Disclaimer: You know the drill. I don't own the series or any of the characters, Yoshihiro Togashi does.
Chapter 6: A Trade-off
Two weeks later…
"That's that," Irumi commented as he finished reading the front-page news of the college newspaper. It carried a large picture of Kuroro sitting up in the school clinic's bed, bandages wrapped around his ribs. The other, smaller picture was of a taekwondo bout where Kuroro was shown to be receiving a well-placed kick on the side of his chest. "I wonder what Hisoka's going to do now?" he asked himself amusedly.
He and Hisoka were there at that taekwondo tournament, one of the first tournaments of the annual inter-hunter college competitions. Most of his schoolmates had turned up to watch because Kuroro was the one competing. Irumi frowned thoughtfully. Yes, he had been surprised that the school champion should compete first; Phinx was supposedly the one to compete in that match. But then, Irumi decided that it could have been a strategic move from a psychological point of view, a way to frighten off the enemies so to speak early in the tournament. Or, he mused silently, Kuroro just wanted it to be a contest between champions.
Many of his schoolmates had expected it to be an easy victory. It did turn out to be an easy victory – for the other team. They were fooled by the appearance of the slightly built Kuruta opponent but he and Hisoka knew better, they knew Kurapika after all although they were still surprised when that match ended the way it did. Kuroro was now temporarily incapacitated, unable to participate in any of the matches, much less lend his appearance as the school champion, until his cracked ribs got better. "Which," Irumi thought as he scanned again the news article before dropping it in the trash bin, "won't be anytime soon."
Just then, he espied a familiar figure walking towards him, it was Hisoka. His friend acknowledged him with a nod but kept on walking. Irumi fell in step beside him, hands in his pockets.
"I'm meeting someone," Hisoka told him as he glanced sideways at Irumi.
"Oh," Irumi replied without expression, "I take it you don't want me with you."
Hisoka gave a slight shrug, "Come if you like. Just don't get in the way."
They walked in silence until they came to the parking lot and Irumi saw who Hisoka was meeting up with. Kurapika was waiting beside a parked green Volkswagen Beetle near the edge of the parking lot.
"Zasshiburi, Kurapika-kun," Hisoka greeted pleasantly.
"Hisoka," Kurapika replied in acknowledgement and gave a curt nod to Irumi whom he had already met before. Irumi returned his nod with a slightly mocking bow. Kurapika turned once again to Hisoka, "why did you invite me here? This had better be important."
"Oh, it is," Hisoka replied airily, "but first I have to congratulate you on your defeat of our champion."
Kurapika didn't reply but waited expectantly for Hisoka to continue, a hard expression on his face. "Oh, alright," Hisoka said then with a slightly different tone to his voice he asked, "you've told me at last year's summer training camp that you intend to defeat all the members of the Genei Ryodan, is this still true?"
"Yes," Kurapika replied simply.
"May I ask why?" Hisoka asked pleasantly but there was that glint to his eyes.
"I suppose you'll know eventually," Kurapika said thoughtfully after a moment's pause. "It's simply this, for revenge," his eyes suddenly alighted with anger and for Hisoka and Irumi, they thought that it glowed red. "Kuruta wasn't able to participate fully in past years' competitions and that's because every one of its top players had been severely injured at one time or another."
Hisoka appeared puzzled but Irumi nodded in agreement. He remembered that before the Genei Ryodan was formed, Kuruta Hunter College took the inter-hunter college championship trophy almost year after year. It became a different matter when Takashimaya finally produced a most winning team, led by the Spider members.
"I know that injuries are sometimes to be expected and even commonplace in contact sports but would you believe my best friend was hospitalized for weeks," Kurapika continued angrily, "and he was playing chess!"
"WHAAAAT!" both Hisoka and Irumi asked in unison, a big sweatdrop forming on their heads. They both paused in silence and wondered about it but then suddenly acknowledged that it could happen. Hunter chess was like lightning chess only much, much faster. Most spectators couldn't even follow the movements of the chess pieces as each opponent moved his pieces with true lightning speed. Sometimes, the more dastardly of the competitors would accidentally 'tap' the other player's hand as they each moved their pieces on the board. That tap usually had enough force to break the fragile bones of the hand if one wasn't careful, and in hunter competitions, one should always be careful.
"I acknowledge that the Genei Ryodan are exemplary players, what I fail to understand is why they have to injure their opponents," Kurapika said bitterly, "and what's more, Kuruta players seem to get the most injured because of them." His seemingly red eyes flamed anew, "my friend wouldn't be able to play hunter chess anymore."
"I see, so you're paying them back one by one starting with the head," Hisoka said slowly, referring to Kuroro. His voice had a dangerous purring-quality to it and his eyes narrowed slightly. "I suppose Ubogin transferring schools also had something to do with your revenge." He then added with a smile that was not quite pleasant, "there are 12 of us in the group, are you going to defeat and injure every one of us? Not all of us had tried to purposely hurt your companions."
"I did hear you joined the group when you transferred here," Kurapika replied coldly, "but don't worry, you're not on my revenge list."
Hisoka gave him a mocking bow, "I'm grateful," he then said, "but that's not why I asked you here in person." Kurapika waited again expectantly and was surprised when Hisoka told him, "I want a trade-off. I purposely joined the Genei Ryodan because I wanted to humiliate Kuroro by ousting him as school champion and now I won't get that chance," he said with a pout and a false sigh, "you put him out of action and it's my last year in college. So now I propose this," he paused, then said slowly as to let Kurapika understand him completely, "you have a match in two days time, instead of competing in it, I want you to fight me instead, an all-out fight. I stole the tournament list and saw that there won't be any matches between us so we'll do this instead."
"The next match is thread archery," Kurapika said thoughtfully while Irumi whistled softly. Hisoka turned to glare at his friend but Kurapika continued, "so you want me to fight you unofficially because I stole your chance with Kuroro."
"Exactly. There's an abandoned field not far from here, we can go there now and we won't be bothered," Hisoka said casually while studying his finger nails but all the while surreptiously watching Kurapika from under his hooded lids.
"I would say that my reason's more important than yours but knowing you, you'll just find another way to get me to fight you…" Kurapika considered after a moment or two, "Alright, if that's the way you want it," then added, "I do suppose it's fair but I am curious though. Who was I supposed to compete with?"
"Machi," Irumi answered before Hisoka could stop him, "you were supposed to compete with Machi."
"Machi? I've heard of her and she's a Spider, isn't she?" Kurapika asked suspiciously, "then I'll take back what I said, I want to be in that competition."
"Iie," Hisoka said, his face looked serious and dangerous now, "as you've said, fair's fair. You took my chance with Kuroro, now I want your match with Machi in exchange. Just this one match, you can still compete in the others."
Kurapika's eyes narrowed. He didn't know exactly who Machi was but he could see that Hisoka was dead serious about this. He also knew that Hisoka had just competed in a wrestling match and although he won, he still sustained some injuries and still wasn't in his best form. "So why this?" Kurapika asked himself silently, a little puzzled.
Thread archery was a middle-risk hunter contest with contestants facing each other, the target on both sides of the contestant they were facing. Thread-like ropes were attached to each arrow so if the opponent wasn't fast enough, he would find himself unable to use his bow because he would be tied up from those ropes shot by his rival. Contestants could only be injured if one of the other contestants 'accidentally'shot at them instead of the targets although their uniforms offered protection. "Why would he exchange a middle-risk game for an all-out fight which could certainly result fatally? Does he want to fight me that much?" Kurapika continued to ponder.
Hisoka clinched the matter by adding, "I suppose I could get your consent in an easier way. After all, I haven't seriously injured any Kuruta players…yet."
Kurapika's head snapped up at that. "Fine," he said a little angrily, "let's go." They both turned to go, Kurapika walking stiffly with his arms at his sides while Hisoka seemingly at ease, one hand on his hip.
"This should be interesting," Irumi thought as he turned to follow them. He knew about Hisoka's condition and he also knew that Kurapika just had that bout with Kuroro yesterday. But as they were both top players, he knew that any injuries won't be a hindrance to them. Neither of the two gave him any notice, both lost in their own thoughts so it was only Irumi who saw a flash of white and violet in the bushes dotting the parking lot out of the corner of his eye. His eyes narrowed but then he shrugged and continued to follow the two in front of him.
They reached the abandoned field and the two walked to the middle of it. It was only as they faced each other that Kurapika noted Irumi's presence, "Good thing your friend followed us here," he commented coolly, "you'll have someone to carry you back when I finish with you."
"Don't worry," Hisoka said pleasantly with a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes, "I'll carry you back to your car if you can't walk." He then glared at Irumi as if telling him to go away. But Irumi's face remained innocently impassive; he found a small tree then leaned against it clearly intending to stay and watch.
Kurapika fired up at Hisoka's words and said abruptly, "Let's begin! This better be a good fight, a good alternative to the match I was looking forward to."
Hisoka's eyes glinted dangerously. Both exchanged the customary bows then took up a fighting stance, ready to strike. From his place, Irumi was enjoying himself, "Hmmm…I wonder if this is really because of Machi, or…" he paused as looked at Hisoka who was wearing a small, satisfied smile, "or just for himself?" He chuckled at that and continued to watch the unfolding action before him.
