Chapter 3
Suspension?!
Wednesday morning, 9 am.
The Genei Ryodan collective scenes bought out the worst and best in everyone. Early in the bright summer morning, Hisoka was trapped in a dark and dirty room balancing crazily on top of a stack of unstable boxes and rotting wooden beams and looking down, far, far below at the people beneath him. This was supposed to represent a room in an abandoned and crumbling building, where the members of the Spider had transformed it into a contemporary hideout base. Only that he didn't feel like a part of the Ryodan, and he certainly didn't feel very safe in this hideout either.
"Damn this" he muttered to himself, wondering how on earth he had managed to clamber up the mountain of junk to reach where he was in the first place, or who had been able to persuade him to do such a reckless thing. Now that he was fully aware of his surroundings, he numbly realized that he couldn't find a way down. Tears threatened to well up in his eyes and despair clutched at his heart but he refused to give in. Instead, he gave his throat a clear cough and caught April's attention.
Her mousy brown hair was unusually neat and tidy this morning, and her outfit looked entirely stylish. This was very different from the pragmatic, take-no-crap April that they had always known. Perhaps she had a date today?
"What is it Hisoka-san?"
Her voice seemed so very distant from where Hisoka sat, and this caused his hands to tightly clench onto the most stable piece of piping he could find and grip it even harder until his knuckles became a frosty white. Cold sweat broke out but he was too afraid to remove his hand from his hold to wipe them from his brow. He tried not to sound too uptight or nervous.
"Is there a really long ladder around?"
The cameraman didn't know whether to look puzzled or exasperated. She was also slightly amused that Hisoka - the most popular actor in Hunter Works who could command the attention of any person with a few mere words and gestures, was reduced to sounding like a tortured little boy. The oppressive gloom and dim lights easily dissipated whatever aura of assuring confidence and magnetism that the magician usually had, and suddenly, he seemed very human. But surely she had more busy and pressing matters to do right now. It was obvious that the magician was suffering some discomfort from perching high aloft in the unstable structure, but please! It's totally safe.
Or that was what the Director had promised.
And the strange thing was, the Director was unusually co-operative today, not to mention downright subtly cheery. His sudden elevated mood frightened the actors most of all, and this was evident in the way Phinx's eyes continually darted left and right, like a trapped animal strangled with fear, or Nobu, who grasped his katana with unusual awkwardness and constantly fidgeted with his clothing. Paku tried to avoid eye contact with the Director and Kuroro stuck his nose in his book at every chance he got.
There it was again! A certain amount, almost negligible but most definitely there, a trace of warmth and humanity in the Director's voice, a voice which April had once been certain could not bend or yield to humor or happiness. But what was that slightly perceptible hint of secret joy in his cold eyes or his resolute expression?
'Concentrate on your task at hand April. If the Director is happy, he's happy, but I wouldn't want to push it any farther by actually *asking* him about it in case I tip this delicate equilibrium.' She chided and scowled at herself for becoming like a curious housewife like Hanzo - totally unacceptable to her profession. New strength surged in her, boosted by her profession's ethics and conduct, and she held herself proud, doing her job as the Director required. But she would quietly observe this phenomenon, studying the causes and effects, and if she objectively deemed by the end of the day (devoid of ecstatic hope of course) that Director Silva had indeed become an amiable, sociable human being, she would summon up the courage and lead a conversation onto a topic about wage rises. A small triumphant smile graced her pink glossed lips. Toby had been right - new clothes, new haircut, facial and entire makeup brand change definitely made you feel like a different purchase.
But the remainder of the Genei Ryodan actors however, did not share her confidence and capability of dealing with the logically defying situation. The fearful Director's smile for once didn't seem like the snarl of a wolf on a prowl. Rather, it was a smile of...friendliness? And was the thousand year old iceberg finally starting to melt? Because Silva sure seemed like a warm human being on this Wednesday morning. All actors were convinced that this was impossible, but the very impossible was beginning to materialize in front of their eyes.
Huddled in one secret and exclusive corner, Machi, Shizuku and Feitan gossiped like crazy and their whispers rivaled the chitter of a colony of ants.
"I'm feeling quiet threatened by this new perception of reality." The short, masked man named Feitan tried to calmly pronounce, only that he couldn't keep the waver from his voice or the constrictions in this throat so in the end, he produced a muffled squeak. He was grateful his co-actors didn't laugh, and he could at least cling onto this last bit of dignity.
"If you had turned up to our weekly gym nights, you would have been introduced to this new world by acquiring a mind shattering piece of information last night!" Machi hissed venomously, but then quickly looked around to see if anyone heard and make a check to keep her voice down. She lowered her hisses down to a mere whisper: "Killua didn't come to gym last night either, and you know why?"
"Quit it with the smugness and spill the beans!"
"He *said* that they were having friends over for dinner. 'Friends' - those were the exact words he used." Machi's eyes glittered almost fever brightly with curiosity.
Feitan gaped, but his uncomfortable clothes hid whatever expression he had, save for the ever slanting of his eyes. Shizuku's wide eyes became impossibly huge too, but she hid them well behind the magnification of her thick lens glassed. She nudged closer to Machi.
"And how many other people know about this?" she said in a conspiratorial tone.
But Feitan still refused to buy the news. "How do we know that Killua wasn't *really* trying to slack off on a gym night by making up a fantastic story like that? Are we forgetting that Killua Zoldick is the unofficial Prince of Bratdom Himself? The Almighty Pesk, the Mosquito that just Won't Go Away, The Bender of Truths? Lets face it, we all hate gym nights. I hate seeing Ubo and Toguro flex their pectorals or Dancho's perfect abs. In fact, I'd even say that it was my mother's funeral just to get out of gym nights."
"But Feitan," Machi persisted unrelentingly, "the Director actually looks like he's in a *good mood* today! How can you explain that unusual marvel unless you have yet another fantastical story to go with it! I'm betting that the Zoldicks DID have people over last night..."
"And that they are connected with the change of personalities in the Director." Shizuku finished off with a small smile on her lips.
Feitan looked hard at his two co-workers, wondering if they suddenly knew the enormous implications that went with their little idle gossiping. His eyes narrowed disbelievingly.
"Oh my god" the realization finally dawned on him and his voice and glare became accusatory. "You're one of those nutcases who believe that the FBI are in a conspiracy to cover up that aliens do exist! You think that the Zoldicks were attacked by Aliens last night and that they have actually killed the Director and that what we are actually seeing is just the Director's skin being manipulated by the alien beneath!" That was said with a triumphantly horrified flourish.
Some moments were best left wordless.
Or in Machi and Shizuku's case, frozen into utter stupor to stare at the short kid before them.
"...I said, could we gather!" Silva raised his voice and people immediately snapped to attention. With everyone's absolute concentration focused on every single word that the Director had to say, few, if at all any, noticed Hisoka trying to clamber down the construct.
His face was beaded with perspiration, his hair damp with it, and his slim grey eyes were sparkling bright but unfocused, as if he were looking very far away. The world swam around him in a diabolical dance of colours and vague shapes with fuzzy outlines. He felt his throat suddenly dry up like the Sahara desert, or the lost wanderer in the vast sea of golden sand. Strength drained from his limbs, all the way to his slender fingers which now trembled violently with the slightest movement and knees which buckled and were threatening to collapse. He suddenly felt very cold.
Then abruptly, his whole sense of balance gave way and he swore that he had somehow been relieved of gravity.
The rest of the people all looked horrified as Hisoka mindlessly tumbled from the apex of the setting and painfully crashed to the floor with an ungodly and sickening crunch.
There was a numb and astonished silence which quickly broke out into shouts and cries of frenzy and confusion. Some turned to stone and could only watch on, morbidly fascinated, whilst others took initiative to see how the magician fared.
Toby the assistant cameraman could never the sight of blood. Even a paper cut would cause him to have innumerable shivers which ran up and down his spine. To see such a large gash on the side of Hisoka's temple sapped him of whatever strength his legs originally had and his breakfast was clamoring to be free from his stomach. Disregarding any sense of pride or dignity, his first reaction was to bolt on weak and fragile legs to the nearest bathroom and chuck up so that he wouldn't mess the studio.
Kuroro and Shalnark immediately dropped to their knees beside Hisoka to see if the reckless clown was still conscious. But gazing into Hisoka's unfocused eyes and soft, mocking smile still on his lips, they backed away slightly, shaking their heads. It was all too evident that Hisoka himself didn't know what was going on.
"Damnit Hisoka! Why do you do this to yourself?" Kuroro's eyebrows furrowed and his forehead creased in part pity, shame and disgust. Shalnark could only make helpless gestures to Silva, working his mouth with increasing fervour to force those words out.
It finally came through in a defeated whisper. "Hisoka-san's high on drugs again." And Shalnark quickly looked away to avoid Silva Zoldick's dark gaze, the dread of the consequences already causing the demons of fear to smile sickly at him.
==========
12:30 pm - Hunter Works Level 2
"No way!" Killua exclaimed quietly as a small buzzed filled the boisterous café on Level 2 of the Hunter Works building. It was almost lunch time and the cooks and waitresses were already busy getting things ready to handle the large onslaught of people to come. Sometimes, people from Reikai Motion Pictures also paid the level 2 dining hall a visit for it was new, the chefs were of decent caliber and they were frankly sick of their own bland meals provided by the ever strict and immovable Enma-sama.
Machi sat opposite Killua. On her left was Feitan and her right was Shizu. They had been the first ones to leave the setting, followed quickly by Paku and Nobu who constantly kept gazing back, still curious. Nobunaga had gone to fetch them all drinks and Pakunoda sat facing Shizu.
She rubbed her eyes tiredly. "You have no idea what it was like to have been there." Her husky alto voice was still laced with shock. "Just watching him fall from that height was painful enough."
"I already thought that something was wrong with him this morning." Shizu's quiet voice spoke through firmly. "I mean, I wouldn't have climbed up to where he was sitting even if Silva-sama offered me the main role for Hunter x Hunter. You either had to be insane or on a high to even attempt to scale that setting."
Machi rolled her eyes. "Unfortunately for us all, Hisoka's both. I don't mean to sound uncompassionate or anything, but my brother's known Hisoka for years because they both graduated from Actor's Academy in the same year. He tells me that back then, Hisoka's always been this wild, and I don't think time has changed that in the least."
"HEY KILLUA! DID YOU HEAR - "
"Gon! Over here and keep your voice down!" Killua frantically hissed and grabbed the boy who was running towards him at breakneck speed. He caught Gon in a friendly headlock. "How many times must I remind you to keep that overly enthusiastic attitude of yours under check?!"
"Give up! Give up!" Gon hollered, wildly flinging his arms and pushing at Killua in vain. The others shared a small, genuine smile. "Gees Killua!" he young star of Hunter panted, regaining his breath. His cheeks were slightly red and flustered and his carefully combed hair was starting to fray. "I come to work today and everyone's buzzing with news and gossip! About Hisoka too! Is it true?"
Feitan narrowed his eyes. "It depends on what you heard."
Gon took his seat on the other side of Killua and looked around at everyone. "I just heard that he's in big trouble and ended up in sickbay. Killua...did your father beat up Hisoka?"
Machi flinched and Feitan's forehead connected with the table, but he felt no pain. Shizuku fell out of her seat. Only Killua could laugh. He gave Gon a small pat on the back.
"Of course not! But my dad might as well have beat him up. Hisoka was away with the fairies, so to speak, during the shoot today."
Gon frowned and Machi sighed.
"That's just another expression of being on a high. The stupid clown had obviously taken drugs this morning, and he fell from pretty high up She patiently explained. "He got an especially deep cut right here." Machi indicated to her own temple and traced where the gash would have been. "We ran as soon as it happened, so we didn't see the blood of course." Or the Director's looming anger, she added silently to herself.
Gon's pensive attitude got everyone in dull moods. Shizuku muttered her thanks to Nobu for grabbing the drinks, but thoughts clouded everyone's minds.
"Does anyone know why Hisoka's doing that? I mean, I heard that people who dabble with narcotics usually have some pretty depressive and dark stuff to hide." Gon moodily stared at his drink and didn't touch it.
There were some things in the adult world that he still had yet to come to grips with. Sometimes, he blamed his manager Mito from shielding him from anything remotely social. She restricted his nights out, made sure that he attended ALL gym nights, even if he was sick and down with the flu, and scrutinized each and every one of his friends and acquaintances, then made horrible and vindictive judgements about them. And she didn't bother to hide her contempt in front of them either, which just made Gon less popular with just about everyone, and meant that he was barely invited to any parties. He was twelve years old already, and that qualified him to go to Seiya's parties, but Mito consistently refused.
But Killua understood him, if only because Mito wouldn't dare to offend the son of the Director and President of Hunter Works. Killua had grown up in this superficial world of fake courtesies and politeness that he often knew what people thought, even if people were kind and friendly with them. Killua believed that there was always an ulterior motive in the hearts of men, so that he should be on his guard constantly. Gon tried that for a while, but found it tiring and difficult to constantly maintain suspicious and cynical thoughts about the people around him. The more he thought about it, the more he would become someone as detestable as Mito if he continued with the cynicism.
"Hisoka's just a wild party animal Gon, and doesn't know his limits and boundaries sometimes. And then, there are some people who like the exhilarating rush you get from the amphetamines as well. I've heard Valentine Wolfe describe it as riding a tidal wave at its peak and maintaining the fragile balance whilst you peer over the edge at everything down below. Probably makes you feel like a god." Killua pushed the drink closer to Gon and silently urged him to take a sip.
"Well," Nobu sighed with resolution. "there's nothing to be achieved sitting here and brooding. We keep this quiet or not?" He looked directly at Killua.
The young albino child nodded slowly. "Best to keep it quiet and under wraps. Others don't need to know."
Nobunaga acquiesced, then folded his arms with renewed energy. "Change of topic, and it has to do with the Director. He was acting REALLY different this morning, and I'm not going back inside the studios unless I find out what's going on, or I'm going to have to book an appointment with my psych tonight to see if I'm suffering hallucinations."
"Machi and Shizuku believe that aliens visited your place last night and ate your father, Killua." Feitan calmly and smoothly announced. "They also believe that the aliens are animating your father's skin."
Feitan's head connected quite severely again with the table as Machi and Shizuku both implanted their fist in the back of his head with nerves standing on their foreheads.
"We do NOT think that!" Machi declared hotly, feeling rather embarrassed too.
"And you can stop your snickering Nobu, or I'll whack you over the head with Deme-chan!" Shizuku threatened, eyes sparkling with revitalized energy.
Gon looked around him, amazed at the sudden revitalization of energy in everyone after the mind numbing shock from this morning's incident. He grinned, realizing that everyone was starting to feel better at Killua's expense. He took a big slurp at the hot chocolate that Nobunaga had also gotten for him.
"My first hypothesis," Pakunoda gave Killua a sly and knowing look of a successful code breaker "is based on my knowledge and experience that men are simple creatures with simple pleasures." Her smile turned positively and seductively predatory. "Director-sama last night must have acquired one of these few simple pleasures, no?"
Nobunaga choked on his drink and his face instantly turned bright red at Paku's innuendo. Machi looked down hard with two spots of pink on her cheeks and trying not to over-react like Nobu whilst Shizuku gasped and covered her mouth.
"Please Paku, not in front of the children!" Shizu exclaimed with moralistic mortification.
"Oh give me a break!" Paku said lightly, running a hand through her thin light brown hair. "You think twelve year old kids are still innocent today? Killua," she sternly addressed. "when was the last time you used your father's credit card to visit a porn website or acquired related videos and magazines?"
There was a long, stunned silence.
Gon blinked owlishly at Killua whilst Nobu beside him gaped and wheezed like a fish on dry land, dying for air and unable to evolve and adapt to breath in the atmosphere. The young assassin looked so incredulous but at the same time, his face went red, all the way to the tips of his ears. He fought hard to maintain his composure lest his stutter and stammer incomprehensibly.
Pakunoda laughed out loud with her alluringly husky voice at everyone's discomfort and put a comforting arm around the albino child, deliberately pressing the side of his cheek against one of the fuller aspects of her figure. As she was still in her Hunter clothes sporting the (soon to be infamous) open, fitted jacked, she put Killua in a position which gave him a *very* gratuitous and provocative view of her assets. Steam began to shoot from Killua's ears.
"That's ok kid, just joking, just joking!" she laughed some more and finally released him, also putting him out of his misery. Gon summoned his courage came to Killua's defence.
"There's nothing suspicious or indecent about people coming over for dinner!" he tried to sound steady and haughty in an attempt to make them all look stupid for causing such a fuss over a matter so small. "It's the same with me. If my worthless dad actually came over and had dinner with us for once instead of going off on some wild expedition down in the leach infested jungles of South America, I'd be happy too!" He glanced down briefly and bitterly at his drink, but his innocent brown eyes hardened with resolve and determination. "But no, as he hasn't been home for most of my life, I just wish that he'd catch Ebola so that he's not allowed entry back into this country and remains in qurantine forever!"
Feitan frowned. Somewhere deep inside him, he was touched by Gon and Killua's plight, but the fact was, the Director was acting weird, and thus he was still unconvinced. "But this is the Director and President of Hunter Works that we are talking about. No offence or anything ill intended about your father of course, Killua," he politely added, "but what I'm saying is that it takes more than *mere friends* to cause a COMPLETE change of character, however subtle it may have seemed."
Everyone else had their arms folded, eyes closed deep in thought and nodded fiercely in agreement.
Killua felt like a small mouse, the type of mouse stuck in labs where scientists crippled them and tried to heal them of their paralysis with embryonic stem cells. He was trapped in a small desolate corner watching in terror as vicious, skinny alley cats with tuffs of fur missing on their malnourished bodies advanced with saliva drooling from their sharpened teeth. He felt rising panic. What to do? What to say?
"What do you want me to say?" he gulped.
Nobunaga perked up with new interest. "Ah! At last we reach the exciting part. Let's start with names Killua, names, their description and any background history that you know about them!"
And the Brat Prince frowned at this question. His defiance gushed back into his blood streams like it had been released in a powerful explosion. His frown rapidly became a fierce, and he rumbled a challenging growl.
"Hold on just one minute here!" he hollered aloud. "What gives you the right to pry into who comes over to dinner anyway! It's not like I ask Nobunaga who he was rooting last night do I? Or what Machi keeps thinking about every time Youzen arrives at the same club that we visit after gym nights."
"Hey! No diverting the topic here with grungy gossip about us!" Nobu's temper threatened to rise and his nostrils flared slightly. "This is just about you, and the Director, and I believe you're somehow accountable to us because it's almost frightening to work with someone who really isn't the Director that we've come to know. How are we supposed to do good acting if we are so nervous and uptight about all our words and actions - not knowing what will offend him and what will not?"
"Um...Killua - " Gon began in a small voice.
"You'd try to pick it out of me too?!" Killua's tone rose several octaves.
Gon frantically shook his head and hands in denial. He bobbed his head down slightly to prevent anyone seeing the slight blush creeping across his cheeks and continued. "It's just that...you watched Annie?!"
"Yes!" Killua enthusiastically leapt up onto the bench that he had been sharing with Gon, Paku and Nobunaga and placed one foot on the table as well. The bench and table shook slightly under the impact. Killua took in a deep breath and declared grandiosely to all the people already gathered in the lunch area. "I watched Annie last night! And I will now prove it!"
"Prove?" Machi echoed with growing distress. Everyone who was already gathered and milling around aimlessly in the dining hall-cum-café were already beginning to fail to disguise their curiosity or looks in their directions. Machi didn't mind people looking, in fact, she quite enjoyed attention, it's just that she'd like *some* say in the kind of attention that she was receiving right now.
Killua gently closed his eyes and drew in another long, deep breath and he held one arm out away in front of him. Indeed, just as Feitan feared, he was about to sing.
"The sun will come ouuuut! Tomorrow!"
The actors who had previously been sitting around Killua immediately began to edge away with eyes as wide as saucers.
"Bet your bottom dollar that tomorrooooow, there'll be suuuun!"
~Oh god~ they all thought in dull and embarrassed silence. One by one, they glanced at each other and wordlessly debated whether they should start slinking away. "Yes" they all thought "attention's one thing. This is another. We don't want to be here anymore. Let us dissociate ourselves from him."
One by one, they slid further down the bench - some made for the nearest door with a sprint masked as limping whilst crouched down as low as possible to avoid people recognizing them. Others first hid under the table, then through a series of clever scuttles, traced an under-table path to the nearest exist.
Only Gon remained glued to his seat, and he wondered why his legs had suddenly felt like betraying him and stubbornly refused to move. "Dear lords" he cried out miserably to himself, "he's reached the bridge!"
"When I'm stuck in a daaay, that's graaay, and loooneley! I just stick out my chiiiiin, and griiin, and siiIING!"
Gon's heart beat like angry thunder in his ears, loud and deafening, but it still couldn't drown out the awful reality around him. Wing had said to him that a man sometimes have to face some terrifying things so that he could become a braver person. He decided very emphatically that this was one of those moments that he had to 'conquer'. But did that mean socking the living daylights out of Killua when this was over? Or did he have to seek out his own inner demons to deal with? Especially the little pesks called Fright, Stupor, Humiliation and Bewilderment. Gon fervently swore that he'd find them gave give them very good kicks after this was over.
And finally, Killua reached the grand chorus. He was fully into it now, with his eyes closed and brows slightly furrowed. His young trembling alto voice was strong and carried to every crook and cranny of the large room, and perhaps even down the corridors too.
"TOMORROW! TOMORROW! I LOVE YOOOU, TOMORROOOOW, YOU'RE ONLEEY A DAAAAY AAAAAWAAAAY!"
Killua breathlessly came to a grand finale and he expected in his mind the thunderous applause of his many adoring fans and listeners. But instead, he was greeted with a dull silence, a heavy, oppressive silence save the savage harsh sound of his own panting breath.
He finally opened his eyes and saw that the entire room which had almost been packed before was now empty, not a soul in sight, save Gon, who sat rigidly by his side.
And Grandpa Zeno, who looked at him from the open doorway with stunned incredulity. He looked as though he had been standing there for quite a while and honestly did not know what to say when Killua began to sing to the entire café.
That was when reality came crashing back to Killua and he immediately remembered what had been going on just moments earlier. He leapt down from his pose and pulled Gon along behind him as he bolted for the closet exit, not knowing whether he should be laughing hysterically as he did so or ready to burst into tears at the confusion and sudden madness that had taken a grip on him.
==============
Hisoka gingerly fingered the bandage wrapped tightly around his forehead and wordlessly complained to himself how it was very itchy, or how his impeccable hairstyle had been totally crushed out of shape by the merciless white material. The elevator carried him up to the highest level of the building, and even though others wanted to go up along the way, the preferred to wait for another elevator instead.
Of course. No one wanted to share the same room with a person who was potentially about to loose his job. The bad luck might just rub off on them.
Level 10 of the Hunters Works building was lavishly luxurious. The ceiling edges were laced with elaborate and intricate carvings of ancient Grecian gods and beauties in graceful stance and poses. Its white, pristine and spotless walls were embellished with priceless portraits in heavy, ornamental golden frames. The floors were no longer carpeted by laid down with expensive Italian marble, specially imported to replace the special Indian carpets that the architects had already planned.
The large black mahogany double doors inlaid with gold edges with equally impressive brass handles soon came into view. Under the intense glare of the spotlights that light up the hallway, Hisoka felt exactly like a meek animal about to be dissected by the most successful and vicious predator ever to have stalked the ruthless world.
His unusually pale hand was balled up in a tight fist and he was just about to knock on the large doors.
"Come in." Came the unmistakably cold tone of the President before his hand even rapped the wood.
Hisoka swallowed the lump of rising fear and forced himself to calm down. He applied pressure to the icy cold brass door handle and put his weight behind the door and pushed himself forward.
In a silent hiss, the door gave way after initial resistance and swung open.
Silva Zoldick's room could simply be described as cold - as cold and emotionless as his own icy self. On Hisoka's right was a massive fireplace that was unlit, and on top the mantelpiece above lay many priceless and exquisite figurines and other small delicate artifacts. On the left hand side of the room was a massive bookcase lined with numerous thick spined books, their silver bindings dully gleaming at the only light source in the room - the small, almost faint desk lamp on Silva's strong and sturdy oak table. Behind him were large windows that ran from ceiling to floor, but at the same time, there were also thick, heavy black velvet draped which blocked out every shred of daylight.
"This is it" Hisoka steeled himself for the inevitable "this is where my career finishes."
Silva did not acknowledge the magician as he entered the room, his eyes never leaving the reports and books scattered messily across the table. He finally looked up after a heavy silence.
When he spoke, his voice was unyielding and deathly icy. "This is the last chance I'm going to give you." He spoke each word with clarity but with a threatening implication.
To hell with any underlying threats, Hisoka hid his broadening smile, his hopes rapidly rising like the evening tide.
"However," Silva abruptly cut off his ascending joyous mood "I will not let this incident go unpunished and the time you subsequently wasted at the shoot today with your accident. Therefore..."
"Therefore?" Hisoka silently echoed.
"Therefore I'm ordering a two week suspension - get counselling, rehab, detox, whatever. Just don't come back to my studios with an iota of drugs in your system or you won't even get this chance. Is that understood?"
Hisoka gave a small nod. He was about to turn and leave when Silva spoke again.
"Also, as part of your punishment package, I want you to show this person around the studio and around town. He's new and I'm planning to give him a small part in Hunter x Hunter - returning a favour for a friend you see."
And that surprised Hisoka the most - the fact that the President of Hunter Works felt the need to explain his actions. He had never done that before.
"His name is Illumi, and he's basically new to town, so just show him around to all the places Killua and you people hang out after work, start him on a basic training program at the gym as well. Make sure he fits in ok?" Silva smirked cruelly at Hisoka's reaction. "yes, you'll still have to attend the weekly gym nights even though you're suspended for the next two weeks. Very well, you're dismissed."
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6:30pm
Toguro Brother's Gym could be described as a clean and hygienic place. The inside was lined from top to bottom with clear, spotless mirrors, and the only revealing parts of the wall were a clean light blue. Bright white lights lit the room up so that every inch of the body could be inspected on the mirrors and every pose admired. The janitors constantly meandered their way around the members of the gym unobtrusively to vacuum the stiff, dark blue carpets and ventilation was always kept at a maximum, making you breathe in an utter BO free air.
A line of black, polished treadmills and bicycles lined the window side of the workout level, and directly opposite were the weights and trainers. The crunching abdominals or working biceps and back muscles all screamed and ached for oxygen with rivulets of sweat running down shiny, bare backs.
Hisoka was exerting unusual fervour and energy, attacking his punching bag like he was beating the living daylights out of his most hated foe. His singlet was already drenched wet with sweat and perspiration flicked off his rapidly moving arms as he exerted every ounce of energy against the hapless, dull red and worn punching bag. Every now and then, he would let out a frustrated and angry grunt or growl after landing a particularly heavy rabbit punch or a high kick and people either inconspicuously moved away or just looked on in slight amusement.
Hisoka spun around and landed a kick so hard that the chains suspending the large sandbag groaned painfully like the dying hinges on a rusted iron gate, the heavy bag heaved upward then with a stunning awkward scream the links on the chain gave way and the bag crashed to the ground with an unimpressive thud.
Gon wondered what was wrong. Hisoka usually didn't act up like this, if at all. Not to mention the magician's constant irritable scratching at his bandaged head. His manager Mito always told him not to scratch or pick at his scabs if he didn't want his skin to scar. When he complained, she crossly told him to 'take it like a man'. He had some trouble understanding what that meant - did it also mean that Hisoka was not acting like a man right now? But he just took out a 200kg punching bag!
Killua didn't pay Hisoka much attention. His personal trainer was trying to explain to him how to get back on both feet from the position of lying flat on your back in one, fluid movement. He banged the back of his head hard on the ground after several unsuccessful attempts but firmly reined in the tears of pain. Instead, his trainer then sent him off of do more weights and recommended a class or two of stretching and yoga with Toguro ani. So he went back to his machine and began working on his back muscles, bringing his arms forward as the weights felt increasingly heavy.
But everyone else knew that Hisoka was obviously in a bad mood. Only one person had the gall to challenge him. Leorio leaned forward casually on his bicycle and smirked at Hisoka.
"Hey Hisoka, I heard what happened today."
The magician rolled his eyes. "Who hasn't?"
"Well then, I guess after this little incident, you will have fallen from the Director's graces for good?" it sounded more like a triumphant declaration rather than a question, and everyone knew exactly what Leorio meant. Hisoka on the other hand, didn't look the least bit fazed.
"I've only been suspended for 2 weeks. But that's not what I'm angry about!" He hopped onto a step walker and furiously pushed up and down. "I'm actually fine with that, no questions asked. I'm just pissed off that I'm going to have to chaperone some kid around in the meantime, helping Silva do his dirty work."
His furious scowl was enough to warn the others to remain silent, but the man aspiring to be a doctor in Hunter x Hunter dared to laugh.
"I suppose you should get used to demeaning jobs as such my dear Hisoka, because that's probably all you'll get to do from now on!"
The magician did not rise to the bait however. Instead, he merely smiled ferociously and stared at Leorio with such intensely furious eyes that even Leorio had to look away.
"I'm not your dear Leorio, whatever your private, social activities trend towards, and remind me not to hold back when I beat the crap out of you in the outdoor scene coming up in four weeks time."
Everyone looked at the broken punching bag lying desolately on the floor, then at Leorio, then looked away, shaking their heads and sighing, the type of sigh you give to a dying man. He got the threat, removed himself from Hisoka's presence and everyone gave a small cheer when Leorio left.
"Come on Hisoka, it won't be that bad. What exactly do you have to do with this kid?"
"I don't know, the usual stuff perhaps." Hisoka frowned a bit at Kuroro's question. "Show him around Hunter Works, explain to him where the other major studios are located in the city, and in the Director's exact words - bring him here on gym nights and take him with us afterwards to dinner and whatever parties we go to."
Nobu grimaced a bit. "Don't you think you should lay off the partying for a while?"
"Yes yes," Hisoka replied mechanically. "with a kid hanging on the back of my coat for the next two weeks, I'm sure most of my usual circles will have completely forgotten who I am by the time this is all over."
Bashou gave a grunt as he finally finished with the weights. "Look Hisoka, you're a part of Hunter Works, so at least you know that we'd never abandon you. In the next two weeks, you just keep your head down, and when the storm finally blows over, you can get back to your previous lifestyle, but of course, it's up to you whether of not you want to tone it down a bit if you don't want incidents like what happened today to reoccur."
"That's right!" Kurapika joined in. "My mum tells me to stay away from alcohol, drugs, cigarettes and any white powder which is to be sniffed. She says that it will ruin my brains if I try any of that stuff. And besides," he continued a bit more somberly "I've met some of these people who take too much of this stuff where I work at the community service center...and none of them are happy people. You want to be happy right Hisoka?"
It was hard to argue with the sincere and innocent Kurapika who had the brains of a jellyfish. Even though he was eighteen, he listened to every word of his mother like it was the gospel of truth and was still trying to handle year 7 maths even though most people his age were qualifying for university entrance exams already. In short, he was your very bimbo who lacked common sense, but since he couldn't grasp and handle deceit or sarcasm, whatever he said was genuine and laid plain for you to see his true meaning. And Kurapika was very nice to the people who he thought were his friends - perhaps even Leorio.
Hisoka gave a small, brief but sad smile and looked around at everyone, then gave a defeated sigh.
"I guess you're right then. I mean, it's only 2 weeks right? I can manage that, no problem!"
"That's the spirit!" Shalnark was relieved that the previous ugly tensions had finally dissipated and they could all talk a bit more openly now. "So, who are you going to be babysitting?"
"I don't know, but Silva said his name was Illumi and I'll have to pick him up at the studio tomorrow."
Killua gave a yelp of pain and surprise and his arms agonizingly snapped back and the weights crashed back down when he accidentally and suddenly released the pressure in his arms after hearing the particular name. Tears stung his eyes, but he was more overcome by fear than the excruciating pain from the tearing of his biceps. What on earth was going on?
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Whew! Authors notes: It's been an entire week and a half since the post and update - but I've also worked on 'Untitled' for a bit too. Almost time for an update on that as well!
I'm glad I had the chance to finish this chapter. I think I've pretty much got the story and plot firmly in mind now. The only problem is to tackle it and make it presentable to you readers! Please comment and review of course, and if you want to flame, go for it!
You might have also noticed that the story moves slowly ne? Well, I want to take my time and not rush anything so I hope you peoples aren't finding this boring either.
Okie! Onto work on the next chappie!
Suspension?!
Wednesday morning, 9 am.
The Genei Ryodan collective scenes bought out the worst and best in everyone. Early in the bright summer morning, Hisoka was trapped in a dark and dirty room balancing crazily on top of a stack of unstable boxes and rotting wooden beams and looking down, far, far below at the people beneath him. This was supposed to represent a room in an abandoned and crumbling building, where the members of the Spider had transformed it into a contemporary hideout base. Only that he didn't feel like a part of the Ryodan, and he certainly didn't feel very safe in this hideout either.
"Damn this" he muttered to himself, wondering how on earth he had managed to clamber up the mountain of junk to reach where he was in the first place, or who had been able to persuade him to do such a reckless thing. Now that he was fully aware of his surroundings, he numbly realized that he couldn't find a way down. Tears threatened to well up in his eyes and despair clutched at his heart but he refused to give in. Instead, he gave his throat a clear cough and caught April's attention.
Her mousy brown hair was unusually neat and tidy this morning, and her outfit looked entirely stylish. This was very different from the pragmatic, take-no-crap April that they had always known. Perhaps she had a date today?
"What is it Hisoka-san?"
Her voice seemed so very distant from where Hisoka sat, and this caused his hands to tightly clench onto the most stable piece of piping he could find and grip it even harder until his knuckles became a frosty white. Cold sweat broke out but he was too afraid to remove his hand from his hold to wipe them from his brow. He tried not to sound too uptight or nervous.
"Is there a really long ladder around?"
The cameraman didn't know whether to look puzzled or exasperated. She was also slightly amused that Hisoka - the most popular actor in Hunter Works who could command the attention of any person with a few mere words and gestures, was reduced to sounding like a tortured little boy. The oppressive gloom and dim lights easily dissipated whatever aura of assuring confidence and magnetism that the magician usually had, and suddenly, he seemed very human. But surely she had more busy and pressing matters to do right now. It was obvious that the magician was suffering some discomfort from perching high aloft in the unstable structure, but please! It's totally safe.
Or that was what the Director had promised.
And the strange thing was, the Director was unusually co-operative today, not to mention downright subtly cheery. His sudden elevated mood frightened the actors most of all, and this was evident in the way Phinx's eyes continually darted left and right, like a trapped animal strangled with fear, or Nobu, who grasped his katana with unusual awkwardness and constantly fidgeted with his clothing. Paku tried to avoid eye contact with the Director and Kuroro stuck his nose in his book at every chance he got.
There it was again! A certain amount, almost negligible but most definitely there, a trace of warmth and humanity in the Director's voice, a voice which April had once been certain could not bend or yield to humor or happiness. But what was that slightly perceptible hint of secret joy in his cold eyes or his resolute expression?
'Concentrate on your task at hand April. If the Director is happy, he's happy, but I wouldn't want to push it any farther by actually *asking* him about it in case I tip this delicate equilibrium.' She chided and scowled at herself for becoming like a curious housewife like Hanzo - totally unacceptable to her profession. New strength surged in her, boosted by her profession's ethics and conduct, and she held herself proud, doing her job as the Director required. But she would quietly observe this phenomenon, studying the causes and effects, and if she objectively deemed by the end of the day (devoid of ecstatic hope of course) that Director Silva had indeed become an amiable, sociable human being, she would summon up the courage and lead a conversation onto a topic about wage rises. A small triumphant smile graced her pink glossed lips. Toby had been right - new clothes, new haircut, facial and entire makeup brand change definitely made you feel like a different purchase.
But the remainder of the Genei Ryodan actors however, did not share her confidence and capability of dealing with the logically defying situation. The fearful Director's smile for once didn't seem like the snarl of a wolf on a prowl. Rather, it was a smile of...friendliness? And was the thousand year old iceberg finally starting to melt? Because Silva sure seemed like a warm human being on this Wednesday morning. All actors were convinced that this was impossible, but the very impossible was beginning to materialize in front of their eyes.
Huddled in one secret and exclusive corner, Machi, Shizuku and Feitan gossiped like crazy and their whispers rivaled the chitter of a colony of ants.
"I'm feeling quiet threatened by this new perception of reality." The short, masked man named Feitan tried to calmly pronounce, only that he couldn't keep the waver from his voice or the constrictions in this throat so in the end, he produced a muffled squeak. He was grateful his co-actors didn't laugh, and he could at least cling onto this last bit of dignity.
"If you had turned up to our weekly gym nights, you would have been introduced to this new world by acquiring a mind shattering piece of information last night!" Machi hissed venomously, but then quickly looked around to see if anyone heard and make a check to keep her voice down. She lowered her hisses down to a mere whisper: "Killua didn't come to gym last night either, and you know why?"
"Quit it with the smugness and spill the beans!"
"He *said* that they were having friends over for dinner. 'Friends' - those were the exact words he used." Machi's eyes glittered almost fever brightly with curiosity.
Feitan gaped, but his uncomfortable clothes hid whatever expression he had, save for the ever slanting of his eyes. Shizuku's wide eyes became impossibly huge too, but she hid them well behind the magnification of her thick lens glassed. She nudged closer to Machi.
"And how many other people know about this?" she said in a conspiratorial tone.
But Feitan still refused to buy the news. "How do we know that Killua wasn't *really* trying to slack off on a gym night by making up a fantastic story like that? Are we forgetting that Killua Zoldick is the unofficial Prince of Bratdom Himself? The Almighty Pesk, the Mosquito that just Won't Go Away, The Bender of Truths? Lets face it, we all hate gym nights. I hate seeing Ubo and Toguro flex their pectorals or Dancho's perfect abs. In fact, I'd even say that it was my mother's funeral just to get out of gym nights."
"But Feitan," Machi persisted unrelentingly, "the Director actually looks like he's in a *good mood* today! How can you explain that unusual marvel unless you have yet another fantastical story to go with it! I'm betting that the Zoldicks DID have people over last night..."
"And that they are connected with the change of personalities in the Director." Shizuku finished off with a small smile on her lips.
Feitan looked hard at his two co-workers, wondering if they suddenly knew the enormous implications that went with their little idle gossiping. His eyes narrowed disbelievingly.
"Oh my god" the realization finally dawned on him and his voice and glare became accusatory. "You're one of those nutcases who believe that the FBI are in a conspiracy to cover up that aliens do exist! You think that the Zoldicks were attacked by Aliens last night and that they have actually killed the Director and that what we are actually seeing is just the Director's skin being manipulated by the alien beneath!" That was said with a triumphantly horrified flourish.
Some moments were best left wordless.
Or in Machi and Shizuku's case, frozen into utter stupor to stare at the short kid before them.
"...I said, could we gather!" Silva raised his voice and people immediately snapped to attention. With everyone's absolute concentration focused on every single word that the Director had to say, few, if at all any, noticed Hisoka trying to clamber down the construct.
His face was beaded with perspiration, his hair damp with it, and his slim grey eyes were sparkling bright but unfocused, as if he were looking very far away. The world swam around him in a diabolical dance of colours and vague shapes with fuzzy outlines. He felt his throat suddenly dry up like the Sahara desert, or the lost wanderer in the vast sea of golden sand. Strength drained from his limbs, all the way to his slender fingers which now trembled violently with the slightest movement and knees which buckled and were threatening to collapse. He suddenly felt very cold.
Then abruptly, his whole sense of balance gave way and he swore that he had somehow been relieved of gravity.
The rest of the people all looked horrified as Hisoka mindlessly tumbled from the apex of the setting and painfully crashed to the floor with an ungodly and sickening crunch.
There was a numb and astonished silence which quickly broke out into shouts and cries of frenzy and confusion. Some turned to stone and could only watch on, morbidly fascinated, whilst others took initiative to see how the magician fared.
Toby the assistant cameraman could never the sight of blood. Even a paper cut would cause him to have innumerable shivers which ran up and down his spine. To see such a large gash on the side of Hisoka's temple sapped him of whatever strength his legs originally had and his breakfast was clamoring to be free from his stomach. Disregarding any sense of pride or dignity, his first reaction was to bolt on weak and fragile legs to the nearest bathroom and chuck up so that he wouldn't mess the studio.
Kuroro and Shalnark immediately dropped to their knees beside Hisoka to see if the reckless clown was still conscious. But gazing into Hisoka's unfocused eyes and soft, mocking smile still on his lips, they backed away slightly, shaking their heads. It was all too evident that Hisoka himself didn't know what was going on.
"Damnit Hisoka! Why do you do this to yourself?" Kuroro's eyebrows furrowed and his forehead creased in part pity, shame and disgust. Shalnark could only make helpless gestures to Silva, working his mouth with increasing fervour to force those words out.
It finally came through in a defeated whisper. "Hisoka-san's high on drugs again." And Shalnark quickly looked away to avoid Silva Zoldick's dark gaze, the dread of the consequences already causing the demons of fear to smile sickly at him.
==========
12:30 pm - Hunter Works Level 2
"No way!" Killua exclaimed quietly as a small buzzed filled the boisterous café on Level 2 of the Hunter Works building. It was almost lunch time and the cooks and waitresses were already busy getting things ready to handle the large onslaught of people to come. Sometimes, people from Reikai Motion Pictures also paid the level 2 dining hall a visit for it was new, the chefs were of decent caliber and they were frankly sick of their own bland meals provided by the ever strict and immovable Enma-sama.
Machi sat opposite Killua. On her left was Feitan and her right was Shizu. They had been the first ones to leave the setting, followed quickly by Paku and Nobu who constantly kept gazing back, still curious. Nobunaga had gone to fetch them all drinks and Pakunoda sat facing Shizu.
She rubbed her eyes tiredly. "You have no idea what it was like to have been there." Her husky alto voice was still laced with shock. "Just watching him fall from that height was painful enough."
"I already thought that something was wrong with him this morning." Shizu's quiet voice spoke through firmly. "I mean, I wouldn't have climbed up to where he was sitting even if Silva-sama offered me the main role for Hunter x Hunter. You either had to be insane or on a high to even attempt to scale that setting."
Machi rolled her eyes. "Unfortunately for us all, Hisoka's both. I don't mean to sound uncompassionate or anything, but my brother's known Hisoka for years because they both graduated from Actor's Academy in the same year. He tells me that back then, Hisoka's always been this wild, and I don't think time has changed that in the least."
"HEY KILLUA! DID YOU HEAR - "
"Gon! Over here and keep your voice down!" Killua frantically hissed and grabbed the boy who was running towards him at breakneck speed. He caught Gon in a friendly headlock. "How many times must I remind you to keep that overly enthusiastic attitude of yours under check?!"
"Give up! Give up!" Gon hollered, wildly flinging his arms and pushing at Killua in vain. The others shared a small, genuine smile. "Gees Killua!" he young star of Hunter panted, regaining his breath. His cheeks were slightly red and flustered and his carefully combed hair was starting to fray. "I come to work today and everyone's buzzing with news and gossip! About Hisoka too! Is it true?"
Feitan narrowed his eyes. "It depends on what you heard."
Gon took his seat on the other side of Killua and looked around at everyone. "I just heard that he's in big trouble and ended up in sickbay. Killua...did your father beat up Hisoka?"
Machi flinched and Feitan's forehead connected with the table, but he felt no pain. Shizuku fell out of her seat. Only Killua could laugh. He gave Gon a small pat on the back.
"Of course not! But my dad might as well have beat him up. Hisoka was away with the fairies, so to speak, during the shoot today."
Gon frowned and Machi sighed.
"That's just another expression of being on a high. The stupid clown had obviously taken drugs this morning, and he fell from pretty high up She patiently explained. "He got an especially deep cut right here." Machi indicated to her own temple and traced where the gash would have been. "We ran as soon as it happened, so we didn't see the blood of course." Or the Director's looming anger, she added silently to herself.
Gon's pensive attitude got everyone in dull moods. Shizuku muttered her thanks to Nobu for grabbing the drinks, but thoughts clouded everyone's minds.
"Does anyone know why Hisoka's doing that? I mean, I heard that people who dabble with narcotics usually have some pretty depressive and dark stuff to hide." Gon moodily stared at his drink and didn't touch it.
There were some things in the adult world that he still had yet to come to grips with. Sometimes, he blamed his manager Mito from shielding him from anything remotely social. She restricted his nights out, made sure that he attended ALL gym nights, even if he was sick and down with the flu, and scrutinized each and every one of his friends and acquaintances, then made horrible and vindictive judgements about them. And she didn't bother to hide her contempt in front of them either, which just made Gon less popular with just about everyone, and meant that he was barely invited to any parties. He was twelve years old already, and that qualified him to go to Seiya's parties, but Mito consistently refused.
But Killua understood him, if only because Mito wouldn't dare to offend the son of the Director and President of Hunter Works. Killua had grown up in this superficial world of fake courtesies and politeness that he often knew what people thought, even if people were kind and friendly with them. Killua believed that there was always an ulterior motive in the hearts of men, so that he should be on his guard constantly. Gon tried that for a while, but found it tiring and difficult to constantly maintain suspicious and cynical thoughts about the people around him. The more he thought about it, the more he would become someone as detestable as Mito if he continued with the cynicism.
"Hisoka's just a wild party animal Gon, and doesn't know his limits and boundaries sometimes. And then, there are some people who like the exhilarating rush you get from the amphetamines as well. I've heard Valentine Wolfe describe it as riding a tidal wave at its peak and maintaining the fragile balance whilst you peer over the edge at everything down below. Probably makes you feel like a god." Killua pushed the drink closer to Gon and silently urged him to take a sip.
"Well," Nobu sighed with resolution. "there's nothing to be achieved sitting here and brooding. We keep this quiet or not?" He looked directly at Killua.
The young albino child nodded slowly. "Best to keep it quiet and under wraps. Others don't need to know."
Nobunaga acquiesced, then folded his arms with renewed energy. "Change of topic, and it has to do with the Director. He was acting REALLY different this morning, and I'm not going back inside the studios unless I find out what's going on, or I'm going to have to book an appointment with my psych tonight to see if I'm suffering hallucinations."
"Machi and Shizuku believe that aliens visited your place last night and ate your father, Killua." Feitan calmly and smoothly announced. "They also believe that the aliens are animating your father's skin."
Feitan's head connected quite severely again with the table as Machi and Shizuku both implanted their fist in the back of his head with nerves standing on their foreheads.
"We do NOT think that!" Machi declared hotly, feeling rather embarrassed too.
"And you can stop your snickering Nobu, or I'll whack you over the head with Deme-chan!" Shizuku threatened, eyes sparkling with revitalized energy.
Gon looked around him, amazed at the sudden revitalization of energy in everyone after the mind numbing shock from this morning's incident. He grinned, realizing that everyone was starting to feel better at Killua's expense. He took a big slurp at the hot chocolate that Nobunaga had also gotten for him.
"My first hypothesis," Pakunoda gave Killua a sly and knowing look of a successful code breaker "is based on my knowledge and experience that men are simple creatures with simple pleasures." Her smile turned positively and seductively predatory. "Director-sama last night must have acquired one of these few simple pleasures, no?"
Nobunaga choked on his drink and his face instantly turned bright red at Paku's innuendo. Machi looked down hard with two spots of pink on her cheeks and trying not to over-react like Nobu whilst Shizuku gasped and covered her mouth.
"Please Paku, not in front of the children!" Shizu exclaimed with moralistic mortification.
"Oh give me a break!" Paku said lightly, running a hand through her thin light brown hair. "You think twelve year old kids are still innocent today? Killua," she sternly addressed. "when was the last time you used your father's credit card to visit a porn website or acquired related videos and magazines?"
There was a long, stunned silence.
Gon blinked owlishly at Killua whilst Nobu beside him gaped and wheezed like a fish on dry land, dying for air and unable to evolve and adapt to breath in the atmosphere. The young assassin looked so incredulous but at the same time, his face went red, all the way to the tips of his ears. He fought hard to maintain his composure lest his stutter and stammer incomprehensibly.
Pakunoda laughed out loud with her alluringly husky voice at everyone's discomfort and put a comforting arm around the albino child, deliberately pressing the side of his cheek against one of the fuller aspects of her figure. As she was still in her Hunter clothes sporting the (soon to be infamous) open, fitted jacked, she put Killua in a position which gave him a *very* gratuitous and provocative view of her assets. Steam began to shoot from Killua's ears.
"That's ok kid, just joking, just joking!" she laughed some more and finally released him, also putting him out of his misery. Gon summoned his courage came to Killua's defence.
"There's nothing suspicious or indecent about people coming over for dinner!" he tried to sound steady and haughty in an attempt to make them all look stupid for causing such a fuss over a matter so small. "It's the same with me. If my worthless dad actually came over and had dinner with us for once instead of going off on some wild expedition down in the leach infested jungles of South America, I'd be happy too!" He glanced down briefly and bitterly at his drink, but his innocent brown eyes hardened with resolve and determination. "But no, as he hasn't been home for most of my life, I just wish that he'd catch Ebola so that he's not allowed entry back into this country and remains in qurantine forever!"
Feitan frowned. Somewhere deep inside him, he was touched by Gon and Killua's plight, but the fact was, the Director was acting weird, and thus he was still unconvinced. "But this is the Director and President of Hunter Works that we are talking about. No offence or anything ill intended about your father of course, Killua," he politely added, "but what I'm saying is that it takes more than *mere friends* to cause a COMPLETE change of character, however subtle it may have seemed."
Everyone else had their arms folded, eyes closed deep in thought and nodded fiercely in agreement.
Killua felt like a small mouse, the type of mouse stuck in labs where scientists crippled them and tried to heal them of their paralysis with embryonic stem cells. He was trapped in a small desolate corner watching in terror as vicious, skinny alley cats with tuffs of fur missing on their malnourished bodies advanced with saliva drooling from their sharpened teeth. He felt rising panic. What to do? What to say?
"What do you want me to say?" he gulped.
Nobunaga perked up with new interest. "Ah! At last we reach the exciting part. Let's start with names Killua, names, their description and any background history that you know about them!"
And the Brat Prince frowned at this question. His defiance gushed back into his blood streams like it had been released in a powerful explosion. His frown rapidly became a fierce, and he rumbled a challenging growl.
"Hold on just one minute here!" he hollered aloud. "What gives you the right to pry into who comes over to dinner anyway! It's not like I ask Nobunaga who he was rooting last night do I? Or what Machi keeps thinking about every time Youzen arrives at the same club that we visit after gym nights."
"Hey! No diverting the topic here with grungy gossip about us!" Nobu's temper threatened to rise and his nostrils flared slightly. "This is just about you, and the Director, and I believe you're somehow accountable to us because it's almost frightening to work with someone who really isn't the Director that we've come to know. How are we supposed to do good acting if we are so nervous and uptight about all our words and actions - not knowing what will offend him and what will not?"
"Um...Killua - " Gon began in a small voice.
"You'd try to pick it out of me too?!" Killua's tone rose several octaves.
Gon frantically shook his head and hands in denial. He bobbed his head down slightly to prevent anyone seeing the slight blush creeping across his cheeks and continued. "It's just that...you watched Annie?!"
"Yes!" Killua enthusiastically leapt up onto the bench that he had been sharing with Gon, Paku and Nobunaga and placed one foot on the table as well. The bench and table shook slightly under the impact. Killua took in a deep breath and declared grandiosely to all the people already gathered in the lunch area. "I watched Annie last night! And I will now prove it!"
"Prove?" Machi echoed with growing distress. Everyone who was already gathered and milling around aimlessly in the dining hall-cum-café were already beginning to fail to disguise their curiosity or looks in their directions. Machi didn't mind people looking, in fact, she quite enjoyed attention, it's just that she'd like *some* say in the kind of attention that she was receiving right now.
Killua gently closed his eyes and drew in another long, deep breath and he held one arm out away in front of him. Indeed, just as Feitan feared, he was about to sing.
"The sun will come ouuuut! Tomorrow!"
The actors who had previously been sitting around Killua immediately began to edge away with eyes as wide as saucers.
"Bet your bottom dollar that tomorrooooow, there'll be suuuun!"
~Oh god~ they all thought in dull and embarrassed silence. One by one, they glanced at each other and wordlessly debated whether they should start slinking away. "Yes" they all thought "attention's one thing. This is another. We don't want to be here anymore. Let us dissociate ourselves from him."
One by one, they slid further down the bench - some made for the nearest door with a sprint masked as limping whilst crouched down as low as possible to avoid people recognizing them. Others first hid under the table, then through a series of clever scuttles, traced an under-table path to the nearest exist.
Only Gon remained glued to his seat, and he wondered why his legs had suddenly felt like betraying him and stubbornly refused to move. "Dear lords" he cried out miserably to himself, "he's reached the bridge!"
"When I'm stuck in a daaay, that's graaay, and loooneley! I just stick out my chiiiiin, and griiin, and siiIING!"
Gon's heart beat like angry thunder in his ears, loud and deafening, but it still couldn't drown out the awful reality around him. Wing had said to him that a man sometimes have to face some terrifying things so that he could become a braver person. He decided very emphatically that this was one of those moments that he had to 'conquer'. But did that mean socking the living daylights out of Killua when this was over? Or did he have to seek out his own inner demons to deal with? Especially the little pesks called Fright, Stupor, Humiliation and Bewilderment. Gon fervently swore that he'd find them gave give them very good kicks after this was over.
And finally, Killua reached the grand chorus. He was fully into it now, with his eyes closed and brows slightly furrowed. His young trembling alto voice was strong and carried to every crook and cranny of the large room, and perhaps even down the corridors too.
"TOMORROW! TOMORROW! I LOVE YOOOU, TOMORROOOOW, YOU'RE ONLEEY A DAAAAY AAAAAWAAAAY!"
Killua breathlessly came to a grand finale and he expected in his mind the thunderous applause of his many adoring fans and listeners. But instead, he was greeted with a dull silence, a heavy, oppressive silence save the savage harsh sound of his own panting breath.
He finally opened his eyes and saw that the entire room which had almost been packed before was now empty, not a soul in sight, save Gon, who sat rigidly by his side.
And Grandpa Zeno, who looked at him from the open doorway with stunned incredulity. He looked as though he had been standing there for quite a while and honestly did not know what to say when Killua began to sing to the entire café.
That was when reality came crashing back to Killua and he immediately remembered what had been going on just moments earlier. He leapt down from his pose and pulled Gon along behind him as he bolted for the closet exit, not knowing whether he should be laughing hysterically as he did so or ready to burst into tears at the confusion and sudden madness that had taken a grip on him.
==============
Hisoka gingerly fingered the bandage wrapped tightly around his forehead and wordlessly complained to himself how it was very itchy, or how his impeccable hairstyle had been totally crushed out of shape by the merciless white material. The elevator carried him up to the highest level of the building, and even though others wanted to go up along the way, the preferred to wait for another elevator instead.
Of course. No one wanted to share the same room with a person who was potentially about to loose his job. The bad luck might just rub off on them.
Level 10 of the Hunters Works building was lavishly luxurious. The ceiling edges were laced with elaborate and intricate carvings of ancient Grecian gods and beauties in graceful stance and poses. Its white, pristine and spotless walls were embellished with priceless portraits in heavy, ornamental golden frames. The floors were no longer carpeted by laid down with expensive Italian marble, specially imported to replace the special Indian carpets that the architects had already planned.
The large black mahogany double doors inlaid with gold edges with equally impressive brass handles soon came into view. Under the intense glare of the spotlights that light up the hallway, Hisoka felt exactly like a meek animal about to be dissected by the most successful and vicious predator ever to have stalked the ruthless world.
His unusually pale hand was balled up in a tight fist and he was just about to knock on the large doors.
"Come in." Came the unmistakably cold tone of the President before his hand even rapped the wood.
Hisoka swallowed the lump of rising fear and forced himself to calm down. He applied pressure to the icy cold brass door handle and put his weight behind the door and pushed himself forward.
In a silent hiss, the door gave way after initial resistance and swung open.
Silva Zoldick's room could simply be described as cold - as cold and emotionless as his own icy self. On Hisoka's right was a massive fireplace that was unlit, and on top the mantelpiece above lay many priceless and exquisite figurines and other small delicate artifacts. On the left hand side of the room was a massive bookcase lined with numerous thick spined books, their silver bindings dully gleaming at the only light source in the room - the small, almost faint desk lamp on Silva's strong and sturdy oak table. Behind him were large windows that ran from ceiling to floor, but at the same time, there were also thick, heavy black velvet draped which blocked out every shred of daylight.
"This is it" Hisoka steeled himself for the inevitable "this is where my career finishes."
Silva did not acknowledge the magician as he entered the room, his eyes never leaving the reports and books scattered messily across the table. He finally looked up after a heavy silence.
When he spoke, his voice was unyielding and deathly icy. "This is the last chance I'm going to give you." He spoke each word with clarity but with a threatening implication.
To hell with any underlying threats, Hisoka hid his broadening smile, his hopes rapidly rising like the evening tide.
"However," Silva abruptly cut off his ascending joyous mood "I will not let this incident go unpunished and the time you subsequently wasted at the shoot today with your accident. Therefore..."
"Therefore?" Hisoka silently echoed.
"Therefore I'm ordering a two week suspension - get counselling, rehab, detox, whatever. Just don't come back to my studios with an iota of drugs in your system or you won't even get this chance. Is that understood?"
Hisoka gave a small nod. He was about to turn and leave when Silva spoke again.
"Also, as part of your punishment package, I want you to show this person around the studio and around town. He's new and I'm planning to give him a small part in Hunter x Hunter - returning a favour for a friend you see."
And that surprised Hisoka the most - the fact that the President of Hunter Works felt the need to explain his actions. He had never done that before.
"His name is Illumi, and he's basically new to town, so just show him around to all the places Killua and you people hang out after work, start him on a basic training program at the gym as well. Make sure he fits in ok?" Silva smirked cruelly at Hisoka's reaction. "yes, you'll still have to attend the weekly gym nights even though you're suspended for the next two weeks. Very well, you're dismissed."
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6:30pm
Toguro Brother's Gym could be described as a clean and hygienic place. The inside was lined from top to bottom with clear, spotless mirrors, and the only revealing parts of the wall were a clean light blue. Bright white lights lit the room up so that every inch of the body could be inspected on the mirrors and every pose admired. The janitors constantly meandered their way around the members of the gym unobtrusively to vacuum the stiff, dark blue carpets and ventilation was always kept at a maximum, making you breathe in an utter BO free air.
A line of black, polished treadmills and bicycles lined the window side of the workout level, and directly opposite were the weights and trainers. The crunching abdominals or working biceps and back muscles all screamed and ached for oxygen with rivulets of sweat running down shiny, bare backs.
Hisoka was exerting unusual fervour and energy, attacking his punching bag like he was beating the living daylights out of his most hated foe. His singlet was already drenched wet with sweat and perspiration flicked off his rapidly moving arms as he exerted every ounce of energy against the hapless, dull red and worn punching bag. Every now and then, he would let out a frustrated and angry grunt or growl after landing a particularly heavy rabbit punch or a high kick and people either inconspicuously moved away or just looked on in slight amusement.
Hisoka spun around and landed a kick so hard that the chains suspending the large sandbag groaned painfully like the dying hinges on a rusted iron gate, the heavy bag heaved upward then with a stunning awkward scream the links on the chain gave way and the bag crashed to the ground with an unimpressive thud.
Gon wondered what was wrong. Hisoka usually didn't act up like this, if at all. Not to mention the magician's constant irritable scratching at his bandaged head. His manager Mito always told him not to scratch or pick at his scabs if he didn't want his skin to scar. When he complained, she crossly told him to 'take it like a man'. He had some trouble understanding what that meant - did it also mean that Hisoka was not acting like a man right now? But he just took out a 200kg punching bag!
Killua didn't pay Hisoka much attention. His personal trainer was trying to explain to him how to get back on both feet from the position of lying flat on your back in one, fluid movement. He banged the back of his head hard on the ground after several unsuccessful attempts but firmly reined in the tears of pain. Instead, his trainer then sent him off of do more weights and recommended a class or two of stretching and yoga with Toguro ani. So he went back to his machine and began working on his back muscles, bringing his arms forward as the weights felt increasingly heavy.
But everyone else knew that Hisoka was obviously in a bad mood. Only one person had the gall to challenge him. Leorio leaned forward casually on his bicycle and smirked at Hisoka.
"Hey Hisoka, I heard what happened today."
The magician rolled his eyes. "Who hasn't?"
"Well then, I guess after this little incident, you will have fallen from the Director's graces for good?" it sounded more like a triumphant declaration rather than a question, and everyone knew exactly what Leorio meant. Hisoka on the other hand, didn't look the least bit fazed.
"I've only been suspended for 2 weeks. But that's not what I'm angry about!" He hopped onto a step walker and furiously pushed up and down. "I'm actually fine with that, no questions asked. I'm just pissed off that I'm going to have to chaperone some kid around in the meantime, helping Silva do his dirty work."
His furious scowl was enough to warn the others to remain silent, but the man aspiring to be a doctor in Hunter x Hunter dared to laugh.
"I suppose you should get used to demeaning jobs as such my dear Hisoka, because that's probably all you'll get to do from now on!"
The magician did not rise to the bait however. Instead, he merely smiled ferociously and stared at Leorio with such intensely furious eyes that even Leorio had to look away.
"I'm not your dear Leorio, whatever your private, social activities trend towards, and remind me not to hold back when I beat the crap out of you in the outdoor scene coming up in four weeks time."
Everyone looked at the broken punching bag lying desolately on the floor, then at Leorio, then looked away, shaking their heads and sighing, the type of sigh you give to a dying man. He got the threat, removed himself from Hisoka's presence and everyone gave a small cheer when Leorio left.
"Come on Hisoka, it won't be that bad. What exactly do you have to do with this kid?"
"I don't know, the usual stuff perhaps." Hisoka frowned a bit at Kuroro's question. "Show him around Hunter Works, explain to him where the other major studios are located in the city, and in the Director's exact words - bring him here on gym nights and take him with us afterwards to dinner and whatever parties we go to."
Nobu grimaced a bit. "Don't you think you should lay off the partying for a while?"
"Yes yes," Hisoka replied mechanically. "with a kid hanging on the back of my coat for the next two weeks, I'm sure most of my usual circles will have completely forgotten who I am by the time this is all over."
Bashou gave a grunt as he finally finished with the weights. "Look Hisoka, you're a part of Hunter Works, so at least you know that we'd never abandon you. In the next two weeks, you just keep your head down, and when the storm finally blows over, you can get back to your previous lifestyle, but of course, it's up to you whether of not you want to tone it down a bit if you don't want incidents like what happened today to reoccur."
"That's right!" Kurapika joined in. "My mum tells me to stay away from alcohol, drugs, cigarettes and any white powder which is to be sniffed. She says that it will ruin my brains if I try any of that stuff. And besides," he continued a bit more somberly "I've met some of these people who take too much of this stuff where I work at the community service center...and none of them are happy people. You want to be happy right Hisoka?"
It was hard to argue with the sincere and innocent Kurapika who had the brains of a jellyfish. Even though he was eighteen, he listened to every word of his mother like it was the gospel of truth and was still trying to handle year 7 maths even though most people his age were qualifying for university entrance exams already. In short, he was your very bimbo who lacked common sense, but since he couldn't grasp and handle deceit or sarcasm, whatever he said was genuine and laid plain for you to see his true meaning. And Kurapika was very nice to the people who he thought were his friends - perhaps even Leorio.
Hisoka gave a small, brief but sad smile and looked around at everyone, then gave a defeated sigh.
"I guess you're right then. I mean, it's only 2 weeks right? I can manage that, no problem!"
"That's the spirit!" Shalnark was relieved that the previous ugly tensions had finally dissipated and they could all talk a bit more openly now. "So, who are you going to be babysitting?"
"I don't know, but Silva said his name was Illumi and I'll have to pick him up at the studio tomorrow."
Killua gave a yelp of pain and surprise and his arms agonizingly snapped back and the weights crashed back down when he accidentally and suddenly released the pressure in his arms after hearing the particular name. Tears stung his eyes, but he was more overcome by fear than the excruciating pain from the tearing of his biceps. What on earth was going on?
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Whew! Authors notes: It's been an entire week and a half since the post and update - but I've also worked on 'Untitled' for a bit too. Almost time for an update on that as well!
I'm glad I had the chance to finish this chapter. I think I've pretty much got the story and plot firmly in mind now. The only problem is to tackle it and make it presentable to you readers! Please comment and review of course, and if you want to flame, go for it!
You might have also noticed that the story moves slowly ne? Well, I want to take my time and not rush anything so I hope you peoples aren't finding this boring either.
Okie! Onto work on the next chappie!