Of Lions and Blonde Avengers:

Chapter 8:

Of Pasts and Plans

Kurapika listened closely as Dalzollene went through the plan for the auction. She might not be able to attend it, but she'd be damned if she wouldn't try to be as close to it as possible.

"Basho and Linssen will guard the back," Dalzollene explained, pointing to the appropriate place on the blueprints. "Squala and I will guard the front. Baise and Tocino will go get the items. Remember, money's not an issue. Do what you must to obtain the things on the list."

"Hey, what about Kurapika?" Basho complained, pointing at her with his thumb. She said nothing.

"Kurapika will be keeping Neon company."

Basho put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "I feel ya."

"That's unnecessary." She slipped out of his reach, edging away with clear distaste. Kurapika didn't like other people touching her. A personal bubble would've been an interesting nen power. Only people she cared about would be allowed to touch her in that case. If she survived this ordeal, she might consider taking up a different nen power. Could someone do that? She'd have to ask Chrollo. Surely, he'd tell her, especially once the truth came out about her restrictions.

"Anyway," Dalzollene intervened, quickly. "We'll be leaving for the hotel the night before the auction. We'll all have to stay within the premises of the boss's room, so make sure you've taken care of your previous living arrangements. Understood?"

They all nodded.

"Good. I won't be repeating myself. You're dismissed."

He didn't need to tell them what would happen if they failed any of their assigned duties. They assumed it wasn't something as simple as lowering their pay.

"Kurapika!" a voice called. They all turned to see Neon running down the hall towards them with something that looked like a checklist in her hand.

"Here she comes," Basho whispered, placing his hands on her shoulders and pushing the blonde in front of him like a shield. "Good luck."

Kurapika didn't respond, opting to slap on a charming smile instead. "Hello, Neon. Is there something you need?"

It took the other girl about three seconds to start blushing.

"We-well I . . . I know how much you like being prepared and I just thought that maybe I could give it as shot," she cleared her throat as she passed the checklist to the other girl. "I'm not very good at it, but-"

Kurapika flipped through the many pages swiftly. When did Neon plan on going to all these stores? There was no way she could afford to buy that. Would her father be providing his credit card as well? "It's very detailed, Neon. I doubt there'll be one dull moment." She might just have to find a cliff to jump off of if it meant getting away from all these shopping trips.

Basho whistled appreciatively. "It's like a novel. You realize you're only going there for one day, right? It's a bit mu-"

At his comment, Kurapika slammed her foot down on his, all while wearing a deceptively carefree smile. Neon didn't notice. She was too busy blushing and sputtering out strange nonsense that sounded much like a thank you.

"I think," Basho started, but his voice came out as a squeak as he tried not to lean down and massage his aching foot, "I'll be going now." And with that, Mr. Pompadour walked away from the two women.

Kurapika turned her attention back to Neon, who was still blushing madly. "Shall we go? You can explain your plans in the parlor."

Neon nodded. The blonde started to walk away. This was truly the most effective method of dealing with that girl. Kindness held a strange power over others.

"I thought I told you to stop being such an asshole to her!" She wasn't being an . . . oh wait, that wasn't even directed at her. In fact, Nico, who'd been the one who shouted, wasn't even in the corridor.

She heard Neon stop beside her. "That's daddy's office. I'm technically not supposed to come so close to it, but no one ever really does anything about it so . . ."

"What is your idiot brother doing yelling at his father?" Kurapika asked, distaste clear in her voice. She'd die for a chance to see her parents again, and here he was, disrespecting his own. It made her blood boil somehow. The man didn't seem like a completely terrible father, even if he was a complete workaholic.

Neon let a small, wistful smile slip onto her face. "Mom and dad split up when I was eight. Dad kept me because of my fortune-telling, and Mom took Nico. I haven't seen her since she left for Londres, but Nico always managed to visit at least a few times a year. Dad and him always fight when he's here."

"And your mother?" Kurapika continued, cautiously. If anyone knew about the reluctance one feels when revealing something so important, it was her. "Why wouldn't she come?"

Neon shrugged. "I guess she just didn't want to see me. After all, the reason Daddy even got into the Mafia business was because of my fortune telling. Mom didn't want any part in it."

She sounded casual, as if she wasn't divulging an important part of her past, but then, how did one explain something like this to a person they barely knew. Kurapika doubted she would reveal her past at all if someone just asked. They'd need to gain her trust over the course of a few years before she opened up to them. Neon didn't seem to have any of these constraints. And yet, despite all that, she could tell Neon missed having her family together.

"I'm sorry!" Neon suddenly blurted out. "After all you went through with your family, I must sound like such a brat talking about my problems. I mean, a divorce is nothing compared to getting your entire family murdered."

Kurapika's steps halted, and Neon covered her mouth with a pale, slightly shaky hand. "Who told you that?" the blonde whispered, voice so quiet and cold, it felt like she might kill someone. "Neon. Who told you about them?"

"Well . . ." she trailed off. They had probably told her not to reveal their names to her. So, it was someone she knew? Probably Chrollo, since he was the only one brave enough to try something so stupid. Gon was too thoughtful, and Killua didn't care enough. Leorio might've told her, but he knew too well what would happen if he had. Then there was Netero, whose strange mood swings would fit all the criteria to do something like this. But, if it was someone outside of her circle of friends, then she needed to know everything. The possibility of others learning she was a Kurta was too dangerous.

"Neon. You can tell me," she reassured, voice back to the sweet, yet distant, chime she always used around her.

Neon bit her lip. "It was Mr. Lucilfer!" The words fell out before she could stop them, and Kurapika's temper suddenly bubbled over. Still, she kept herself under control.

"I see. What else did he tell you?"

"That's all," Neon said. "I asked, so he told me what happened. In the end, he said I should go to you if I want any more details. It wasn't his place to tell me more." It wasn't his place to say anything in Kurapika's humble opinion, but at least, he hadn't told her anything about the Scarlet Eyes.

She opened the door for Neon, stiffly, a common side effect of her fury.

"Are you sure you're not angry?" Neon asked, still chewing at her bottom lip nervously.

Kurapika smiled reassuringly. "Oh, I'm seething."

Neon's face fell. She looked so ashamed of herself that Kurapika almost wanted to give her a hug.

"But not with you," she added quickly. "Though, you can bet the next time I see that man he'll be getting quite a lecture."

The blue-haired girl smiled this time, albeit the smile was one of sadness and heartbreak. "I see. That's good."

"Is something wrong?" Kurapika asked, as they sat down in the fluffy blue chairs settled around a large, rectangular table.

Neon shook her head. "No, it's just . . . seeing you talk about him," she broke off as she tried to string her next words together, "reminds me how close you two must be."

It was moments like this Kurapika remembered she had no idea how to deal with a broken heart. Dealing with lecherous pervs? Easy, just hospitalize them for a few weeks and they'd give up. Unless they were masochists, in which case, a restraining order should do the trick. If they were masochists and affluent, then things got a bit more complicated, and some more drastic measures would have to be taken. Thankfully, those were few and far between, and even in those circumstances, she could easily deal with them. She'd never had to let someone down easy. Except for the three thousand four hundred fifty six confessions she'd gotten back at school, but one look at Chrollo behind her staring them down with a murderous smile convinced them to simply admire her from afar. But Neon was actually her friend, a valued one too. She wasn't a Gon or Leorio or even a Killua, but she still mattered.

Kurapika ended up not having to say anything at all thanks to a well-placed opening of the grand door.

"Hey, sis," Nico greeted, kissing her on the cheek, a friendly greeting that wasn't used too much in the United States of Saherta, but is quite popular in Londres itself. Even in Lukso province, it was a common occurrence.

Neon's face visibly relaxed. "Hi. What were you and Daddy arguing about?"

"You heard that, huh," he sighed, "just business. You're too young for it."

Neon pouted. "Am not."

"You'll give yourself wrinkles from too much stress," he teased, poking her forehead.

Neon covered her forehead with her hands as if shielding it. "I want to know! I'm a part of this family too, ya know!"

"Well, if you insist," the man said, shrugging, "you got a few more requests from Dad's business partners. I got a bit cross with him, that's all."

Neon frowned. "You know I don't mind. Fortune-telling is one of the things I want to share with others." Kurapika suddenly felt this conversation wasn't meant for her ears. "If I can't use it, then what's the point? If I can't tell other people's fortunes, then what good am I?"

The whole room went quiet. She wasn't quite sure what Nico's problem was, but this was Kurapika's first encounter with Neon's philosophical ponderings. The blonde needed a moment to let the truth sink in.

"I'll . . ." Neon cut the silence off, "go get some snacks for us."

"I'll go with you," Kurapika said, standing up.

A hand reached out to take her arm. She turned back to see a rather serious looking Nico. "Let her go." The door shut behind the younger girl. "When she starts talking about things she could easily make one of the servants do it means she wants to be alone.

The blonde relented, some part of her found itself relating to Neon and sat down. "Your family is rather convoluted, isn't it?" Why she was starting a conversation with him of all people was a mystery to her. It was probably due to the fact that he probably had all the answers to the questions doing backflips around in her head. More importantly, she might need to know about these family matters if she was to use said family to get her clan's eyes back. This man was the heir to the Nostrade Family Corporation, she needed to know as much about him as possible so she could manipulate him later on.

"If by convoluted you mean that our parents separated us eight years ago, and were intent on never letting us see each other again until I slammed the breaks and decided to become the successor to Dad's company, then yes, it's quite convoluted," he explained, irritably, massaging the bridge of his nose, looking nothing like the man who'd been speaking with Neon a few seconds ago.

Kurapika tipped her head to one side. How far could she dig into this mysterious past of theirs before she was pushed away from it like a child from a scalding pot? Unlike with Neon, she didn't care if she hurt his feelings, so she could interrogate him all she wanted. "You don't seem very enthusiastic about taking over."

He smirked, bitterly. "I have no intention of doing so. I'll wait it out until that old man's dead. Then, I'm getting Neon out of here as fast as possible."

"And the company? You can't just leave the Mafia. They might come after you," she countered.

This time, he smiled at her, fondness in his voice and actions. "That's why we have people like you."

"You really think you'll have enough money to keep me around?" she asked, incredulously.

He tapped the armrest of his chair. "No. I don't think we'll need money though. Money isn't what you're here for, is it?"

Now, how did he come to that conclusion?

"No, it isn't," she answered, ending the sentence sharply, letting him know she was not willing to provide the response he wanted. "Where will you go after he's gone? Have you already made plans for living alone? What of your mother? I heard she's less than welcoming to Neon."

His expression darkened. "Who told you that?" She opened her mouth to respond, but he just kept talking. "She'd love to take Neon back, but Dad's got custody over her. Mom can't get within a hundred-mile-radius of Neon without someone coming after her. That's why she wants me to get her out of here."

"She seems happy enough," Kurapika interjected. "Have you run your little plan through to her as well? She is the one getting affected after all."

This time, he sent her a glare. It wasn't a very good one, hardly as chilling as her own, but it was clear he'd be shutting up about the topic soon. "Neon doesn't know any better. She doesn't remember a time where she wasn't used as a tool. She loves our father. She doesn't need to betray him."

"And you think you can offer her a better future than he?"

"I know I can."

And then the door opened once more.

"I hope you all like ginseng t - what's going on?" Neon asked, holding a tray filled with cookies and muffins.

Nico pulled up his big-brother mask again, smiling like nothing had happened. "Nothing. What kinds of cookies are those?"

"Oh, it's a mix. Sugar cookies, brownies, double chocolate, chocolate chip, almond, peanut butter, and, well, I'm not sure what those are but they looked good so I took some anyway. There's also some blueberry muffins if you want some."

Kurapika seemed to. Blueberry-maniac. Who'd have thought?

. . .

"Where are you going?" Killua asked, as he watched the girl walk down the street, eyes fixed on her phone.

Gon tapped the screen again. "If Kurapika won't listen to us, we'll just have to convince Mr. Lucilfer to see her instead!"

Silence.

"What?!"

Gon looked at him, surprised to see him so opposed to her plan. "I'm sure he'll understand. I mean, if anyone will be able to get through to her, it's him."

True, but still . . .

"Do you even know where he is?" Sometimes, Killua wondered why he put up with this madness. Then he remembered he loved Gon and couldn't just leave her to fend for herself in a world filled with Hisokas and Illumis and Lucilfers.

"Not really."

This was going to be a long day.

"What's that on your phone?"

"We're going back to that coffee shop."

Oh. The old retracing of steps. Alright, he'd give it a shot. For Kurapika, and Gon, but mostly Kurapika.

They passed the lines of shops, filled with food and clothes and other fun things people made to bring in the big bucks. Past the traffic jams and past the crowds of people on the streets. Turning corners and making strange u-turns around dark alleys, and Killua really, really hoped this GPS system was working and wished he'd just told her he remembered the path to the coffee shop anyway but she just looked so focused and hopeful about doing something to help Kurapika and . . . well, Killua wasn't that cold-hearted. In fact, all his assassin-y senses had been failing him lately. What had this woman done to him?

"There he is!" Gon said, pointing at the man in the window, reading a book and enjoying a cup of coffee, just like the day before.

So, he'd know they'd come back, or at least had been prepared for them to walk in empty-handed. What would he say? Would he even agree to see Kurapika? If he had wanted to, wouldn't he have already done it? Was he planning something bigger? What was he saying? Of course, he was. This was Lucilfer they were talking about. So, the question remained. What was he planning? They couldn't just go in without knowing at least that. Killua, for a second, put himself in Lucilfer's shoes. Imagined he was psychologically unstable and morally ambiguous, which wasn't too difficult, and that Gon was the one putting her life on the line to destroy the Phantom Troupe. Okay, well, first, he'd probably get her a therapist, but that probably wasn't Lucilfer's style. No, if he was THE Chrollo Lucilfer and it just so happened that someone he cared about was about to be killed and had awesome friends like them . . . what would he do?

No. No way.

Well, maybe. It wasn't too ridiculous.

It was to save Kurapika, after all. If he was to save Gon subtly, he'd do same thing.

Have her friends barge back into her life and tear down her walls, and then deliver the finishing blow with his own presence.

The bastard had it all planned out from the beginning.

Damn, he was smart.

. . .

Next On Lions!:

Last day before the auction. Neon and her bodyguards are leaving for downtown YorkNew. Last day, guys. LAST DAY!

Question Of The Day: How do you feel about Neon and Nico's backstory? And are you excited to see the Chain Pair meeting up again?

~ Replies to Reviewers ~

guest: Don't worry. As long as you review, I'm happy. Killua is the realist in this fic, just dealing with everyone else's craziness for now until the Chimera Ant Arc . . . oh wait . . . he's still dealing with everyone else's craziness in that arc. Poor kid's got his work cut out for him. Killua must protect Gon! And Gon must protect Killua! That's how it works! Partnership is beautiful! I can actually see Chrollo getting Kurapika and him matching shirts somewhere down the line in their relationship. Just to get her riled up. Chrollo's got a plan in all this, but yeah, it's also easier to send the kids to pay the bills. Kurapika is a blueberry-maniac, but blueberry pie especially. Why blueberries? I dunno, they just have a lot of antioxidants and vitamin C which is good for stress relief which she always needs. I could imagine her taking her kids to pick blueberries with her in the future. Tserriednich is literally terrifying and I want him to stay the hell away from my precious blond child. Someone needs to kill that man already. And Theta! Protect Theta, please! I can see her and Kurapika getting along, actually. Ugh, math. Hate it. Don't want to talk about it. Thanks for reviewing and reading and all that fun stuff. Hope to hear from you soon!

Sweets Dreamer: Killua's the relatable one here. Just reacting to everyone else's BS. Gon makes everyone believe in the best future possible (and then Pitou happens). Chain Pair angstiness will be at its peak in a few chapters. It's not pretty, I tell you, but honestly, Chrollo had it coming. Anyway, Chrollo probably steals the suits from designer stores just for the heck of it. Just steals that stuff by the truckload. Kurapika, while a little more rational and caring and motherly, is still Kurapika. She's gotta push all her friends away. It's like a requirement. Don't you worry, though, Kurapika gets better. Scars heal, happiness is delivered (finally). How far along in the manga are you? And Feitan is just too . . . murderous for me sometimes. However will I write the Chimera Ant Arc? I do not know. Maybe I'll skip around the extremely bloody parts? Thanks for reviewing and I hope to hear more from you soon! Hopefully, you enjoyed this chapter.

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To Everyone: Please review, favorite, and follow so more people can find this story. Thank you : ).