Tales of a Random City in Metene Union

Sore Losers X and X Gloating Winners

Kaala kicked a stone she found on her path as if she was trying to kick away her boredom. "There's nothing to do in this village besides training." She whined. Five days since Morel called Chairman Netero and all they did was train, eat and sleep. An occasionally meeting here and there but besides that, they could only chat or walk around to do something different.

Gon tilted his head in curiosity. "Don't you have fun when you train, Kaala?"

"Not particularly. Why? Do you and this masochist have fun while sweating like pigs and aching like you just got hit by a car?" She pointed at Killua with her thumb.

Killua arched an eyebrow. "Who are you calling masochist?"

"You, of course. Who else?" She stuck out her tongue at him.

Gon smiled and answered her question before Killua would reply. "Yeah, we do. It's fun to train together. Even when everything hurts or you're fainting from exhaustion."

Kaala's face retorted. "...Gon, I worry about you sometimes."

Gon laughed it off as he scratched the back of his head. Suddenly, something caught his attention.

"Hey, look! Boardgames!" Gon pointed at a store and ran to it.

Boardgames! Kalla followed Gon and plastered her face against the glass to look at all the boardgames in display.

"They have so many! Chess, Checkers, Chinese Checkers, Scrabble, Monopoly, Backgammon, Go, Shogi… Gungi?" Kaala recited in excitement. "Oh, I love boardgames! Let's buy one of each! They have card decks too! We could play all month!"

"We could play with everyone else too!" Gon added. "That would be so much fun! C'mon, Kaala!"

Both Hunters entered through the door so fast the owner jumped in surprise but soon was happy to have such enthusiastic kids buying games like crazy and spending money like it was nothing.

20 minutes later, Gon and Killua were carrying several bags back to the hotel. Kaala, for the first time ever, was eager to run the whole way just for the sake of playing any game they just bought as soon as possible.

Once in the Three Circles Hotel, they decided to play chess. The problem was, they didn't take something into account.

"Hmm… maybe we can take turns? The loser trades places with whoever didn't get to play that turn." Kaala suggested.

"But what if the same person keeps winning? Maybe we should simply rotate despite who the winner is."

"That'll work. I wouldn't want to be the only one playing each turn." Killua flashed a smug smile.

Kaala crossed her arms. "Oh sure. Like you could beat me in chess. Gon, is it ok if Killua and I play first?"

"No problem. Besides, I don't how to play."

Kaala beamed and sat on the floor next the board. "It's ok. Let me teach you the basics and you can learn strategy by watching us." Kaala placed the pieces in their respective places and explained how each one moved. She didn't notice but Killua could clearly see Gon's brain about to overheat.

"I should warn you, Killua. Grandfather and I have played chess at least once a week ever since I was 8. He's a tough opponent so my many victories against him are no small feat."

"Pff! I've played chess since I was 5 and I mastered the most complex strategies by the age of 10. Besides, he probably let you win. You don't scare me, Kaala." He poked her puffed cheek and she slapped his finger away. They sent death glares at each other for a few seconds until Gon broke the tension.

"Hey hey, remember we're doing this for fun. FUN." He pointed at his own exaggerated smile with his two index fingers as if they didn't know the meaning of the word.

Killua returned the smile. "Of course I remember, Gon. It will fun... to destroy her."

Kaala's eye twitched. She took the board and moved a white pawn forward violently. "Stop talking and play."

Killua popped his knuckles and fingers. "Let's do this."

When Knuckle and Morel opened the door, they were amused by the curious sight before them. Gon had his face against the carpet, smoke coming out of his ears. Kaala's hair was a mess and her frustrated posture and expression suggested that she was losing. Killua was laying down and relaxing, almost sleeping as he waited for her turn to be over.

"Move already."

"Sh-shut up. I'm still thinking." Kaala moved her knight with extreme care and reluctantly removed her touch from one of her few remaining pieces, officially finalizing her turn.

"Thank god." Killua peeked at the board and moved his tower without even bothering to look at it. "Checkmate."

"Wh-what!?" She examined the board hysterically, moving around to have different perspectives and angles. He was right. There was no way to save her king. She knocked it down and sighed heavily.

Killua sat upright. "Now, say it." He commanded.

Kaala grunted loudly.

"Say it."

She sighed again but gave in. "You destroyed me."

"That's right. See Gon? That was fun."

Gon's monosyllable answer was muffled by the carpet. His mind was still recovering from the overwork.

Killua finally acknowledged the Sea Hunter and the Beast Hunter. "Any of you up for a game?"

Knuckle looked around the room. His eyes stopped on the corner, raised his hand and closed it in a tight fist. "I'm in for a Monopoly game!"

At the sound of that, Kaala suddenly revived. "Yes! I'm in too!"

Smoke stopped coming out of Gon's head and he jumped to his feet. "Me too!"

Even Killua got excited. "Sure thing!"

Morel turned and headed for his room. "I'll pass".

"Aww! C'mon, Morel-san!"

"Please, Morel!"

"C'mon old man!"

"Give it a try, shisho. Or… are you scared?" Knuckle showed all his teeth in a mocking smile.

At that last comment, Morel stopped on his tracks and rested his pipe against a piece of furniture. "Scared? You think I'm scared of a board game? I should remind you that I introduced you to Monopoly and it became the inspiration to your Chapter 7: Bankruptcy ability."

Knuckle panicked. "Sh-shisho! You promised not to tell!"

The three young Hunters exploded in laughter.

"Shut up! That's not true! I didn't… it wasn't… if you tell anyone, I'll kill you!" Knuckle took his cell phone out and dialed.

Killua managed to catch his breath. "Who are you calling?"

"Knov and Shoot and maybe Palm."

"Why? Need some help to win?"

"No." His lips formed sinister and creepy smile. "I need a handicap to make the game slightly more fair for you and make you suffer for as long as possible."

They shivered.

"Bring it on." Challenged Killua.

The room was filled with tension. Not a sound was heard, not even a single breath of one of the 8 Hunters in the room. Until a criminal looking man smashed his hand against the floor.

"That's bullshit! You think I'm an idiot, you brat!? I'm not selling Yorknew City, the most expensive property in the game, just for $400!"

"C'mon dude! I'm out of money! I need to start placing houses and hotels or I'm done for! I thought we had united against Palm."

"Give me a few properties and your money and I might change my mind. Besides, you have Gon and Kaala on your side too so don't complain."

"Kaala bought freaking Meteor City! She's about to go broke!"

"Hey! Everyone falls on Meteor City!" Whined Kaala.

"But it's worth nothing! Your rent is pathetic even with a hotel! At least Gon has the Mitene Union that makes some decent income."

"Hahahaha!" Morel, who wasn't interested in playing at first, was now highly enjoying the game. "That won't be enough to beat us! You might have the whole Yorbian continent but Palm controls the Azian continent and Knov, Shoot and I have the rest of the eastern world. You might as well give up."

"Never!" Yelled Gon, Killua, Kaala and Knuckle.

"Seriously, your stubbornness is impressive. The game's development was decided hours ago when Killua went to jail and Gon forgot to claim his 'Go' money." Knov removed his glasses to clean them.

Shoot raised his hand. "I propose a draw. We've been playing for many hours and the closure of this game is still very unclear. Not to mention that no one has gone bankrupt yet and by the number of players and pace of the game, it could take even more time to properly declare a winner."

Everyone remained silent as they consider his suggestion.

Knuckle stared very seriously at Shoot. "Shoot… I know we've never been particularly close but… I wanted you to know that I've always admired you and I think we make a pretty good te-"

"I won't give you my money and properties, Knuckle." The eyebrowless Hunter interrupted.

"Don't screw with me! If you're forfeiting, give all you got to your best pal!"

"The rules are very clear, Knuckle. If Shoot leaves the game, we'll have to buy his properties all over again and the money will go to the bank." Morel pointed at the pile of colorful bills next to Knuckle. "Don't try to sabotage us just because you are losing."

"Anoo... " Palm quietly interjected with usual heavy voice. "Shoot, I would like to buy all your properties before you leave."

"What!?"

"Seriously?"

"She does have enough money…"

"Wow, Palm! You're going to win!"

"I'm done for…"

"Nice move, Palm! That way, we will still have control of all the eastern side." Knov proudly patted her back.

Palm blushed furiously and frantically took her money and presented it to Shoot.

"Is… is this enough?"

Shoot took the money, counted the bills and finally nodded in approval. "Unless someone offers more…"

The other Hunters remained silent. No one had that kind of money. Only Palm.

Knuckle couldn't believe it. It was madness! Palm winning? No. It can't be! Monopoly was his game! He was the best player ever! How can a noob be beating him!?

He slammed his hand against the floor.

"I DEMAND A REMATCH!"

"EHHH!?" All complained.

"Knuckle, we can't start all over again. It would take all night to finish." Gon tried to convince him. Their current game started around 2pm and it was now 9pm.

"SHUT UP! WE'RE STARTING OVER!"

Pieces of the game, bills and cards went flying when Knuckle suddenly took the board and flipped it with all his might.

"What the hell, man!?"

"What are you doing!?"

"Knuckle!"

"Waaa! Don't lose anything!"

"My money!"

The ruckus generated complaints from others guests in the Hotel and they decided to call it a night.

After that, everyone agreed that no more Monopoly games would take place. Palm was declared the winner even though the game never officially finished. Everyone went to bed except for the trio who stayed to pick up the mess Knuckle did.

"I swear, if this game ends up missing something, I'll kill Knuckle." The Hunter License player token was finally found by Kaala under the couch after half an hour looking for it.

"Everything was going well until Knuckle exploded." Gon lamented.

"Pff! Well? We were getting our asses kicked." Scoffed Killua.

"Maybe, but I was having a blast." Kaala put all the bills she had collected inside the box. "Too bad we can't play again."

Finally, with everything found, they were ready for a good night's sleep.

Gon stretched his arms and yawned. "Killua, is it ok if I take the shower first?"

"Go ahead."

With Gon gone, Kaala walked to Killua with a challenging face. She quickly moved her arm and Killua thought for a moment Kaala was about to punch him but she wasn't in range to land a hit. Instead, her fist remained close to his face and she lifted her index finger.

"One more."

Killua was confused. "Huh?"

"One more chess match."

The male Hunter found her determination kind of amusing. Heh. Who knew she was a competitive one.

"Sure. If you like losing so much, you should've said so. I won't let you win, though."

"Shut up. I don't need your pity. I'll win this time, fair and square."

She didn't.

"Grrr! How do you do it!?"

Killua shrugged. He really didn't know. It was natural for him. That question was as if asking someone to describe how to walk.

Kaala analyzed the remaining pieces. "Everything went downhill after I moved my knight here. What changed?"

"Actually, it was even before that." Killua recreated the moment he discovered her strategy. Kaala was impressed at his photographic memory but focused on his explanation.

Once he pointed her mistakes, Kaala started setting her pieces again and lifted a finger in front of him like she did earlier.

"One more."

Killua chuckled. "Sure. All the matches you want." He took the black pieces and helped set up the board.

Kaala stopped mid movement and smiled, her cheeks getting slightly pink.

"Then we might be here until dawn."

Killua looked at her, genuine happiness showing. "So be it."

She lost all the matches that night.

Accidentally X On X Purpose

The blazing sun above their heads was simply too much. Their skin was burning hot and covered in sweat thanks to the high temperatures. The three young Hunters refused to train under such conditions and instead, decided simply to let their bodies melt in peace. The wind provided little comfort since there was barely to none. Desperate for a way to cool themselves, they ordered some fruit smoothies from a place Kaala had found and took a small table outside the stand.

"This. Tastes. Delicious!" Kaala moaned in delight when the icy drink touched her tongue.

"Mine too. It's soooo refreshing." Gon slurped half his drink in one gulp.

"I think I'll order another one after I'm done." Killua spread his body over the chair as wide as possible.

The stand surely made some good profit that day. The heat was so strong that many customers appeared to try their blended and fruity drinks. The outside was slightly loud and crowded with people holding clear plastic cups filled with a colorful frappe liquid. Kids running around while parents enjoyed the shade of the umbrella, couples romantically sharing their drink, friends laughing around and making lots of noise. Killua found the the place too lively for his taste but he was too hot to mind it.

Then he caught Kaala staring at his cup. His strawberry-watermelon combination gave the drink a strong red color. Curiosity got the best of her and she wondered how good it was.

"Killua, can I try yours?"

Killua blinked. "Uh sure…" He was about to remove the lid for her to take a sip, but Kaala was faster than him and used the straw.

"Mmm! It's really good. Next time I'll order one just like yours." She sat back and resumed drinking her own.

Killua stared at the smoothie in his hands and then at the couple's right next to them, using the same straw. He had shared food before with his brothers and with Gon but never shared the same straw.

Maybe I'm exaggerating. Surely she didn't mean anything by it.

He looked at her for any hint and was surprised to find Kaala's eyes on him, a spark of amusement in them and a mischievous smile on her lips. Suddenly, his face started feeling really hot, and it wasn't because of the weather.

"Wow Killua! Your face is really red. Maybe we should go somewhere less crowded. Find some good shade and some breeze." Gon suggested, worried about his friend's pale skin.

"Su-sure. Let's go." Killua managed to articulate.

Kaala refrained from making any comments.

Killua finally gathered the courage to keep drinking from his own cup. From the same straw Kaala had used.

He slowly sipped his smoothie, making it last as long as possible.

Knowledge X and X Wisdom

Kaala is physically weak. That is a known fact. From the moment they knew they had to stay in that town for a month, they agreed that Kaala needed some physical training. So everyday they ran, did squats, lifted weights, sparred and sharpened their reflexes. Kaala had never pushed herself so hard and she complained every morning when she had to get out of bed before the sun was up. When she realized complaining only made it worse, she stopped and started grunting instead. The first time she opened her eyes before the alarm, she stopped showing any sign of unconformity. Gon and Killua were betting she was getting used to it and secretly enjoying it. Besides, her stamina and resistance were considerably improving every day. She was running faster and for longer distances now. Her weights were getting heavier because she could lift them repeatedly with ease now. She did more squats, reacted faster to unpredictable stimulus and actually made Killua and Gon sweat during spars.

A month was a very short time to bring Kaala to her full potential but the rigorous training was making wonders on her. Not just on her body but on her mind too. She looked more confident, more optimistic and she did her routine with a little more enthusiasm than the day before.

One morning, Killua and Gon got ready as any other morning. They left their room and knocked on Kaala's door.

"Kaala, you ready?" Called Killua.

No answer.

He knocked again. "Ooiii. Kaala?"

No answer.

Killua and Gon exchanged confused glances.

"Hey, is it safe to come in?"

Silence.

Worried, Gon turned the knob and opened the door slowly.

"Kaala? Sorry for intruding." He announced himself.

Once they had a complete view of the room, both Hunters were surprised to find their friend curled up under the covers. She was completely hidden in the messy ball of fabric, from head to toe.

Killua crossed his arms. He couldn't believe that after all her progress, she went back to this. "Kaala, wake up. You're late."

Kaala grunted softly in response.

"Back to grunting huh? If you don't get up now, I'll make you run more laps."

Another grunt was her response.

"Killua, I don't think she feels well." Gon frowned in worry.

"Sore muscles are not a valid excuse to stay in bed."

Suddenly, something a little different than a grunt came from the mass on the bed.

"Er...What did you say?" Gon asked.

Kaala uncovered her face. She looked pale and had bags under her eyes. "Cramps."

Killua blinked. Cramps? What is she talking about?

To his surprise, Gon did know what she was talking about. "Oh, are you having cramps? Is it that time of the month?" He asked so casually Killua almost jumped in surprise.

'Taht time of the month'? Wait! Is she on her…?

Kaala nodded affirmatively to Gon's question.

"Oh, I see. I can go to the pharmacy and get you some medicine if you want."

Killua was in shock and impressed.

"Wait. Hold on, Gon. How the heck do you know this?" Killua always thought he was naive and too mentally immature to know these things.

"Mito-san has them every month as well. I take care of her and bring her what she needs when it's too painful for her."

"Oh."

Well, that explains it.

Killua now saw Gon in a whole new light. He didn't expect Gon to know such… feminine issues. Maybe Gon wasn't as childish as he thought.

"But Kaala, why are you having cramps?"

Killua arched an eyebrow. His question was odd.

Kaala uncovered her face again to show her frown. "What do you mean 'why'? I'm a girl. We all get cramps at some point in our lives."

Gon blinked twice. "Really? I thought that was just Mito-san. Does it affect every girl or just some?"

It was Killua's and Kaala's turn to blink in confusion and exchange glances.

Killua cleared his throat. "Gon, what exactly did Mito-san tell you about this?"

Gon brought his finger to his lips as he remembered her words. "That it happens once a month and it's very painful and can last a few days. She also taught me name of the medicine she needs and how to help her soothe the pain in her lower stomach. Oh and that she needs some 'pads' or some small tube like thingys I buy at the pharmacy as well."

Silence followed. "That's it? That's all you know? You don't know why she gets the cramps?

"No. She never said anything about that."

Killua stared at Gon in disbelief.

Oh shit… you coward Mito-san.

Kaala started giggling inside her fort made out of sheets, at least until she suddenly twitched and her laugh became a grunt of pain.

Killua sighed. How is it that I know what a menstrual cycle is but I don't know how to help Kaala and is Gon is the exact opposite?

"Why do girls have cramps? Can boys have them too?" Now that Gon knew there was more to the subject, he was curious of course.

Before he could say anything, Kaala intervened. "Gon, Killua will explain everything from why the cramps happen to where babies come from but right now, I would love to stop the - ouch!" She twitched again. "...pain."

Gon nodded. "Wakatta. Killua, get a small towel and tightly wrap some rice with it with a rubber band. Heat it in the microwave to be warm but not too hot to burn your skin." He turned to Kaala. "I'll be right back." And then ran out of the room.

Killua did as Gon instructed and gave Kaala the warm bag of rice. The color on her cheeks was slowly returning as the warmth spread. Unfortunately, she still suffered from occasional stabs of pain. Unable to provide any more comfort, Killua just patted her head or rubbed her back softly until Gon returned.

She swallowed two pills that soon got brought her back to normal.

"I can't thank you enough, guys. I thought I was gonna die." Kaala placed the rest of the pills in her night stand just case she needed them for later and put away the pads Gon bought her.

"Now Killua can explain Gon what periods are all about and where babies come from." She said as she contained her laughter but was followed by a yawn.

Gon puffed his cheeks. "I know where babies come from. I've assisted in the birth of cows and other animals back in Whale Island. They come out of their mom's bellies."

"Oh but do you know how they get there?" Kaala wiggled her eyebrows up and down. She yawned again and rubbed her eye.

Gon opened his mouth as if to say something but closed it again when he realized he didn't know the answer. He looked at Killua and he sent a death glare to Kaala but she didn't noticed. She was barely keeping her eyes open.

"What did you give her, Gon?" Killua took the box from Kaala's nightstand.

"The same medicine I buy for Mito-san. Why?"

Killua read the label and facepalmed. "You bought the nighttime pain relievers. She'll sleep all day now."

Gon sweatdropped and laughed nervously. "So-sorry. I was in such a hurry I didn't check, hehe. But at least she's no longer in pain, right Kaala?"

Kaala yawned and collapsed on her bed.

"I guess that means 'yes'." Gon shrugged.

It was the second time Killua watched her sleep. Despite the lack of elegance, she looked cute with her messy hair and face squished against the wet, drooled pillow.

"Let's leave her to rest for today, ne?" Gon covered Kaala all the way to her neck with the sheets.

"Hnn." Killua took a long look at her before leaving. She looks so fragile and small. Even more so than when she is fooling around awake. She looks so-

"Killua, what's the period she was talking about? What does it have to do with babies?" asked Gon.

His eye twitched.

So dead! I'm going to kill her when she wakes up!

As if mocking him, Kaala snored loudly right after his thought.

When X Jealousy X Rings

"No." Kaala firmly protested.

"Yes. You have to." Insisted Killua.

"No! Gon, please back me up on this."

Gon gave her an apologetic smile. "Sorry, Kaala but I agree with Killua. You should consider it."

"I already considered it. I don't want to change my phone!" She pressed her light pink cellphone against her chest.

"That phone will be useless in East Gorteau. You will have no signal, no accurate GPS and you will ran out of battery. You have to get a Beetle." Killua got his phone out. "With this, you'll have none of those issues."

Kaala didn't hold back to show her distaste. "It's the ugliest phone I've ever seen! I don't care if that thing can call God himself, I don't want it!"

Killia groaned. Reasoning with her could be hard sometimes. Refusing to change her ordinary phone for a very useful one just for it's appearance was ridiculous.

Gon intervened before another argument ensued. "You don't have to throw it away. The Beetle will only be temporary, just for the mission. Then you can change back to old phone and sell or trade your Beetle 07."

Her grip on the pink device softened a bit as she considered his point. "Well… if that's the case, I guess I can buy it."

Killua silently thanked his friend. "Good. Let's go look for a store and get this over with."

Fortunately, a store was selling it at a fair price considering that imported goods were more expensive. The display showed a variety of phones way better looking than the horrible Beetle 07 but in terms of functionality, it was still 'unbeetleable'.

The tinkle of the bell announced their arrival and the owner appeared behind a door at the far end of the room. A young man, no older than 15, with brown short hair, green eyes and slightly tanned skin greeted them. Killua noticed his eyes lingered a little on Kaala and he felt a strange feeling blooming inside him.

"Welcome, welcome. My name is Luma. How can I help you?" His white perfect teeth showing with his wide smile.

Kaala approached the counter that separated the store from the storage. "Hello, I was interested in buying the Beetle 07 that you had on display."

"Of course. You got a good eye. It's one of the best, if not the very best phone in the market right now." He took a new Beetle 07 from one of the drawers of the counter. "I can explain all the features it has if you want but I'm… why would a girl so pretty as yourself want such a weird looking and expensive phone?"

Killia's eye twitched and he sent a warning glare to the 'store owner'.

Before Kaala could answer, Killua voiced his concern first. "You seem too young to own a store." He crossed his arms defensively.

"Oh, actually my dad is the owner but he just went out to run some errands. I'm always here in case customers show up, like you guys." When Killua offered no comment on that, he changed back to Kaala. "If you want to see other phones, it'll be my pleasure to show them to you."

Kaala shook her head. "Oh it's fine. This one is the one I need. Is there a way to get any discounts?"

The green eye boy thought for a moment. "I think I can give you a discount. Only if you promise to not tell my dad." He brought his index finger to his lips as a gesture of silence. Kaala chuckled. "I promise."

"Great! Then I can give you a 30% discount. How's that sound?" He winked at Kaala.

Gon brightened. "Whoa! That's an even better deal than the one Leorio got for us, Killua!"

She beamed at that. "Really? Then it sounds great! Thanks, Luma!"

Killua was now feeling an alien sensation he had never felt before. His chest was constricting, his stomach was churning and he was really annoyed by his guy's attitude. Killua blinked. Was this how jealousy felt? Was he being possessive towards Kaala?

A poke on his shoulder caught his attention. Gon closed in to whisper into his ear.

"Killua, you're oozing killer intent."

"Hmph…" He sent one last death glare the oblivious, insufferable guy and breathed out through his nose.

"My pleasure. But!" Luma raised a finger. "If you want the discount, you have to give me your phone number."

Killua's eyes widened. What the hell!? This guy must be kidding! There's no way he is getting her number!

Killua turned to Kaala to suggest finding another store but stopped when her face turned from surprise to an honest smile.

"I see…" she said.

She...she can't be serious. Is she… happy? Does she really like this guy? But I thought…

He could feel his heart ache. Hope he didn't know he was holding to shattered into tiny pieces. Time seemed to stop until her voice brought him back to the present.

"Then please forget about the discount. The normal price is fine."

That took Luma by surprise. "Oh.. Um… well.. then, can we have lunch together then?"

Kaala shrugged. Her smile slightly faded in pity. "Sorry. No can do."

Luma wasn't giving up. "Dinner?"

Her mouth was slowly curving down, her patience growing thin but she was still trying to be nice. "Nope."

"Then… breakfast?"

"Sorry. That's a no."

Luma stared at her for a couple of seconds. She placed her hands on her hip.

"Coffee?"

"Nope."

"Smoothie?"

"No."

"Glass of water?"

Kaala grunted in frustration. "Look, I'm flattered but I came here for a phone, not a boyfriend."

"You could get both for a pretty good deal." He smiled from ear to ear.

Killua wanted to vomit just by looking at his idiotic face. He must be so used to girls falling for his smile and green eyes. He was really pissed at him but at the same time he was so relieved Kaala was handling him that well. He'll have to apologize later for thinking she would fall for Luma's cheap and corny attempts at flirting.

Kaala took her wallet out and slammed her money on the counter. "Not. Interested. Now, please give me the phone."

Luma's smiled was replaced by bored expression. He sighed in defeat as he placed the boxed device on her hand. "Here."

Kaala took the phone and turned around to leave with Gon and Killua following behind. Right before they were gone, Luma added one last thing. "I won't give you another opportunity like this."

Kaala laughed sarcastically. "I'll take my chances."

The bell tinkled on their way out.

"Ugh. All that just to get this ugly phone." Fumed Kaala. "The nerve of that guy. So pushy."

Kaala ate a blueberry from the bag she bought on a stand on the street. With the sun starting to set, the three young Hunters walked aimlessly around town.

"At least you got the phone. You should open it and insert the chip!" Suggested Gon.

Kaala looked at him horrified. "What? No! I'm keeping my own cellphone until we're in East Gorteau."

Gon whined. "Aww but I want you to see how cool it is! It might change your mind about it."

She shook her head. "Nothing will convince me that this… "phone" is better than mine. I'll use this one exclusively for the mission. Then Im getting rid of it."

"Once you try it, you'll want to keep it. I guarantee it!"

Killua remained quiet and out of the conversation. The street was a poor distraction from what happened barely a 10 minutes ago in the store but he tried anyway.

"I thought you were going to kill Luma back there." Kaala said.

Killua realized she was talking to him. He feign innocence. "What are you talking about? It would be a waste of breathe and an insult to my capabilities to kill someone so defenseless."

Kaala nudged him with her shoulder. "Don't play dumb. That killer intent was intense. Was Luma that annoying to you?"

Killua shrugged. "A-a little."

"I mean, he got on my nerves but not to that point. And I was the one who got hit on."

He averted his eyes from Kaala in the most natural way he could but didn't go unnoticed by Gon. He raised his eyebrows as something occurred to him.

"Could it be that you were angry because he was being too nice?" He smiled as he teased his friend.

Killua sent a threatening glare, warning Gon to shut up as he inevitably started blushing. He couldn't believe his best friend was betraying him!

Gon's smile got wider. Killua's reaction indicated he got it right.

"Or should I say too friendly?"

Killua got even redder. "U-urusai!"

Kaala placed her hands on her hip and arched an eyebrow. "Too friendly?" She blinked twice as she tried to understand. Something clicked on her mind and she smiled in amusement. "Killua Zoldyck. Don't tell me you were jealous?"

"Th-that's not it! I just… that guy… the phone…" As he lost his ability to formulate a coherent excuse, he chose to get revenge on his former friend. He threw a punch at Gon which he dodged with ease by squatting. His Nen was blocked but his instincts were still sharp as ever. "Ahhhh that's dangerous, Killua!" Gon cried as he jumped away.

Killua lifted his hand and revealed his deadly and pointy nails.

"Waa! Wait, Killua!" Gon started fleeing away from his silver haired friend.

"Come here! Don't you dare run away from me!" Killua went after his friend, maneuvering people on his way.

As both her friends disappeared from her sight, Kaala laughed in delight. Her friends were indeed amusing and interesting. Teasing Killua was getting even more fun with each passing day too. She wished the mission was already over… that way she could stop messing with him and get serious.

Good things come to those who wait...

Thank you for reading! Please review!

I had so much fun writting this chapter. For some reason is way easier for me to write one-shots or short stories than a long run story like this one. If you like Moana or Youjo Senki (I know, opposite genres. What a weird author.) check out my other stories and you'll notice they writting is way more smooth.

As always, thank you havanatitiana. Everytime I get stuck or I doubt myself I remember you and my promise to keep you interested in Unpredictable.

Masoliki1: Kaala will definitely participate in the mission but her role isn't 100% defined. Since the climax is so complex and there are tons of characters in it, I'm still figuring out what she will do.

Caliope07: Thank you for reading! I'm glad you like it and I really hope it remains interesting for you.

As a little fun fact, the title is inspired in the 15th episode of Book Two: Earth of Avatar: The Last Airbender: The Tales of Ba Sing Se. The show is amazing, Iroh is amazing and everything is amazing.

Until next time!