Chapter 12: In Which One is Found

They found him just a few feet into the woods.

Tatsumi was, in a word, disturbed. Hisoka had led them unerringly through the storm. He had said he could feel the man… And it would seem he could indeed.

Visibility was actually better in the forest. Though the canopy cut off what little natural night light there was, it also kept the rain from beating down on them in blinding sheets. And his flashlight sufficed for the rest, picking out their quarry from the mass of dark forest shadows at which Hisoka was pointing.

The lunatic seemed to have laid himself down to sleep on the forest floor, with a tree root for his pillow, hands clasped comfortably over his abdomen, quite unmindful of the mud.

They both instinctively slowed down their approach.

But…

Heart-stopping moment, the sudden snap-open of unnatural eyes. Light reflecting off the dilating pupils...

"Careful!" Tatsumi barked to Hisoka.

Like a deer caught in the headlights.

Tatsumi, who might otherwise have softened then, was instead somehow peeved at the fugitive. Tatsumi never jumped at shadows, and was thoroughly disgusted at being rattled by such frightened eyes.

Still. Appearances were probably deceiving. This man was obviously a powerful hypnotist or some such… And he was like a cornered animal now. A known psychopathic killer several times over. Cornered. He acutely regretted bringing Hisoka here.

The trouble was… he had not actually expected them to find him…

But he could now see that the man was hurt. He was obviously unable to get up, and some or most of the mud on him was probably blood…

And if he really had healed Hisoka…

There were obligations…

Tatsumi let his hand fall away from Hisoka, but stayed slightly ahead of him, putting himself between his son and the fugitive.

Note: Ah, the computer has finally decided to let me update! Someone please tell me: am I at all writing in keeping with their characters?