already switched his attention back to the fight. He rarely got to see Machi in action as the girl was prone to keep her abilities hidden. Each chance was then extremely providential and should not be taken for granted. Still shuffling, he leaned forward as an observant witness to the continuing conflict.
In the meantime, Machi had sensed Hisoka's entrance, which only fueled her desire for combat. Grinding her teeth as she felt the clown's gaze on her back, she grabbed a hold of Phinks' hair and yanked with all her strength. The scream that followed made everyone wince. Machi smiled.
"Nice…" Feitan commented again.
"What's nice, Feitan?" Kuroro's curious voice suddenly said. The leader of the Phantom Brigade stood, having just appeared and now patiently awaiting a response.
Feitan coughed lightly, delaying. His shrewd eyes fixed themselves on a random point on the ceiling and his hands went innocently behind his back, "…Nothing."
"Phinks, what happened to your eye? It was fine just a while ago."
The brawl had stopped instantly with the Dancho's arrival. Now, Phinks and Machi were nowhere near each other. Machi was sitting across the room, staring absently at her hands with her normal indifferent expression. The only hint to her participation were the tiny, almost invisible drops of sweat on her forehead.
Phinks, on the other hand, found himself the object of interrogation. The injured man stood there, breathing heavily and searching desperately for some quick explanation. He looked up, briefly met Kuroro's searing and knowing gaze, and then looked away again, "I… ran into a wall."
Nobunaga sniggered. Franklin and Shalnark exchanged a glance that spoke nothing positive about Phinks' intelligence. Even Shizuku looked amused at the lame excuse.
Let them laugh, Phinks thought furiously, Their butts aren't on the line.
"You ran into a wall?"
He nodded, "I was trying to show Feitan a move."
Feitan snorted indignantly, "Like I would ever borrow one of your moves."
Phinks glowered at his partner before shifting his attention back to the Dancho, who was smiling at the pathetic explanation.
"Hisoka? Do you know what happened?" Kuroro did not miss Machi's sudden flinch.
The clown seemed preoccupied with his cards. He deliberately avoided answering the question for a while and then, "…I can tell you nothing that you couldn't deduce yourself, Dancho."
Kuroro considered this, tilting his head so that his black bangs covered his face, giving it a somewhat philosophical touch, "…That's true."
Phinks' shoulders slumped before tensing in apprehension. So he knew. What would he do now? Punish him as he did Machi? And with what? What had upset the girl in the first place? Not that he cared anymore. He rubbed his jaw petulantly.
To his and everyone's surprise, however, the whole affair was dismissed easily. Almost too easily.
"Don't let this happen again," the Dancho finally said, a cool warning. But that was all and soon, Kuroro had left, his last message a straightforward order: "Get to work."
Phinks blinked, temporarily speechless.
"That was odd," Shalnark said, looking just as perplexed, "The Dancho's acting unusual."
"No matter," announced Feitan, "Let's get going." He nodded at Phinks and the two vanished quickly, off to perform their duties.
No matter how strange the Dancho was behaving, an order was still an order. All contemplations were second to that. Shalnark shook his head to clear his suspicious thoughts and focused instead on the mission. He turned to Shizuku, "Shall we go?"
"I'm ready," she assented but not before Machi had called out in protest, "Hey!"
Shizuku shifted slightly, "Nani?"
"You're not going to partner me up with him, are you?" Just as Machi began to glower at the thought, Hisoka began to chuckle happily. He looked at the card currently in his hand. The Queen of Hearts.
"Today's my lucky day," he murmured, pressing it fondly to his lips.
"Ahh, gomen," Shalnark laughed nervously, brushing a hand through his golden hair, "but the pairings were already decided before you came out. Guess you're stuck. Gomen."
Noting that she was prepared to argue vehemently against this and not wishing to be stuck with the insane joker himself, Shalnark quickly made his escape. Grabbing Shizuku's hand, he dragged her away with a quick wave and hasty "Ja ne!"
"Just bear it," Franklin advised calmly as Machi's face soured unpleasantly, 'It'll be over before you know it." His scarred face was sympathetic.
"BUT—"
"Just bear it."
She sighed, suddenly worn out by everything. Looking at Hisoka's sunny grin only made her more tired and unhappy. "Hai, hai…" she muttered half-heartedly to the giant's counseling before joining her unwanted partner. There was nothing as to do except tolerate this stroke of bad luck. It would pass. The sooner, the better.
"Shall we go?" he bowed, offering her his arm in the mocking imitation of a gentleman.
She ignored it, "Where?"
"The Jacobs Mansion," Kurotopi informed them, "It's in the center of town. The big, black building. You can't miss it."
"Jacobs...?" she repeated uncertainly.
The name sounded familiar but in a negative way. She pushed away the dread that filled her when she tried to remember where she had previously heard the name before stopping altogether. It didn't matter.
An order was an order.
"Let's go," she said curtly to Hisoka and in a split second, they were gone.