Spotlight

Chapter Nine: Let's Play With Legos

Butterfly, butterfly

He's gone, he's dead

Why oh why do you cry?

Fly free instead

Nothing good ever happens in the dark.

Ayaka figured that the moment the lights went out in the elevator, something bad was about to happen, like maybe she would faint from hunger or maybe she would accidentally pass gas and there was no one else in the elevator besides Hisoka to falsely blame. But she would have never thought of this. Of dying. She didn't think that the psychopath would choose such an indirect way to kill her, but hey, he was of the unpredictable sort.

So when he used that fake computerized voice to tell her that he would be dropping the elevator from a hundred feet in the air, inevitably killing her in the process, there was no choice but to believe him.

And when you're faced with death, sometimes you just lose it like any other normal person would – any reaction was acceptable, really. Except Ayaka wasn't so normal as it turns out. You see, instead of freaking out, she took a moment to find a comfortable spot on the cold marble floor, sat down, and just waited.

One minute.

Two minutes.

Three.

Quiet as a forgotten tomb. She wondered whether Hisoka would be the first to break the silence, but that was highly unlikely considering she had a knack for talking to herself, whether or not she was alone. And sure enough, her mouth opened on its own because it wanted say something... but nothing came out. Well, that was odd. She did it again a second time, and then a third, and then a fourth. Nothing, not even a croak! For the first time in her life, did she really have nothing to say?

Four minutes.

Five minutes.

Six.

Her palms began to sweat. Hisoka still wasn't saying anything. Weren't they quite the talkative pair?

Nothing good ever happens in the dark.

And then she realized. If she couldn't talk, what else couldn't she do? She tried to chew on her nails, but she couldn't even lift her arm. She tried wiggling her toes and blinking her eyes. Nope, she couldn't do those either. She was trapped! Trapped in the elevator, trapped in her mind!

Like playing video games with a broken controller.

Was it fear? No. She didn't feel it. Was it clarity? No. All she could see was darkness. Or was everything, as cliché as it sounds, just a dream? Maybe. Everything in life suddenly paled in comparison to whatever lightness of being she was feeling at that moment, and for some reason, she didn't want it to end. She wanted to stay there.

And then at the corner of her left eye, she noticed something. A tiny orange sparkle of light the shape of an asterisk. She wasn't quite sure how long it had been there until she noticed it, but it was definitely there, floating like an old burning star in the cosmos. She wanted to turn her head to inspect it further, to touch it, but her body overruled all of her commands.

Then it danced. Left, right, up, down, front, back, like a cha-cha. Ayaka continued to watch it, and the little sparkle watched her too. Nothing else mattered. They just wanted to watch each other forever.

"TIME'S UP!" Hisoka's computerized voice cackled on the intercom.

The lights sparked back to life, blinding her for a few seconds before she realized she could blink again. So this was it. Time to die. Why didn't she feel anything? Fear, anxiety, not even sadness. She stood on shaky legs and glanced to the left. The little sparkle was gone. Rude. It didn't even say goodbye.

"Well… bye, I guess…" she whispered to herself.

Then suddenly, the doors opened and revealed the grinning clown with his arms crossed over his puffed chest. Huh?

"You never fail to disappoint," he smiled as he extended a hand. His mouth twitched like he was angry. "You can come out now."

And like a toddler being set free from timeout, Ayaka eagerly took a step forward with one foot and reached out for his welcoming hand… and then she found herself falling backwards. The elevator had started to drop! She was going to fall and die after all! And…and Hisoka's wicked smile was the last thing she was going to see.

"Oopsies!" He reached for her outstretched arm and pulled her into the lobby, crushing her body against his like her life depended on it, because it really did. What just happened? Her blue eyes refused to blink, but there were no tears of panic brimming over. She couldn't breathe, she couldn't whimper. She couldn't even raise a hand to slap the guy who just tried to kill her!

There was… nothing.

A few seconds passed before she heard the big metallic coffin shatter into a thousand shrapnel shells, and only then did her knees crumple like paper beneath her. Hisoka caught her before she touched the floor, holding her steady. And so she hung onto him like a rag doll, all of her weight resting against his solid body, and for once, she didn't feel like kissing him or killing him.

And for the first time, too, he just let her be.

Butterfly, butterfly

We tested your heart

Why oh why did you lie?

He just tore it apart

Ayaka silently watched Zushi as Wing put a thick fleece blanket over the sleeping child. Even in this state, the little boy's thick brown brows were tightly knit together like he was in battle. Probably dreaming about nen. Why did such a zealous boy want to master something so dangerous? Something that could be used to hurt other people? Something that could kill?

"So, you were saying something about a light?" Wing asked as he closed the door to Zushi's bedroom.

"Uhh…yeah," she replied hesitantly as she recalled the whole scene. "It was orange. Like an old star, I guess. At least that's what I thought at that time."

"Interesting." Wing exited their hotel room and she followed. He paused before the elevator and pressed the button. "Why don't we grab a drink and talk about it a little?" He walked into the elevator, but Ayaka didn't follow. She felt glued to her spot; her legs were just refusing to budge!

"Ayaka, you don't seriously want to take the stairs, right?" he asked as he pressed his finger down onto the OPEN DOORS button. "It's going to take you at least twenty minutes all the way down."

She didn't answer.

"Fine," he sighed, giving up. "I'll go with you."

Hisoka didn't like women very much. Machi was the only exception because the obvious repulsion on her face whenever he hit on her was entertaining to watch. The rest of the ladies were, well, too predictable and boring. Shower them some attention and they would try to give you everything in return. Ignore them, and they would try even harder.

The little bloodsucking mosquito was no different. In the beginning, at least.

He barely even noticed the way she was drooling over him. Been there, done that. But then she kissed him on the arm one day, leaving a nasty scar on his otherwise flawless skin. At first he wasn't sure what it was that she wanted, and before he knew it, she had sunk her teeth into him. He thought that maybe she was the aggressive type, but then he realized later on that she had just wanted to save Zushi. What an embarrassing miscalculation. He had tried to kill her back then, and multiple times before and after, but Wing always got in the way. Sure, he could have just gotten rid of Wing too, but seeing as he sort of owed the nen master for teaching Gon a thing or two, he decided to spare him.

Her kiss didn't hurt anyway… but he wanted payback for treating him like a predator low enough to hurt little children. Well, okay, he was a predator low enough to hurt little children, but it was only for their own good! Why couldn't the mosquito understand that?

And so he paid her some attention. Surely she'd take the bait and give him everything, and then the game would be over. So he killed Gustavo Brimstone since he pretty much humiliated her in combat, and didn't women like the whole idea of a man fighting for her? But no, she didn't like that. Freaked out, even. So he tried something else. He paid a visit to Ryuu-chan, whom he had been keeping an eye on anyway, and guess what? She didn't like that either!

There was no pleasing this woman, and the whole game was getting on his nerves. And whenever something bugged him, his natural response was to kill the source. And so he decided to do just that. All he wanted was for her to respond the way he wanted her to, then it would all be over. Surely she would offer to give him anything as long as he spared her life. He loved it when people begged for their lives. Did they really think he would give it to them?

But… no.

She didn't beg for her life. She didn't even get upset. Instead, she sat and waited for him to kill her. Not only that, she was calm enough to meditate! She had rejected him and… and ignored him. Huh. He didn't like that. Not one bit.

But he didn't want to kill her anymore either.

He just wanted to play some more.

Ayaka took a seat next to Wing at the bar. It was pretty empty for a Thursday night, save for a rowdy group of college-aged kids by the jukebox. They weren't even playing music.

"There was nothing else you saw?" he asked as he set a warm mug of hot chocolate in front of her. "Yeah, that was it," she replied with a sigh. "I considered that maybe I was hallucinating, but… I remember it so clearly, so maybe I wasn't." She glanced at the mini marshmallow pieces floating on the surface of the chocolate-y goo, and then eyed the ice-cold beer in his hand. "I like your drink better," she said as she reached for his drink. Wing tentatively handed it over, but retracted his hand before she could even touch it. "Nope. You're underage."

She sighed. "I keep forgetting what it's like to have a responsible adult around me."

She grabbed the mug handle and took a sip of the warm drink. Wing downed his beer, heaved a big contented sigh, and then asked for a glass of tap water from the bartender.

"Water after one beer?" she teased. "A sixth grader can drink more than you can."

He didn't make any effort to retort. Man, this guy could be such a killjoy sometimes. They sat in silence for around ten minutes. It reminded her of the short time she spent on the elevator. Now that she had time to think about it, the inability to control her own body seemed less palatable than dying. She stole a glance at her silent teacher. He was gently tracing the lip of the glass, staring into space like he was bored. Well, sorry if she was boring company!

"Ayaka," he finally spoke, and she involuntarily stiffened at the sudden attention. "You said that you didn't feel fear when you were about to die."

"Oh…yeah. I didn't really think about it then, but I guess it is pretty weird."

He took something from his pocket and placed it in his glass. It was a single green leaf, and it floated unperturbed on the surface of the water. "But you must have felt something," he insisted, sounding like he was arguing with himself. "Otherwise, your nen would not have manifested itself like that."

"Nen? You mean the orange sparkle?"

He didn't reply. Of course that's what he meant. Everything unusual in her life seemed to revolve around nen these days. "Wing? Hellooooo?" "Here." He pushed the glass of water in front of her. "I'm going against my own principles doing this since you're far from ready, but… I have no choice since Hisoka seems so bent on killing you now. Place your hands like this and perform Ren."

He steered her hands on either side of the glass and then stepped back. She was confused, but did as she was told. In terms of how far she's gotten in training, she could at least do Ren properly anyway. She closed her eyes and let the feeling of her own aura take over. Slowly. Slowly. Guide the warmth towards her hands.

"That's enough," he said. "Look."

She opened her eyes and… the leaf was dancing from side to side! As soon as she stopped releasing her aura, it ceased moving as well. Whoa. Did she just do that? Again and again, she sent little bursts of her aura onto her hands, and each time she did, the leaf swayed on the surface of the water. She was a manipulator, Wing explained, just like Zushi was. It was a type of nen. Apparently there were different kinds and she could technically learn them all if she really wanted to, although he implied that she didn't really have the talent to do so. But she wasn't paying attention anyway. She was too excited.

"Why didn't you tell me about this until now?!" She jumped. "I can control people and objects!"

"OR objects," he corrected immediately. "It's a rare exception to be able to control both."

"Can Zushi control both?"

"We haven't-"

"I bet he can! And I bet I can too!" She released her nen on the glass once more and watched as the leaf danced around the water's surface. It was like watching her hopes and dreams come to life. "Can you see it, Wing?! Watch! I'm manipulating the leaf!"

Wing sighed as he massaged his temples in frustration. "You aren't manipulating the leaf, Ayaka. It's simply reacting to your Ren… You know what? Never mind."

She ignored him and continued her bursts of glee… until one of the college kids from across the table told her to shut up. "We're trying to talk here!" a drunk girl shouted. Ayaka turned to look at them, remnants of her happy smile still plastered across her face. Like hell they were going to rain on her parade! "You shut up or I'll manipulate all of you!"

She laughed at her own joke. They probably didn't even get it. Sure enough, the college kids all looked at each other like they had just heard the most ridiculous thing. Then one of the bigger guys, who looked like he was solely in college because of his football scholarship, walked over to her. "Say that again," he said, leaning forward so that his nose was right up against hers. Her smiled slowly faded away.

"Uhh… Wing?" she whispered. "A little help?"

The guy grinned. "Who are you talking to?"

Ayaka quickly turned around and sure enough, her only savior was no longer there. That traitor! Like he couldn't take a guy this big! Even the bartender went into the storeroom to hide. "Uhh… my friend's probably taking a bathroom break. He'll be back soon!"

Ignoring her words, he lifted her chin with a massive index finger and tilted her head upwards. Just how cliché was this bad boy? "Huh, you aren't that bad-looking," he said cheekily, his nostrils flaring. Ayaka wrinkled her nose in disgust; he reeked of alcohol. "Umm… thanks? Kids love my face, you know. So if you have a younger sibling I could babysit-"

He licked his lips and then suddenly leaned in for a kiss.

"WHOA! EWW!" she protested, raising her fist and punching him in the mouth. "WHO TOLD YOU IT WAS OKAY TO KISS ME?!"

The rest of the college kids erupted in laughter, pointing pity fingers at their rejected friend. 'Oww!' she yelled in her head, glancing at her knuckles. She had punched the guy in the teeth, which scraped the skin clean off of her hand. Who knew that punching someone could hurt this much? 'Man, he's mad! I should probably get out of here!' She slipped through the exit and ran for the elevator. She pressed the up and down buttons frantically and glanced up at each screen by the doors. All of them were over a hundred floors up!

"Come back here, you little shit!" he yelled after her. "You hit me! How dare you hit me!"

Butterfly, butterfly

You're going to die

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" Ayaka shouted back, feeling every ounce a pathetic girl. "I just don't kiss drunk guys because… uhh… I hate it when they forget about me the next day!" She glanced at the fire exit a hundred feet away. There was no way she was going to outrun this guy and make it outside. Why wasn't anyone helping her out? The people in the lobby were just pretending to be oblivious!

While she was busy looking for another way out, he had caught up. He shoved her against the wall and raised his fist in the air to prepare for a good punch. Oh god, he was going to hit her!

"Ooh, what is this?" Hisoka's voice came from behind them. "Does the little bloodsucker need my help?"

Ayaka peered from behind the man. Did he just call her a bloodsucker? "No thanks!" she shouted with gritted teeth. "I don't need the help of someone who tried to kill me and my brother."

Hisoka crossed his arms and looked like he was legitimately considering helping her out. Then he giggled. "I wouldn't want to help you out anyway. You got yourself into this, so you should get yourself out of it."

The guy finally turned around to look at him. "Hey! Aren't you the legendary Floor Master, Hisoka the Great? I'm a big fan!" He immediately let Ayaka go and proceeded to shake the celebrity's hand as he gushed about how many matches he had watched and how much money he had won by betting on him to win. Then suddenly… blood. Blood everywhere. Blood on her.

Hisoka had thrust his arm through the man's torso and now he lay dead on the ground in front of them, his eyes and mouth wide open in a muted scream. "W-what did you just do?!" Ayaka shouted, pushing herself against the elevator in an attempt to distance herself from him. The doors suddenly opened and she slipped on the dead man's pool of blood, causing her to stumble into the elevator.

"I just killed him, of course," he replied, looking at his arm like it was a stupid question. "Wasn't he bothering you?" He stepped over the dead body and walked into the elevator with her, closing the gap between them and leaving a trail of bloody footprints behind him. The doors closed, locking them inside. It was happening again. Ayaka gazed up at him, frozen with terror. Oh, she was definitely feeling real fear now. "Say, do I get a thank you?" he asked with his trademark grin.

But she didn't hear him… because there it was again. The orange sparkle. Above Hisoka's head. She stared at it in awe, and just like before, it stared back. You could call her crazy, but it even looked like it was waiting for her to do something. This was her nen, right? It was manifesting itself because she was in danger... right?

Hold on. What if it really was waiting for her to do something? What did she need to do? 'Think of something, Ayaka! Anything! He's really gonna kill you this time!'

And for some reason - maybe her nen was truly communicating something - her thoughts zipped back to a few months ago.

"My nen naturally circulates with my blood, so I can use it outside of my body," Ryuu said. "I'm of the Hoshutsukei type. Any living thing that my blood touches, I can paralyze, but it has to touch that person's skin. The more blood on a person, the better and longer I can keep them from moving.

That's it! Hoshutsukei. Manipulation. She and Ryuu were the same! If he could do it, so could she! All she had to do was will something to happen with all her might! Didn't it work that way? Wasn't it something simple like that? Well, she had to think of something fast! "Oohh. Someone's aura sure is getting stronger," Hisoka chuckled. "Are you planning something or are you just happy to see me?" He gently stepped on her hand as he grabbed a handful of her hair. "Come on. I'm getting impatient."

She lifted her free arm and pressed her bloody fingers against the elevator wall. Blood? Ryuu used his own blood to paralyze people, right? Well, maybe she could use any kind of blood! She had plenty of the dead man's to use! She smeared the blood on the floor onto her own hands and then set her hand on the wall.

'This is made of metal... Metal can be painful, right? Come on, hurt Hisoka in any way you can! Come on, damn it! DO SOMETHING!'

She shut her eyes tightly and sent a burst of nen through her fingertips, through the blood in contact with the wall... and then finally into the wall itself. Then…

BAM!

It sounded like a gun going off. Ayaka opened her eyes and shrieked. A small piece of metal in the shape of a square Lego block had just... catapulted out of the wall like a bullet and… and struck Hisoka in the face! The wall had a small puncture wound close to where she had touched it. Was that where the little building piece came from? Holy Legos! She really did it! But she had no time to be impressed with herself. Hisoka grabbed her by the neck and slammed her against the wall, snickering like a comedian laughing at his own joke.

"You… are…SO...MUCH...FUN."

Then he leaned in and gave her a long kiss.