Chapter Twenty-Eight
Disarmament
Prince Tserriednich throws back his head and laughs, and laughs, and laughs.
They're here. They have to be. Beyond's words echo silently throughout the room.
Tserriednich, who has always valued himself for his mind, has been outsmarted. He sees it all now.
"My power grab will not survive Morena's machinations, will it?" He grins at Beyond.
Beyond's eyes meet his. "No; I think not."
"Bollucks!" snaps Theta.
"It isn't." Tserriednich wraps his fingers into a fist. He might as well say everything, before he dies. "And all I wanted was to murder my undeserving siblings. Not power itself."
"No, you always struck me as the sort of man to chase the benefits of power rather than power itself," Beyond begins.
Tserriednich's heart lifts. At least he's better than his vapid, power-seeking siblings.
"As do all who chase power," Beyond finishes. "What? Do you think that those who enjoy power do it for power? What is power but a word? It means different things to different people. Control to satisfy your individual fears? Control to manipulate people into doing what you want, so you can achieve whatever you desire? Power is always a means, whether humans are bright enough to recognize that or not. You happen to be in the former. Congratulations."
"Are you mocking me?" Tserriednich's eyes simmer. I am the philosopher, not you, you oaf.
"Lamenting, actually."
"Will you speak so at my funeral? Or cover your words with frivolous formalities? I wonder." Tserriednich's voice drips with bitterness.
Because Beyond is right.
Beyond has out-intellectualized him. Beyond, that hulking, bearded brute.
Beyond, though, is descended from one of the mightiest hunters to ever exist. Beyond is an adventurer, a survivor of life. Why would his mind not match his physique?
Why has Tserriednich thought of people in absolutes – smart and weak, strong and dumb, pretty and simple, ugly and intricate?
"What – what should I do?" Tserriednich speaks slowly. His eyes are unfocused. "If you were to fill your final hours, what would you do?"
"I would make it not my final hours." Beyond raises an eyebrow. "But I am not you. You would die to learn."
"What should I learn?" Tserriednich inquires.
"The true meaning of leadership. I won't spoil the secret." Beyond strokes his beard. "But I would encourage you to try your best to die for your people. King."
"You won't seriously!" Theta looks ill as Prince Tserriednich glides towards his door without another word.
"I don't know anything." Tserriednich grins. "Though I shall meet his challenge with another: it is not I who shall die for people, but the little girl who brought this horde upon us."
Queen Unma stalks down the corridor to the armory, with the hulking Franklin and the shrouded Bonolenov, each of the Phantom Troupe, behind her.
Inside the armory, Benjamin's voice rings out. "Men and women of Kakin, this is our moment to end my brother's tyranny and demolish the Phantom Troupe, who has robbed so many of not only their possessions, but also their lives!"
Unma cannot listen further. She motions to Franklin, who uses his nen bullets to shoot through the locked door.
"Surprise, Benny." Unma shakes at the sight of her son. As her and Nasubi's firstborn, of course she always visualized him on the throne. Of course she wanted him to achieve kingship, to rule with a mighty arm.
But not like this.
Not if it means Tserriednich's death.
"Mother." He is flabbergasted by the nickname she used to call him when he was a child, and even more so by her company. "Have they hurt you?!"
"Not in the least. They're working for me." Unma shakes her head. "Didn't I raise you to know that nothing everlasting is built on lies?"
"And then you had Tserriednich," Benjamin points out.
"I failed both of you." Unma had prepared this line for her sons' funerals, but perhaps – perhaps Oito can keep those horrid events at bay.
"Nonsense," Benjamin says.
"I was too strict with you – I lauded your strength, at the expense of your morality. I lauded Tserriednich's ingenuity, at the expense of his integrity. I failed, and you know better than to change my mind." Unma sighs. "I suppose it's a common occurrence. Failing your second son in the exact opposite manner you failed the first."
"Stop – stop flagellating yourself." Benjamin scowls. "I am going to end Tserriednich's plot, Mother. If you get in the way, I will kill your Spiders."
"That will be difficult," Bonolenov says, his voice disarmingly musical.
"Move." Benjamin gestures to the two dozen heavily armed guards behind him.
"No," Unma says.
"I don't want to, but I will imprison you – for Kakin. You can't see how vile Tserriednich is because he's your son, but he's gone too far." Benjamin's face twists. That's why Mother is here with him, correct, and not with Tserriednich? She must know, deep in her heart. "He's been too far gone for years."
"On the contrary," says a spookily calm voice from behind Benjamin.
"We think no one is too far gone!" A kid with spiky, dark green hair leaps out from behind an empty safe of guns. He's accompanied by an adult with long, silky black hair, who stands behind him. A child with a paper fan leaps out from behind a cannon, ready to attack. A white-haired boy with electricity zapping between his fingertips slides beside the adult.
"Who are you?" Benjamin demands.
"The Zoldycks, and our friend," says the calm adult.
Benjamin chills. Zoldycks? Three of them, and another assassin to boot?
"Minus two siblings," says the boy with the paper fan.
"Though one of them is already cleaning up the deck," adds the pale-haired boy. "There will be no regime for you to overthrow."
Benjamin's heart plummets. "Who hired you?"
"We hired ourselves." The youngest grins.
"I know you care about your guards, like a true king," says Unma softly. "That lesson, at least, I taught well."
Benjamin shudders.
"We suggest you surrender," says the green-haired kid. "We won't hurt any of you."
"Morena Prudo!" Oito flings aside the door separating her from her target. Morena stands in the stairwell, watching green gas swirl below.
"You must be a fool to chase after me." The younger woman keeps her back to Oito.
"I married Nasubi Hui Guo Rou; my foolishness ought to be unquestionable at this point," Oito says, closing the door to the deck.
Morena turns her head, just slightly, to look at Oito. She's never heard a queen imply anything besides ignorant adoration for their rich husband.
The eighth queen slowly closes the door behind them. "You have his eyes, you know. Though your lashes, I dare say, are superior."
"I'm nothing like him. Though I come from him, and I am glad for that. I'm glad, because it gives me the opportunity to destroy Kakin and all it stands for," says Morena with an eerie smile.
"I regret my former life. I regret everything except my daughter. But I too am grateful for the same chance you have been given: to right a smidge of the wrongness in this vile world." Oito steps closer.
"And how do you plan on that – you who have never suffered?" Morena's scar begins to glow green, like the nen gas she released towards the bottom of the ship.
"My child is currently on the Dark Continent, in the hands of thieves and bodyguards who are hapless against the might of the gaseous Ai. I have suffered, and I've found that the greatest suffering comes from someone else's suffering." Oito's fury kindles.
"I did not know about your existence until very recently, and I can't right what Nasubi did to your face. I can only seize the throne – myself and the other wives – and hope to god to put a stop to this, once and for all." Oito holds out her hand. "We want you to join us."
Morena raises an eyebrow. For a moment, she does not speak, and Oito dares to hope.
"Your manipulation is strong," Morena says at last.
"I'd rather not use it, but my child's life may hang in the balance," Oito says.
"I don't fault you for using all your tools available. I use mine. Contagion is a masterful manipulation technique to give me human tools." Morena smirks at Oito's distress upon hearing of her power.
"All I want is for my daughter to grow up safe and happy. To be her fullest person. If I have to burn down an empire for her to do that, I'll light the match." Oito's eyes blaze. "Do you understand?"
Morena hesitates.
"We need peace."
"I've neither wished nor planned for peace. Only the chaos to burn it all down. But I admire your idealism." Morena smiles slightly. "So I shall help you."
Oito hardly dares to breathe.
Morena pulls out a dagger from between her breasts.
Before Oito can run, Morena has cut across her own throat.
"Nevertheless – if you and your daughter live through the night, I will rest with peace," Morena manages as her body follows the blood splashing towards the ground.
"Queen Oito!" Kurapika hurtles through the door. He and Chrollo have listened outside, wary of leaving Oito and Morena alone, wary of interfering with Oito's plan.
Morena, the bastard who sought revenge for injustice of her youth – the bastard with whom Kurapika sees far too much resemblance, the bastard who may have just killed his queen –
But now – they were too late –
Kurapika, in a fit of guilt, feels cold relief when he realizes that Morena is the one stabbed.
And Oito sits beside her, stained with blood, cradling her enemy's pallid body, holding her hand.
She turns her eyes to meet Kurapika's. "I won't let her die alone."
"Fuck you," Morena croaks. Her eyes are unfocused. "I'm killing … all of you."
"I'm sorry," Oito replies tearfully, stroking her hair – just like Morena's mother used to, when she was fevered. "But you just told me to survive."
"But you won't," Morena wheezes. Her gaze falters. Her last breath is an inaudible gasp.
Kurapika bows his head towards Oito, who, in his mind, is a thousand times deserving of the throne.
Chrollo, however, fights past his emotion. He stalks towards the rail and peers down the stairs. "Is she gone?"
"Yes," Oito says, not ceasing her strokes.
"Her nen gas is still around." Chrollo clenches his jaw.
"Nen…hate-filled nen." Kurapika recoils.
He recalls the bargain he made when he cursed Chrollo. Morena – Morena has made the same bargain, has she not?
Morena's gas will strengthen after her death.
"Surely the Ai will stop it?"
"Then why are we waiting here?" Chrollo opens the door again, and Kurapika turns back to Oito. "Stay here, your Highness, until the deck is calm."
"I won't leave her yet," Oito says, almost peaceful herself.
It's enough to fuel Kurapika forward.
"Alluka! We need all the Ai to get to the lower decks." Kurapika races across the deck. He easily dodges a man's woozy swing.
"Why?" Alluka's eyes widen.
"The user is dead, and it seems her power increases after death." Chrollo gulps.
He remembers the glee he felt using a dead man's power during his match against Hisoka in Heaven's Arena.
He wonders what kind of hate the man must have felt. If he suffered like Morena. And how many suffered as a result of his hate – but no, he knows some of those victims, the ones in the audience. Chrollo made them victims himself.
Alluka turns her eyes black and babbles immediately to the Ai near her.
She's intelligent, Chrollo thinks. How could anyone have locked her up?
A whirlwind of Ai descend into the stairwell. Turning off the gas has likely already happened with their powers, but healing those affected – all the Ai will have to work quickly.
"I can't help." Alluka looks concerned. "I have to stay and translate. Mr. Chrollo and Mr. Kurapika, will you bring me any sick you can find?"
Chrollo swallows, because he sees another chance, but he no longer wants it – or rather, the consequences –
Kurapika interrupts his thoughts, as usual. "That's inefficient. Chrollo, steal Nanika's nen and return it after everyone is healed. Like you did with Hisoka."
Chrollo's mouth dries. Kurapika trusts him this much?
Because he wants Nanika's power, if he's honest. He still does. But he won't hurt Alluka or Nanika. Because Kurapika would be hurt, too, and besides, he likes the little girl and her Ai.
But Alluka is nodding, as if excited to have Mr. Chrollo use her power.
Chrollo opens his book. His voice comes out raspy. "Can you touch this page and hand me your power?"
"Ai." Nanika emerges and reaches for the page.
Chrollo feels dizzy with the aura surging through him. He feels inhuman, otherworldly, spiritual on a level he's always desired. He can do anything, see anything and everything.
But he's still here, still a human in the midst of a disaster in a foreign land, with a small task before him.
Alluka remains upright, but a smaller figure, an Ai, ebbs from her body to collapse on the deck.
"Nanika!" Alluka shakes her.
Ai, ai, ai.
"She's fine. Just weak," Alluka translates.
Chrollo nods. He takes off across the deck, with Kurapika on his heels.
Chrollo pauses. "Following me?"
Kurapika smiles slightly. "You'll need a bodyguard, Spider."
Alluka wipes her eyes. "So many sad people."
"They'll be okay," Nanika says, watching Mr. Chrollo touch a vomiting man. Various areas of the ship glow
"I miss you already," Alluka adds.
"Me too." Nanika smiles, with her wide, dark mouth, and Alluka smiles back.
Is this how normal, material creatures feel? She can only see where she turns her head. She can only breathe what is directly in front of her.
She loves it.
Alluka screams behind her, and Nanika spins back to see the mean Prince holding her up by her hair.
"Let her go!" Nanika cries, but she's helpless. She desperately thinks about what he might want – how can she make him love them? Or at least Alluka?
She doesn't know. "Give me your hair? Pick me up?! Hold me? Pat my head!"
This is what materials do when they love, right?
Nanika tugs on him, but the prince barely acknowledges her, because her cloudy fists barely tickle. "Pick me up!"
"You brought them here. It's time for you to end – a sacrifice made for the better good." Tserriednich holds out his own Ben's Knife, and Alluka squeals.
Across the deck, Hisoka launches himself out of the wheelhouse.
"Chrollo!" Kurapika shouts, even as he scrambles for Chain Jail.
Kurapika hesitates. Chrollo – he'll hurt Chrollo if he does – Chrollo is more powerful anyways –
A blurred figure dives between the two as Tserriednich's knife lands in what should have been Alluka's chest.
Instead, it's in Beyond Netero's stomach.
"The fuck?!" Chrollo curses, forcing his hands to stay focused on the pregnant woman lying at his feet.
Beyond grins down at Alluka. "I can't let you die yet, kid."
She peers at him with shock, and to Tserriednich's own shock, Beyond peels the knife out of his already-regenerated skin.
"I'm not that easy to kill, Prince. Or did you not know that I survived an extended encounter with this continent for that child?"
Tserriednich opens his mouth to inquire, but his laughter bubbles forth instead.
"Tserriednich Hui Guo Rou." Queen Duazal, flanked by Nobunaga and Shizuku, storms across the deck.
"Hello Stepmother!" he calls brightly. "Was my mother too preoccupied to attend the festivity of chaos on her own?"
"I'm not here because I'm your stepmother, or in place of yours. I'm here because I was Halkenburg's mother, and he loved you like a brother. He would have wanted to do this, so I will in his absence." Duazal shakes her head. "Don't think him a fool, either. He knew everything you did."
"I doubt that."
"He loved you anyways. Because you saw past the materialistic greed of society and sought answers, even if diabolically." Duazal looks Tserriednich up and down. "I see you intend to provoke your own demise here, to avoid humiliation, but Halkenburg would never forgive me if I let you."
"And what will you do? Allow me to kill and slay in my quest for truth under the rule of whichever of my siblings spares me?" Tserriednich sneers.
"Your siblings aren't ruling, not for now. We queens are." Duazal shrugs. "You've all proven yourself incompetent thus far."
"This isn't a matriarchy!"
"Don't knock if until you've tried it," Hisoka says impudently, inserting himself between Beyond, the prince, and Illumi's siblings Alluka and Nanika.
He can't explain why, but he wants the prince to survive.
Fighting
Provoking.
Searching for an answer, any answer, in the flashes of excitement brought by battles and sex.
Not that Hisoka thinks he's like Tserriednich – of course not – never – but – he would like to see someone trailblaze this path.
Tserriednich opens his mouth to mock – and a dart flies into his forehead.
Everyone spins towards the nearest lifeboat, where Theta crouches, holding a tranquilizing gun. "Thank you for your survival, Tserriednich."
"And thank you for your betrayal, Theta," Beyond says with a grin, as he catches Tserriednich's collapsing body.
"Anything for Kakin, sir." Theta watches the prince lose consciousness. "And even for him." She pauses. "He'll have to be in constant Zetsu for the rest of his life, or his destructive nen could spell disaster."
"There's two ways to make sure he never uses nen again," Kurapika calls over, holding up his Judgment Chain and eying Chrollo's book.
Chrollo glances towards him. "One is more permanent than another."
"You two deserve each other. Do you know how much I'd love to fight him?" Hisoka taunts, waving around the Bungee Gum leg he's been bearing since his resurrection.
Kurapika nods, ignoring the clown. "Then what are you waiting for?"
Hisoka has to smile. They're almost cute.
Chrollo's eyes turn black as the next page in his book begins to glow with Tserriednich's picture and power. "I have to say, Ai nen is rather convenient for transcending my own rules."
