Standards disclaimers apply. Uhm, I'm flat broke, and Hunter x Hunter is still not mine. The world is cruel.

Oh, and the little pause in the middle? I didn't start writing until March, ehehe... The last days of February were spent worshiping Mana and Malice Mizer and wondering whether or not I would give Mana justice if I like Gackt. Rea-life yaoi fandom is a painful thing, but they're just so cute~!!! I did nothing other than that. I didn't even play my favorite games in mIRC and I'll probably lose the next time I join Trivia again, but meh. Mana's androgynous and he's hot, so I'm happy. (How can a guy have a face shaped like a woman's anyway??) He reminds of Illumi too when his hair is black. ^________^ Doesn't help that Gackt looks like Hisoka. I think that's where it started anyway. Damn...

OF GAMES AND ASSASSINS
by: Cherrie
( tartarus000@yahoo.com )

Chapter 13 - A Foreboding

Breathe.

That was what Illumi's brain told him to do, and seeing that it seemed like a good advice since he realized that he just stopped doing so seconds ago, he took a deep intake of air, and breathe he did. Though it did help the sudden darkening of his eyesight, it did not change the message that was flashing before his eyes.

"What is it, what is it?" came Hisoka's insistent questioning as he left the post Illumi assigned him to stay in and positioned himself behind the assassin. He looked over the other man's shoulder and peered at the screen in front of them. He blinked for a couple of seconds, but eventually muttered, "Oh my..."

Well that was the understatement of the year. Illumi rolled his eyes before shifting them back on the ATM screen, damnable thing that it was. A small beeping sound pulled his attention to the small slit above the screen as a small piece of paper was ejected. He pulled the paper out and read what was written.

Amount stored on account: 0.00

"Gee, no shit?" came Hisoka's helpful comment as he, too, obviously looked over what was written. Well, at least he was being supportive.

Illumi sighed, pitying himself for even thinking that last thought, and crumpled the sheet into a tiny ball before throwing it out on the trash bin beside him. He could feel Hisoka's eyes on him as they stepped out of the small room and back on the street. He could feel the question coming up as well, so instead of waiting, he raced his companion to it and said, "I'm going to look for a job."

Hisoka was a bit slow on the uptake, but once he was done staring at Illumi as if grown a third eye on the middle of his forehead, he immediately asked, "Why?"

"Because, unless it isn't so obvious," said Illumi, fully aware that the other was testing his patience without knowing it for probably the first time since he knew him, "I'm broke. That was the last bank, and you know what happened with the others as well." He said it without even a glance of the man behind him and didn't even bother looking back if he was actually there. Hisoka would probably follow him to Hell with the rate he's going through, so if there was anything he had to worry about, Hisoka disappearing soon was not one of them.

As expected, light footsteps came beside him in no time. "What for? I mean, money was never a problem between us, I pay for almost everything," said the magician, falling in step with the other.

Illumi gave him a sharp look. "Yes, and they all add up to my debt."

Hisoka grinned. "What debt?" Earning Illumi's sharpest glare upon saying that, the magician knew that that wasn't the best thing to say. Illumi was never one to take having to owe favors lightly. Damn proud of him really, in the magician's opinion, but then again, perhaps he would've felt the same way had he been in the other's position. Money was almost never a problem when you're a Hunter, but Illumi's just like that. "But isn't it strange," he said once the atmosphere cleared out, "What happened to your bank accounts?"

'My family is the devil reincarnate separated into different persons,' muttered Illumi, fully knowing whose fault it was. He swore that he was never going to do Milluki any more favors in the future, if they ever meet again.

"What was that?" asked Hisoka. He didn't quite catch what the other just said.

"Nothing." Illumi sighed, stopping in front of an internet cafe. He paid on the front desk and took the farthest computer on the corner. Upon seating himself on the seat, he entered a random search engine and started typing away. One would know that Illumi had done it many times before, as he didn't even stop long enough to read where he was going.

"Need a license or did you bring yours?" asked Hisoka, referring to his Hunter license card.

"No need. I have my connections," said Illumi, and was almost immediately inside a website that was a blank, black page except for a small strip of white asking for the password on the lower-left corner. Beside that space was a small, animated green frog. Illumi paid the frog no heed, knowing that it was just a facade to hide what the website was (as if the URL being purplecurry.com didn't hide that enough) and just typed fast enough for Hisoka to miss the first password. And the second. And the third.(1)

Upon seeing yet another similar screen, Hisoka frowned and tapped Illumi's head. "Forgot the password?" he asked playfully, grinning as Illumi entered another set of keys only to come back to the same screen again.

"No," muttered the assassin, typing another set of keys again. "You need to type five different passwords to get in." And upon saying that, he tapped the enter key once again and was immediately brought to the website he was after. He scanned through the front news, reading a few of the articles before continuing on his scanning.

"Mafia-affiliate," said Hisoka, his voice low. He looked over his shoulder just in case someone heard him. Sure that there was no one, he grinned and rested his chin on Illumi's head. His grin widened when he received no negative reaction. "Not bad. Are you sure it's safe to access their site in a public place like this?"

"It's the least of my concerns," replied Illumi, in the midst of reading one certain document. "Besides, that's what the passwords are for. I'm sure they have their own ways to secure information anyway. But the site isn't that secret. A lot of bounty hunters know about it too."

"How come I don't know about it then?" asked Hisoka, now mindlessly playing with Illumi's hair.

"You're not a bounty hunter, Hisoka," was all Illumi said before confirming the print command. As the printer beside the computer started to work, a faint ringing sound was heard somewhere inside Hisoka pockets. The magician pulled away from the assassin (pity really, he was just getting comfortable) and took his cell phone out. An eyebrow raised at the name flashing on the screen.

"I'll just be outside, Illumi," said Hisoka. Illumi gave a quick nod before snatching the paper from the printer once it was done.

* * * * *

Killua tapped the wooden surface of the table as he waited for the other line to be answered. The young boy grinned when it was picked up. "Hello, Hisoka. Having fun molesting my brother yet?"

A faint laughter was heard from the other line. "You can say that," was his reply, before the laughing continued. It was more on the cackle side, thought Killua. A hybrid between a cackle and a giggle. Completely Hisoka-like.

The Zoldick heir scoffed. "Does he know about your little games yet?"

"Not yet," answered Hisoka. "But if you're still worrying about me being unfaithful to your brother, you needn't have to. I'll tell him soon. Probably when things are already working out well." There's that cackle-giggle thing again.

"You are so twisted, clown. I pity Illumi already," said Killua, shaking his head. "Oh, and about that Leorio and Kurapika thing... care for some blackmail?"

"You actually need my permission to blackmail me?"

"Well, technically no, but unlike you, we're the good guys. We give warnings," was Killua's answer. Hearing Hisoka's snort from the other line, the boy merely rolled his eyes and continued. "Okay, so point 1: Gon will hate you forever if you don't include our two friends in."

"When has that child ever liked me anyway?"

"Wow, you actually know that Gon hates your guts to the point of disemboweling you? You're not as clueless as I thought you were!" Killua feigned surprise and started barraging Hisoka with another set of insults.

"Enough, you brat, I get the point! Besides, like me or not, I'll go after Gon when the time comes."

"Not when you're rotting corpse is tied on top of a lightning pole you're not," said Killua sarcastically. "Anyway, we can always give Hime-neechan your number. I suggest you buy a pair of ear plugs for that."

"Must you call her 'neechan'? She's not even your sister."

"Heh, jealous?" Killua grinned upon hearing the other's disagreeing grunt. "You know, I'd rather drop dead than actually call you 'niichan, just so you know, Hisoka."

"Oi, that's hitting below the belt, boy," growled Hisoka. Killua had to wonder if the other meant the offense or not. Hisoka being Hisoka, nothing was for sure, but Killua could tell that there was a hint of injury in that last remark. He probably went too far on that one. Hey, maybe Hisoka really did care for his brother and none of them even knew it.

Heh. Yeah, right.

Still, that really seemed far too harsh, so even just for Gon and his good heart's sake, Killua sighed and said, "Yeah, I guess, sorry. Geez, you don't need to be so uptight about it."

"But I 'wuv my Illu-chan and you hurt my feelings~!"

Now that was just too much.

"STOP!" Killua had to hold the head board of his bed to keep him from falling off the edge. His hand immediately flew to his throat as he almost choked. He did not just hear Hisoka say what he just said and especially not in the way he just did! "God Hisoka, what the hell are you trying to do, give me a heart attack!?"

Another laugh. "Serves you right. Anyway, this is taking too long. Do whatever you want, kid, but next time, go with the flow and don't give me too much trouble on this. Technically, you can say I'm still working for him. I fail and Illumi hates me, you're all dead. I haven't seen myself all crazy and vengeful, and I don't think you'd like to be the receiving end of my first time on that, would you?"

Again, Killua wasn't sure if Hisoka was actually serious, but he didn't want to take any chances. "Sure thing." He then hung up.

* * * * *

Blue-gray eyes gazed out into the vast, open sea, one that seemed rather endless even when you're standing on top of the highest tower in the city. The cigar stick was giving its desired effect, and for those few seconds that one deep breath gave him the satisfaction of being intoxicated, Reiji closed his eyes and succumbed to the feeling. He could almost feel that headache wearing off.

"Sir?"

The man turned away from the glass window to face his young secretary, a boy probably around 40 years younger than he was. He never really bothered asking him how old he was, only that his skills were adequate enough for him to deserve his current position. Pulling the cigar away from his mouth, Reiji nodded to the young man to acknowledge his presence.

"Mr. Rose just called and asked about your previous arrangement and why it has to be moved," said the young man.

Reiji closed his eyes and sat down, setting the stick of cigar aside before facing the young man again. "Just tell him that my schedule could not permit me to see nor speak to him any time soon." He said this almost painfully, the ill twist in his face betraying his dislike for the topic. He cursed his current situation, knowing that he could not hide the secret for too long.

Patiently, the young secretary stood before him, waiting for further instructions. The man on the chair looked up again, deep in thought, then added, "Tell him that my daughter also sends her regards to his son."

It may probably ease the tempest for a while more.

End of chapter 13

[1] I have absolutely no idea how top-security sites work, so I kind of just played with it and had fun. Hehe, curry. Oh Mana... *hugs a Moi Dix Mois poster*

Author's Notes: I know the chapters are short, but bear with me on this, okay? I'm beginning to see a plot here, but I'm still playing with it. I can't believe I lasted for 13 chapters without an actual plot in mind. Gods, pathetic. But it was fun. Pathetic of me to start a project like that, but maybe that's just me not used to being spontaneous. Gaah, my head, got me 5 more bottles of my medicine, yay! 500 capsules is good. Will last me for almost one more year of sanity. *manic grin*