The goodbyes were quick and the group of eight were on their way. Apparently Zeno had arranged transportation as they were driven down the mountain on a side path and dropped in the city rather quickly. They had been wandering, Jasper poking his head into the shops they hadn't taken the time to look at before. He didn't know what exactly he was looking for but the urge for… something had been increasingly more annoying ever since he woke up so many weeks ago. There were just so many people out and about and- and...

He supposed he could ask Harry but would the teen even know if Jasper didn't?

No. Whatever this feeling was, it was Jasper's alone otherwise Harry definitely would have said something. He'd just have to figure it out on his own. He rubbed his burning eyes with a grumble. He was still tired but it helped that they were moving. He could probably take a nap on the transport or something.

He left the lastest shop with a huff, wandering back over to his friends just as Killua pulled a face at Gon. "Why are you so damn stubborn!"

"Huh…? Why are you suddenly asking me this?"

"You passed the Hunter Exam! There's no reason you should be here on a visitor visa!"

Leorio snorted from slightly ahead of the boys, turning his head back to speak to them. "We told him that too. He wouldn't listen."

Gon puffed his cheeks out. "I made a decision," he declared. "I'll only use it when I finish what I have to do."

Hm. Jasper did vaguely remember something about that. It had been a curious thing to say but he'd been so distracted by, well, literally everything else that he hadn't thought to question it much. Now that it was being brought back up again he was rather curious to know what it was all about.

Apparently so was Killua as he immediately asked about it.

"Well, first I have to thank the people who have helped me. I want to find Kite and give him back his license." Who the heck was Kite? Had Gon ever mentioned him before?

Not around us, he hasn't.

"And then I have to give back," he paused, digging a hand into his pocket, his tongue sticking out with the apparent effort, "this!"

Clutched in his hand was a small circular piece of plastic with the number 44 stamped on it.

That's from the Hunter Exam, Harry hummed, clearing up Jasper's confusion. Pretty sure it belonged to the carnival demon too.

The what?

"I've decided to give this back to Hisoka with my fist to his face!" Gon declared passionately.

"Hoo boy, that'll be one hell of a reunion," Menchi muttered, stepping up next to Jasper. The wheels of the bag clicking on the stone pavement was just loud enough to hear over the din of the people bustling around them. There weren't a lot of people but it was enough to create some street noise as they finished passing through the marketplace area of the city.

"Ah. Ok. So, you know where Hisoka is?"

Gon paused, mouth half open to respond and stared at Killua. Killua stared back.

Jasper snickered, raising a hand to cover his mouth. Kalluto, who'd been standing slightly behind Killua with his fan half raised to cover the lower portion of his face, had his eyes flicking between Gon and Killua watching the back and forth intently.

Kurapika was laughing softly too from next to Leorio. "I know, Gon," the blonde spoke as he turned to continue their trek.

"Whoa, really!?" Gon hopped after them quickly, Killua following behind at a more sedate pace, hands shoved in his pockets. Jasper settled himself next to Kalluto as they moved on with Menchi following slightly behind them both. The younger boy glanced at him before facing forward dismissively. He had a feeling Kalluto was going to be a tough nut to crack so there was the very valid question of if he wanted to put in the effort. He already had Gon and Killua, after all.

Kalluto was pretty easy to rile as far as he could tell though the boy never acted on it. It was cute to watch him storm away. If it was Killua, he knew the boy would respond with vigor. Gon would probably just laugh and draw him into a game.

"'Concerning the Spider, I have some pretty interesting things to tell you.' I never once told him about the Phantom Troupe though I suppose he could have heard about it from someone else or during the first phase. Whatever the reason, he called it 'The Spider' and only those familiar with it call it that. That's why I was interested in the fact that Hisoka could have information."

The conversation in front of him drew his attention rather quickly when 'spiders' was mentioned. His first thought was of Mimi but he never told the blonde about her and it didn't really sound like he was talking about an actual spider.

"I see." Leorio had his head tilted back but his focus seemed to be on Kurapika next to him.

'I don't,' Jasper wanted to say but there was still more information to be had apparently so he kept his mouth shut. Information gathering at its finest.

"After the meeting I asked him to tell me what he knew but he only responded with, 'On September 1st I'll wait for you in York New city.'"

"The first of September? That's over six months away!"

"Why York New? What's happening there?"

Gon and Killua spoke at the same time.

"The biggest auction in the world," Leorio claimed, snapping his fingers as if he remembered something.

"That's right." Kurapika bobbed his head in a small nod before continuing, "Between the 1st and the 10th of September."

"You think they'll be there?"

"Possibly. Even if they're not, numerous people who have relations with them will surely be. That's all I can tell you. Hisoka will be there that day."

"Okay!" Gon gave a determined nod and Jasper finally felt like he could ask his questions.

"I'm missing a lot. Who are the Phantom Troupe… the Spiders? You mentioned them last night, Kurapika."

The blonde stopped, eyes flickering over to him. "Ah. That's right… you wouldn't know unless someone told you. They are a notorious band of high-class thieves. They killed my family for their eyes. I am… the last Kurta because of them."

He sucked in a sharp breath. He couldn't imagine what he'd be like if his family was killed. He was just separated from his own, they were still alive!

(He couldn't afford to think otherwise.)

"Oh."

"Don't worry about it, Jasper," Kurapika said kindly. He bobbed his head awkwardly, the feeling of wanting to hide his face back in full force. "Well, I'm going to leave you guys here."

There was an immediate outcry from Gon and Leorio; Kurapika managed to placate them while the rest of them stood around watching. The blonde chuckled when the noise finally died down. "Alright guys. From now on I'm going to start looking seriously into work as a Hunter. I have a mentor to track down too," he finished with an amused smile.

"Whew, that's right," Leorio sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Honestly, I should probably take off too. I have a lot of studying to do, you know!"

Menchi snorted. "After all that protesting and you just decide to take off too? What the hell! I only took on one brat and now you're leaving me with four of them?"

Kalluto and Killua frowned in offense in unison making Jasper snicker. Gon, though, was too busy whining at Leorio leaving to notice the exchange.

"Let's all just promise to meet up in York New on the 1st," Jasper found himself saying after wrestling down his amusement.

"Great idea," Gon cheered, spinning in place.

"Alright, alright," Kurapika laughed.

Leorio huffed, the smile on his face threatening to turn into a grin. "Sounds good to me."

Killua shrugged, "If Gon is going, I'll go too."

Kalluto was quiet, snapping his fan open to cover his mouth. The pressure of everyone's eyes seemed to goad him into a nod though.

"Well, guess that settles that," Menchi huffed.


Jasper watched Gon pout at Killua with only half an ear on their conversation. Killua was ranting about Gon's need to get stronger and Jasper could agree that it was never a bad thing at the very least. But he was also more focused on watching Kalluto who had been eerily silent since they'd left the Zoldyck estate. The boy didn't look physically discomfited, walking with a soft grace even in those weird wooden sandals that somehow worked with his outfit. But he stuck rather close to Killua and his pink eyes were constantly flitting about to everyone that they would pass. He'd caught Kalluto's eyes a few times now and again, but they would always dart away before he could say anything.

A finger poked the back of his head and Jasper whirled around with a flinch.

"You keep staring at that kid and he's gonna burst into flames."

He pouted at his blue-haired teacher- who he totally still hadn't accepted yet!- scratching the spot she poked. "I think he's nervous."

She raised an unimpressed eyebrow. "You know he can hear you?"

"So?"

Menchi snorted, her fist coming up to partially cover her amused smile. "Alright, runt. Do whatever you want."

"I will." He stuck his tongue out at her and whirled around to catch up to Gon and Killua who were looking at some marks on the ground. Kalluto eyed him on the way past but he ignored the boy, more interested in his two friends at the moment.

"And where is Jasper?" he heard Gon ask as he approached.

Killua shot him a smirk over his shoulder and dragged a line way further away. Jasper peered curiously at the marks in the dirt. It looked like faces with lines attached to them?

"What's this?"

Gon smiled at him. "It's how Killua thinks we measure up in strength."

"Jasper is all the way over here," Killua half yelled.

"Oh, wow! That's even past me!"

"What," he yelped. "I can totally beat you right now, Gon!"

"You wanna try it?"

"Bring it!"

"Absolutely not," Menchi growled, stepping up behind them. "I'm not here to babysit unruly kids, dammit!"

"Aw, but Miss Menchi-!"

"No!"

Killua sauntered back over with the stick he'd been using propped on his shoulder. "Nutty here is physically weaker than… well, all of us-"

"Hey!"

"Not that I've seen him fight," Killua continued, unbothered. Kalluto was looking at the lines on the ground situated slightly behind his older brother.

Hold your tongue, Jasper.

With more effort than it should have taken, he snapped his mouth closed, the 'Because you stuck your fist into my chest' getting no farther than his teeth. He didn't know why Killua calling him weak burned at him so badly. It's not like it wasn't exactly true. Menchi had even once told him that he'd be behind his friends in the strength department for a while because of his lack of eating for so long. He'd worked hard- despite his annoyance and complaints- over the past weeks to get to where he was and he was proud of it. To have that thrown aside-

"Jasper got a lot stronger while on our way to get you," Gon laughed. Jasper's chest eased and his next breath didn't burn. "What about Kalluto?"

Killua flicked his eyes at his brother who had startled at the address. "Hm. Probably about here?"

His stick dragged a line about halfway down Gon's line. That meant Kalluto was stronger than Jasper and… that was annoying.

"And you, Killua?"

"Here!" The line was only halfway down Kalluto's.

"Wow! You're really strong!"

"Don't say that with such a happy face," Killua hissed, his ears flushing. It was so similar to his little brother's reaction to embarrassment that Jasper burst out laughing.


"Whoah, you can see it from here," Jasper exclaimed, shoving his face into the window to watch their descent. The city surrounding the tower was densely packed building, most of which were white which reflected the sun making it look really sparkly. He could make out incredibly busy streets, tiny people walking through the streets like little rats following a set path.

"Yep," Menchi hummed from her chair, sharpening one of her knives. He still had no idea where she kept those. She constantly pulled them out of thin air. "That's Heaven's Arena alright."

The gleeful malice in her voice made a shiver run down his spine, but Jasper was already resigned to whatever torture she was going to try to put him through. If it was in the name of getting stronger so he could find his family, he'd suffer through it.

"It looks really funny," Gon said, leaning around Jasper so he could stare at the large structure standing proudly smack in the middle of the city. "Like a really thin ant hill or something."

Surprisingly, Kalluto was the next to speak, his voice soft and quiet. "The architecture was largely slipshod. The tower itself has been around for centuries and add ons were always a last minute thing. It is unique because it is the fourth tallest building in the world but also for its strange architectural history. Even to this day, wings are constantly being rebuilt and there's been rumors that they're planning to try for three hundred rooms."

Gon whipped around as Jasper peered over his shoulder in a reversal of their earlier positions. "Whoah! You know a lot! Just like Killua!"

The flush that spread across the younger boy's face was definitely a pleased one considering his proud shoulders and the smallest tilt in the corner of his lips.

"Fashion and history have always been Kalluto's big passions," Killua hummed from where he was lounging on the floor. The white haired boy was flat on his back, his hands settled across his chest and eyes closed as if he were trying to sleep. Jasper just thought he was bored once Kalluto kept him from picking at his hands. Thankfully, Jasper himself had already taken his nap at the beginning of the trip and was wide awake right now.

"Y-you knew… that?"

A blue eye cracked open a sliver to look at his little brother who was staring as if he'd heard the most astonishing news of his life. Jasper cocked his head at the expression, his hair brushing against Gon's cheek. Besides huffy, this was the most expressive he'd seen the brunette be so far. He wondered why that was.

"Of course, I know that," Killua grumbled, his eyes closing again. "You're my little brother."

Kalluto's lip wobbled briefly before he pulled himself together when he noticed others watching. With a haughty sniff, Kalluto turned back to the paper he'd been folding ever since the start of the airship ride. It had several complicated looking pieces, each folded meticulously into a shape that made absolutely no sense to Jasper.


Killua watched the brutality of the multiple rings below him with amusement. The registration had been short and now here he was gazing nostalgically at all the fighting. Not that any of them were going to stay down here for long. This is just where the weaklings dwelled. But it was the starting point for riches and training. He grinned, clenching his aching hands in his pockets. It wasn't going to be as much of a workout as he wanted but doing something after all this time was going to feel great!

He swept his eyes across the floor again, letting out a content sigh. "Nothing's changed at all."

"What do you mean? You've been here before?"

Killua glanced back at Gon, his grin becoming more smug. Gon was such an idiot but he was an idiot that seemed to want Killua around so he wasn't letting go of his friend any time soon. "Of course I have. Dad sent me here when I was six. The first time around, it took me two years to reach the 200th floor."

He plopped on a bench, noting that Kalluto slid silently onto the bench behind him and Gon. His lips twitched as he tilted his head back, searching. Ah. Nutty was arguing with the Hunter Lady further up the stairs. With an easy breath he turned back to Gon and continued speaking. "It should be fine but if we have to fight someone like Hisoka we'll never make it to the top."

His friend grimaced next to him and Killua honestly felt the same. Hisoka was a monster with some really nasty bloodlust and he moved just as fast as Illumi. They'd stand absolutely no chance. Especially as the older man had some weird interest in Gon ever since the first phase of the exam. Killua wasn't blind. He'd definitely noticed those gold eyes following their party on more than one occasion and he wanted absolutely nothing to do with the weirdo pervert clown man.

He glanced back over to Nutty and couldn't help but snort at the absolutely put upon expression on his face. He was wearing the children's training vest from the mansion and his teacher was standing next to him with a smug smile.

Gon looked over too and gave an awkward laugh while rubbing the back of his head. "Jas is really lucky that he can keep up with the strength training but he always looks so… um…"

"Disgruntled?"

"What does that mean?"

Killua snorted in amusement. "Unhappy basically."

"Then, yeah!"

"1973 and 2055 to Ring E, please!"

Gon stiffened and out a squeak "Oh! That's me! I'm so nervous."

He scoffed, brushing some imaginary lint off his shoulder. "Don't be. You passed the testing gate, right? You just have to," he leaned in with a catty grin, finishing in a whisper, "push with a blow."

Gon gave a nod and hopped up. Jasper replaced him rather quickly, plopping down heavily with a few vicious comments under his breath. An eyebrow slowly inched up Killua's forehead in mixed amusement and shock at some of the words coming out of Nutty's mouth. He didn't think his crazy midget friend had it in him. Then again, they had found him covered in blood after the trick tower.

"That's physically impossible, runt," the hunter huffed as she plopped down on the benches behind them. Kalluto let out the slightest huff of annoyance that Killua was sure only he heard. It made him smirk internally. His little brother had been annoyed a lot on this trip and the white haired assassin felt it was only justified payback for getting stuck with a family member when he was finally set 'free'. Not that he minded Kalluto much, it was just that the other boy just hung around Mother a little too much for his liking. Kalluto was his least annoying brother, only second as a sibling to Alluka.

He shook his head. He couldn't think about his little sister right now. He wasn't strong enough to save her yet and dwelling on it would only depress him.

"Oh that was fast," Nutty murmured quietly.

He blinked and turned towards the arena to see Gon blinking his hand. "Ah! I missed it!"

"That's your own fault for not paying attention."

"Shut it, Nutcase!"

"Oi! How many times-!"

"2056 and 2084 to ring D!"

"Ugh." Jasper pushed himself up and Killua watched him trudge down the stairs in amusement. Honestly, Nutty was definitely different from before and yet his reactions were almost exactly the same. It made him feel like the Nutty he was dealing with now was still the real deal.

(He hadn't ruined everything.)

The match was between tiny little Jasper and a tall man in an unbuttoned button up and slacks with chiseled abs on display. Killlua had absolute faith that even his tiny friend would be able to handle it. Until-

"He froze again," Kalluto hummed, the cloth of his kimono rustling as he leaned forward.

"Damn. What the hell could have triggered him?" the hunter asked at almost the exact same moment as his younger brother.

He remembered that trembling, the way those hands gripped at dark hair. Was he mumbling just like that day?

Killua's hand throbbed and his gaze was drawn down like a magnet. Sharp nails- sticky blood-!

"Don't touch me!"

Even above the din in the already crowded hall, Nutty's voice was as clear as a gong. His head jerked up at the overwhelming pressure that suddenly flooded the room, the rage filled malice choking him immediately.

If his eyes weren't glued to the scene he never would have caught the transition of the eyes changing color mid move. When Nutty had jerked his opponent over his shoulder in a move that should have been inhuman- especially for his puny friend- the body language abruptly changed and instead of popping the man's head open on the floor of the ring, he was chucked out of bounds landing with a vicious crack against the far wall.

Killua swallowed harshly, flexing his hands and refusing to look at them again for fear that he might see the stains. He could still feel the lingering warmth and viscous fluid sticking to his fingers even as he logically knew there was nothing there. But his own messed up trauma wasn't nearly as important as making sure Jasper was okay. He stood up slowly following after the Gourmet Hunter that had already made her way down to the rings, barely listening to the small tak tak of Kalluto following behind.

By the time he made it down there, Gon was already chatting with Nutty- No, the eyes were still green. That meant that this was Harry- with Menchi pinching her nose standing next to both of them.

"Hello Killua, Kalluto. Sorry to officially meet you this way."

"What happened to Nutty," he demanded, choosing to ignore the greeting in favor of making sure (he was still breathing it wasn't like that day no blood no injuries Jasper was alive) Nutty wasn't going to do something so stupid like freeze in front of someone again.

Harry's hand came up to tap the lower lip of his smile. "Jasper has such good friends. I'm really glad, you know. He's fine by the way. That man looked eerily similar to someone from before so he saw something else for a moment. I didn't want him to kill someone by accident again so I took over."

"Again!?" Menchi suddenly straightened her posture and scruffed the back of Harry's training vest, lifting him off the ground like an unruly kitten. "That's it, you little punk! I've been nice, but I think you need a better training regimen!"

"Wha- Menchi, wait! How is more bloody training supposed to help- Ah! I said wait, dammit!"

The three other boys were left to watch her snatch the ticket from the referee and march away with a protesting Harry.

"I'm impressed she managed to lift all that weight with one arm," Kalluto spoke, breaking the tenuous silence between them.

Killua blinked. "Now that you mention it…"

"Shouldn't we be a little more worried about Jasper and Harry?" Gon asked, turning to stare at both of them.

The white haired assassin pondered that for a moment. "Nah. We'll catch up to them in a minute. Kalluto and I will finish this up really quick, isn't that right?"

Kalluto closed his eyes and gave a small bow of acknowledgment. When he opened them again there was steel shining through. Killua wondered why his younger brother seemed so serious all of a sudden. He knew that Kalluto liked him but he hadn't said anything super important, had he?

"Of course, big brother. This is nothing for a Zoldyck."

Oh, that was probably it. Family pride.


AN: Thank you all for being so patient with me! I hope you enjoyed this little filler chapter~! Also, if you're ever curious or have questions or ideas, I ended up making a tumblr :)

jasperlucilfer . tumblr (. com)

Q&A: Dark n' Dark- Ah~! Thank you so much for commenting! I always appreciate new people taking the time to say something! I'm really glad you like Jasper too! The treasure hunt was the 1999 anime, right? I've never actually watched it but maybe I could do a short what if in the future.

Drakality- Thank you so much for your kindness and understanding! His little flashbacks are going to be happening more and more. Poor thing. As for his family... Who do you think they are? ;) Killua has actually wanted a unique pet and a spider was on his list for being 'cool'. Thanks again for commenting~!

KrixLight- Isn't he? I'm already having fun messing with his character!

Tetractys- Thank you so much~! Killua and Jasper have a ways to go but they'll get there. Kalluto is definitely fun to have around and I hope you enjoy his character as much as I do.