The drive to wherever they were headed was boring. Cramped, too; Feitan was the smallest of the group and thus, fit only in the middle of the backseat, squished between Nobunaga and Franklin. Feitan loathed car rides for this reason. But, the Boss had gone through the effort of stealing them a couple of cars to shorten the length of their trip, which would have otherwise taken them a few hours by foot. Although Feitan certainly felt irritable, for the sake of convenience he was willing to compromise. Meanwhile, Phinks sat undisturbed in front of the wheel and Shalnark sat comfortably beside him. All together, they followed the rest of the group who rode in the car in front of them.
Bored out of his mind, and with nothing else to do, Feitan put a foot up to rest on the back of Phinks's seat, causing him to jerk and swerve the car.
"Woah- What the hell, Fei?!"
Feitan said nothing and smirked deviously at him through the rear-view mirror. Shalnark, who clearly seemed peppier than the day before, snickered. Phinks flushed and looked back toward the road, muttering under his breath. Meanwhile, Nobunaga sighed and gave Franklin a particularly unamused glance.
"Children, the three of you." He grumbled. The city was just blocks away at this point and it seemed that they were now nearing their destination. Skyscrapers and corporate buildings now towered over their heads on each side of the car as they entered the hustle and bustle of YorkNew City. Almost immediately, they were met with heavy traffic. They came to a swift halt at a red light beside taxis and buses. "I should have grabbed a seat with the Boss and the ladies." Nobunaga continued, crossing his arms.
"Relax, Nobunaga." Said Shalnark with a grin. "We're almost there. Actually, the Avalon isn't too far now. We're in the neighborhood. If it weren't for the traffic, we'd be there already."
"Enlightening, Shalnark. Thank you." Nobunaga replied sarcastically.
Franklin turned to face Nobunaga from across Feitan's lap. "You know the Zoldyck kid isn't a girl, right?"
"Huh?" It was as if Nobunaga was temporarily stunned. Traffic resumed as the stoplight now flashed green. "You're kidding."
Feitan held back a snort, amused by the red flush of embarrassment in Nobunaga's face. Phinks was now grinning behind the wheel, biting his tongue as his face grew red. Shalnark didn't seem to believe it, and as they turned into the parking lot to what seemed like a massive museum, he turned to them from the passenger seat.
"You really thought Kalluto was a girl?" Phinks and Feitan then burst into absolute hysterics, even Franklin struggled to keep his composure. They followed behind Chrollo's car behind the massive building. "I mean, so did I at first but- Nobunaga, the kid's been a Spider now for a couple of years at this point!"
The hysterics continued as Nobunaga hung his head in embarrassment and the car came to a halt behind the one in front of it at the backside of the building. He shook his head desperately trying to dismiss the conversation ("Shut up already!") but alas, Feitan was sure to milk his torment to the last minute ("I don't wanna hear it anymore, assholes!"). He only stopped as Chrollo exited the car in front of them, and they took that as their cue to follow suit. Feitan was the last to escape the cramped vehicle and stood beside Phinks, who was stretching his arms with a yawn. They surrounded their Boss like the legs of a spider and collected to await his command. When he finally spoke, they absorbed his words like gospel.
"Everyone, I welcome you kindly to the world's largest collection of art, the famous institute known as the Avalon." He motioned towards the impressive structure, which towered above them with its white marble walls and finely engraved stone pillars that were decorated with the vines of winding ivy. It's windows were thick and framed with black iron bars that were bent into the shape of stems that had prickled thorns, on top of those stems were glittering golden roses that were welded in place. In their years they have no doubt seen bigger and better, but the sight was one to behold nonetheless. "This building holds more than just art, of course. This place has history. History that, on August 4th, we will be a part of. Now, come." They followed him to the door of the back entrance of the building, where Chrollo pulled from his pocket a little brass key, which fit perfectly into the lock above the doorknob. Before he could open it, Machi approached him.
"Is it closed? The parking lot is nearly vacant." She said, looking around. Many of the others nodded, clearly wondering the same. Feitan too felt the same apprehension, but Shalnark quickly cleared the air.
"It's just like the Boss said, the job is partially being done for us. We have nothing to worry about inside or outside." He smiled. "Isn't that right, Boss?"
Chrollo nodded. "Yes, precisely."
And with that, they pushed into the art museum one after another, invading its premises with eager minds. Feitan was the last to enter, giving his outside surroundings one final scan before he also vanished into the building with one thought in his mind.
Why the hell did they need help from an outside source?
Reika returned to him with a steaming bowl of what smelled like sweet cinnamon oatmeal, and when she placed it in front of him, he could see that it was topped with granola and strawberries. It exceeded his expectations, and his stomach growled in agreement. He looked up at her as she resumed her seat across from him. He cleared his throat to speak.
"Thank you. I appreciate your hospitality, even after my outburst. I apologize." Respectfully, he bowed his head to her. She giggled.
"Oh, spare me the formality. Go on, eat."
He lifted the wooden spoon to his mouth and, Lord did his taste buds sing. He hadn't eaten anything particularly healthy since his match with the Spiders and after a couple weeks of cheap fast food, it was refreshing to bite into a juicy strawberry. He savored the taste before swallowing. He didn't even take a moment to think about how he looked as he desperately shoveled granola into his mouth. Reika smiled.
"I hope it's not too mundane, I'm not much of a meat eater, you see."
"No," He shook his head as he finished the last bite. "It was great, thank you."
She reclined a bit in her chair in contentment. "In that case, I'm glad."
Then, it was quiet. Kurapika blinked and sat awkwardly. Everything that happened that morning was just so strange, he just didn't know what to say. He thought it would be inappropriate to grill her with questions right off the bat because well, she did just go through the trouble of getting him something to eat. He wanted to get down to business, and he planned on it. But, he also figured he should get to know her if he was going to be spending the night.
"Pardon me," He spoke. "But I must know-"
"You want to know why I've set up shop in such a deserted area, as well as why my eyes are…" She cleared her throat. "...Like that." She pointed at her eyes vaguely with what seemed like discomfort. "And, you'll also ask me about the boy you saw, and you will once again not believe me…" Reika seemed to notice Kurapika's wide eyes and paused. "S-sorry, I have a bad habit of interrupting people, it can be really annoying." She laughed nervously. "-Um, continue, please."
Kurapika also laughed nervously, she was absolutely correct. He was going to ask about those things, and he was going to ask them in that exact order. He tugged at his collar, he wasn't exactly sure if he was a fan of being read like an open book like that. "Uh, yes…" He then thought to himself, 'I guess staying here is going to require some level of transparency. That's okay, it certainly won't kill me.'
"Well, I suppose the location of the shop is irrelevant. People will always find me here." She looked away, and Kurapika noticed that she seemed apprehensive. "I come from a family of seers." She explained, beginning to fiddle with her fingers out of what seemed like anxiousness. "Every other generation a child is born with eyes like mine. They allow us to see clearer than other people. Anyway," Kurapika noticed that she seemed to graze through the topic, and he wondered if he had offended her. "As for the boy, you won't believe me because I cannot tell you his name."
"Why not?"
"It's not like I'm keeping secrets from you or anything!" She raised her hands defensively, meeting his eyes again. "I would tell you if I could, but he won't tell me. I think he might have tried to tell me, but he's… weak. He can only whisper. He's also very hesitant. May I be perfectly honest, Kurapika?"
"Might as well." He responded with a sigh, resting his chin in the palm of his hand.
"He's afraid of you, Kurapika. You've changed, and he doesn't recognize who you are anymore." She said in her whimsical voice. "You intimidate him, and I sense that he worries about the path you're on." She cocked her head once again. "I think he apologized just now."
He looked into her reflective eyes. No, he absolutely could not bring himself to believe that she was speaking on behalf of some ghost boy from his past. He believed that she was reading him once again using this strange method that he was sure was meant to convince him that her reading was, in fact, accurate. Which, honestly, wasn't necessary. He knew she was correct. He knew he was changing. Without anything to say, Kurapika allowed her to continue.
"Hold on a minute," She pulled from under the table a glittering silver box, which was hardly bigger than a pocket bible. She slid the lid of the box off delicately and set it aside. Then, she revealed the contents of the box. A deck of handsome, golden tarot cards. Then, she spread them on the table in front of him in an arch, then looked up to him with a smile.
"Now, pick a card."
The interior of the building was just as opulent and massive as the exterior. The back entrance led them to what seemed to be an employee break room, which consisted mostly of empty coat hangers on racks. It wasn't until Chrollo brought them into the foyer of the excellent building that they were made aware of its full potential. They stepped foot onto plush, crimson carpeting that lined the white marble tile. A grand chandelier hung above their heads that was crafted out of what looked like gold, which reflected its light onto the pillars on the ornate walls. The room was decorated with statues and sculptures, and also featured an electric fireplace at its center surrounded by chic leather armchairs.
"Right, her gallery should be around here somewhere." Chrollo turned to the others. "Shall we explore?"
Feitan looked up to the hanging light fixture as the group followed their leader up the elegant staircase, which had wide steps that curved as it reached the balcony floor above it. They approached a hallway where a sign was posted. It read: "Guest Artist Galleries." Feitan followed last, attempting to find something interesting to look at as they made their way into an open spaced room. The art in this room was quite vanilla for his taste, but that was of course to be expected. Landscapes, portraits, abstract images. It all really bored him. The pieces in this wide room were displayed on plain white walls, illuminated from below by a plain white light. To be honest, Feitan expected something a bit more spectacular.
Shalnark leaned in closely to a sculpture of a nude, muscular man that was encased behind glass. With a curious expression, he read words that were engraved on a gold plaque that was stamped at the bottom of the piece, while the others also explored the room. Feitan approached him, peeking over his shoulder. When it came to valuable art, you can bet that the Phantom Troupe knew exactly whose names to look for. But the names of all the pieces in this room simply weren't familiar at all.
"I know what you're thinking." Said Chrollo as he led them through the room. "This is just a gallery of the honorable mentions, if you will. The pieces that didn't quite make the cut."
"What do you mean by that, Boss?" Asked Shizuku, spinning on her heel as she walked trying her best to take it all in.
"Oh, I understand." Said Kalluto quietly. "This is the place that holds that famous art festival once a year. Commoners celebrate in the streets of the city, but the wealthy spend their time here where the famous artists are."
Chrollo nodded. "Yes, you are correct. Artists around the globe compete for a spot next to the works of famous artists. That's what this room is. But, the real showstoppers must be… Oh." They approached the very back of the room where they were met by the closed doors of an elevator. It seemed to be in use, at the top of the elevator was a digital monitor that displayed the floors that the elevator was passing.
6...5...4…
Chrollo just stood, while the Troupe encompassed him, unsure whether or not they should be preparing for a possible altercation. But, Chrollo wasn't concerned. So, Feitan wasn't either. Machi and Nobunaga, however, activated their Nen cautiously. All of the others simply waited.
3...2...1…
Ding!
The elevator doors opened after jittering for a moment, revealing only one occupant. She was short and extremely petite and if it weren't for her sharp and mature features, Feitan would have thought she was Kalluto's age. She seemed to him as if she could hardly be considered a threat, however. She had short deep red hair that curled at the bottom, and she pierced them with a cat-like look with her dark brown eyes. She wore all black, an oversized sweater with a hood, leggings and clunky boots. She rolled up one of her sleeves, taking a peek at a dainty watch on her wrist, she then looked at Chrollo disapprovingly.
"Yes, we're late. Apologies." Said Chrollo to the girl, attempting a charming smile as she approached them. "You look like you're doing well for yourself, Winona. I thought perhaps you could give us a tour of the valuables, and perhaps even a private tour of your own gallery, before we get down to business."
The girl, Winona, scanned each of them carefully before she responded, stopping at Machi and Nobunaga, who still had their Nen raring to go. She seemed to refuse to respond, looking them both in the eyes until Chrollo looked at the two of them with a smile as if to say that they had nothing to worry about. Reluctantly, they stood down. She crossed her arms, and Feitan noticed a brief smirk on her face as if she was amused. He narrowed his eyes at her as she responded. "I can." Her voice was light and a bit raspy. "But first, I want what we agreed upon." She then held out a hand towards Chrollo as if expecting something.
He smiled at her and spoke in a matter-of-fact tone. "I apologize, Winona, I wasn't planning on conducting business today, so I didn't bring it. I can promise it to you tomorrow, if you like."
Feitan saw nothing wrong with this explanation, even if he didn't know what they were referring to. But, the girl named Winona looked dissatisfied, and kept her hand out towards him. There was tension as Chrollo gave her an unwavering, innocent look. But she did not seem satisfied nonetheless. Then, she chortled.
"You're an awful liar, Lucilfer." She spoke his name with bitterness, then pointed to his coat pocket. "It's there. Have you forgotten that I can smell it?"
Defeated, Chrollo held his hands up and laughed as if he meant it as a joke, but Feitan could tell that he had meant to lie to her. "You're right, I was just testing you." He dug into his pocket and pulled out the glass vial that was filled with the blood of the Troupe members, and handed it to her despite the indistinct glances that they exchanged amongst themselves. Feitan furrowed his brow and sharpened his glare. He didn't like that his blood was in her hands. There was something that felt wrong, and the others noticed too. But, they were careful not to make a scene. Satisfied, she walked through the group and then stopped to look at them once more, popping the cork off of the vial.
To their absolute astonishment, she brought the vial to her lips and poured its contents onto her tongue. Phinks immediately shot Feitan a concerned look, but Feitan and the others remained unintimidated.
"Well then," Spoke Winona. "Are we ready?"