You guys have been quiet lately. What's up with that? All the sudden you guys just stopped commenting for the last three chapters. I'm not complaining or anything; you don't have to leave a comment if you don't want to. It's just that I find it strange for it to stop so abruptly, so I thought I'd mention it. But hey, no hard feelings if you just have nothing to say. If you do though, no matter what it may be, please don't hold back in consideration for me. Even if there's some awful plot whole I'm completely overlooking, I can take it if you point it out. I'm a big girl. On a different note, who's looking forward to school starting? No one? Yeah, me neither.

Without further ado, chapter 12.

"We're leaving?" Nobunaga's voice carries a hint of disbelief. He's an all around idiot, but for once, I think I can sympathize with him. I mean, Yorknew's been a ton of fun! There's the auction, Kurapika, Gon, Killua, and I guess I'll also throw in their pal Leorio. It's been a while since I've been so entertained, and now Chrollo wants us to leave? I just don't think I want to abandon this quite yet.

I wonder what made him want to leave. Is it the presence of the chain user? I guess that might make him a bit uneasy, especially since he doesn't know Kurapika's name or face. Is he scared that Kurapika might kill more of us? Despite Chrollo being the leader of the Phantom Troupe, he's surprisingly sensitive to whom he considers his friends. Fear for their lives could explain his decision.

But it seems like he also had fun the other night at the auction house. Is there something else that's pushing him to leave Yorknew?

I study the face of my brother sitting next to me. As usual, I can't read his expression. I'm just once again confronted with how handsome he is. If not for our blood, I'd probably chase after him. At the same time, though, it makes me pretty happy to be able to say I have at least half of the same blood running through my veins. It's cool having such a badass for a brother.

"We're departing tonight," Chrollo states. "We'll take the rest of the treasure and be done."

I lean my back against his side, deep in thought. I'm sure he'd let me stay behind if I wanted, but that means separating from him. When was the last time I left his side? It's not like I'm glued to him or anything, but I've travelled with him ever since we met when I was twelve. Even when all the other members branched out on their own at points, I stayed with Chrollo. If I choose to part right now, who knows when the next time I'll see him is. He doesn't call the entire troupe together often.

"That's not the end," Nobunaga refutes, pressing on.

Chrollo takes this refusal calmly. "What else is there?"

"The chain user, of course!"

"You seem obsessed."

"I am. Are you telling us to scatter without avenging Uvogin's death? He'll be bored in the next life if we don't send anyone over."

"Nobunaga," Franklin butts in, "the boss has issued an order."

Nobunaga lowers his head. "Yes, and an order from him is absolute. But is this really an order from our boss, Chrollo?"

I whistle, a grin pulling at my lips. Yup, Nobunaga is most definitely an idiot. Challenging Chrollo like that...that's not guts. That's stupidity. When I feel Brother's muscles shift under me, I stop leaning against him and straighten. He stands, stepping off of our ledge and approaching the obstinate enhancer.

"Before I answer your question," Chrollo begins, his Nen book appearing in his hand, "I need you to answer mine. What is your date of birth?"

I can't hold back the snicker that bursts from my mouth when I hear that. His date of birth? Nobunaga certainly wasn't expecting that! No one was! Where did a question like that come from?

Following Nobunaga's answer, Chrollo also asks his blood type and full name. Then, he extends a blank paper out to him and tells him to write those answers down. I watch with interest as Chrollo takes back the now written on paper and sits. He holds up a pen, his book flipped open to a page I can't see. Then, a ghoulish pink ghost of Nen materializes around his hand and pushes his pen to the paper.

Since I can't see very well from my view behind him, I stand. When that doesn't help, I also leap from the ledge and creep up at Brother's side. The little Nen ghost is scribbling down...poetry?

After writing, his hand lifts again and the weird Nen ghost vanishes. Then Chrollo hands the paper back to the antsy Nobunaga. The enhancer scans it over, glancing up to his boss.

"What is this?"

"A one hundred percent accurate fortune. I stole the ability from Neon Nostrade. Each of the verses predict what will happen in that week of the month."

While they discuss the power, and Nobunaga's fortune, I poke at Chrollo's book. Not ceasing his conversation, he shifts the book over to me and I flip it open. I like looking through the abilities he's stolen. I started my interest in his pages when he took my ability of Cancellation and put it in. I'd wanted to see it in his book, and had gotten caught up scanning through the others. Now, whenever he steals a new skill, he usually lets me borrow the book for a few minutes to look it over. It's just one of the ways he accommodates me.

Indeed, on the page with a picture of Neon, there's the details of her Nen ability scrawled down. Poetry that predicts the future, huh? Pretty nifty. Too bad the user can't predict their own futures, though.

Then I notice Chrollo's outstretched hand waiting for me to return his book. I hand it back, still open to the page with Neon Nostrade's face on it. Once again, the ghost returns, and this time he hands the finished page to Shizuku. After looking it over, she announces,

"I'm going to die next week. There's only two verses. Pakunoda and Shalnark will, too." After explaining how she interpreted it, she mentions, "I don't know who the 'scarlet eyes' refers to." I perk up. That has to be Kurapika, right? Kurapika has those red eyes.

"Isn't one of us," Phinx says. "I'm guessing it's the chain user."

"Scarlet eyes? I remember now." I glance over at Shalnark, who looks as if he's just had an epiphany. "There was that clan whose eyes turned red! There was a survivor?"

I don't catch who speaks next. "So that means if we stay, a good portion of us will be killed by the chain user."

"So we'll leave and avoid that," Chrollo explains. "Shalnark, Pakunoda, go collect any information we might need for tonight. Nobunaga, your job is to be their shield."

"Wait." I shiver. It's been a while since I've heard Hisoka's voice. "Shouldn't you tell some more fortunes, Boss? It might give us some more hints on how to avoid that fate."

"Yeah, tell mine!" I beg, sitting on the same box as Chrollo and looking over his shoulder.

"You know your birthday and name, but do you know your blood type?" Chrollo wonders.

"I'm AB negative," I inform him, holding my hand out in expectations for the paper. He hands me one and I steal his pen to scribble down the information. Then, he gets to work. When he hands mine back, he immediately hands out the next paper to Pakunoda and waits to get started again.

I wander over to the ledge, not bothering to climb up onto it and instead propping myself against it. So this is supposed to be completely correct, is it? I smooth out the paper and begin to read

The calendar loses a precious component

The remaining months gather to mourn

But you, the leap day, are missing

Instead met with the past you scorn

The scarlet eyes have captured you

And will raise fire in his wake

The spider will limp away with life

But you will abandon it for your own sake

Your venom is fatally potent

But beware the glass cup that can trap you still

Avoid seclusion to still run free

And don't hesitate to bite to kill

The most concerning is the last stanza, which mentions something about a trap. A glass cup? I understand that I'm a spider in the poem, but what could be the glass cup? I guess I don't really have to worry about that, though. I just have to stick to crowded places, or be accompanied by some of the other troupe members. Then there's the line saying I'll abandon the spider….does that mean I really will choose to stay behind in Yorknew? I mean, I was leaning towards that option already, but….what about Chrollo? Does that mean we'll separate? The idea of being without him seems kinda...odd. It's just, I've grown used to him over the past five years. It'll be strange not having him around. So I'll be by myself? I guess that won't be much different from those years I was a runaway street rat prowling around Meteor City. I'll just be here in Yorknew, instead. Of course, in a way, it's more dangerous for me to stay here rather than Meteor City. I run a higher risk of running into people who knew me when I was small.

Other than that, though, there's nothing for me to necessarily worry about. The first stanza has already come to pass. It's kinda interesting how it referred to me as the leap day, though. I'm a part of the group, and yet at the same time, I'm not.

Finished interpreting my fortune, I glance up. Seems Chrollo's done. There're still a few without fortunes, like Feitan, but that's probably because they don't know all the information needed about themselves.

"What does your fortune say?"

The demanding tone of Pakunoda's voice draws all the eyes in the room to her. She's approached Hisoka, who is one with a fortune in his hand. He doesn't say anything, and in turn, she waits for him to hand it over.

"If you read it," Hisoka smiles, "you'll get a horrible shock."

"Let me see it."

Turning his head away in submission, he hands her his paper. We all wait in anticipation as she silently reads. As she does, shock does indeed color her features. She turns to us and invites us all to look. I don't bother going over, already having a glimmer of an idea of what might be on the paper. And besides, once they've gathered, Shizuku starts reading it aloud.

"A red eyed customer will visit….the calendar's secrets?"

Ah, I was right. It's about his conspiring with Kurapika. Nobunaga rips the fortune away from Shizuku, as if he has to see it with his own eyes. Then, he draws his sword.

"Did you sell out Uvo?" he demands, positioned to fight. Hisoka doesn't so much as glance at the enhancer, shuffling through his deck of cards calmly. When Nobunaga takes a step to advance, Franklin and Shal hastily move to block his way. "Move!"

"We should at least listen to what he has to say," Franklin reasons.

"Calm down," Shalnark commands softly. "The boss said that we can avoid the fortunes depending on our actions." With that, the two turn to Hisoka.

"Hisoka," Franklin addresses, "explain what happened this past week."

The clown simply states, "I cannot."

As this debate continues, Shizuku steps over to me. I hadn't noticed her take the fortune back from Nobunaga, but she offers it to me. "Do you want to look?"

I shrug. "Sure, why not?" Without much expectation, I take Hisoka's paper and scan it over. What I see sends me spiralling in confusion. A sword? Could this be referring to Kurapika's Nen swords? So Hisoka has one, too? But that can't be right. I never saw Kurapika use one on him, and neither of them ever mentioned anything resembling conditions to each other. I can only think that Kurapika used his Nen on him before that time I followed Hisoka, but Hisoka hadn't seemed to be acting in a way that would suggest that.

When I peek over the paper at the clown, I jump. Just for half a second, he met my eyes. He knows I know it's wrong. He want's me to stay quiet. I offer the paper to Chrollo, but he refuses. Instead, then, I return it to Shizuku, my gaze never straying from the Phantom Troupe's number four. Fine. I'll keep my mouth shut. I'm kinda interested in what this joker is planning, anyway.

The next thing I catch is Nobunaga charging Hisoka...and then disappearing. He reappears in the ledge Brother and I previously occupied. Shaking my head, I glance over at Chrollo. As I'd expected, his book is out.

"Nobunaga," he orders. "Stop talking. I have some questions for you, Hisoka. If you can't answer, just say." Following this, he asks three questions about the members of the troupe and what information concerning them it referred to. Hisoka answers all three. The following three questions, all concerning Kurapika himself, Hisoka replies with no response. Then, Chrollo lowers his head and closes his book. "I see. The chain user has at the least two abilities. One, he used to defeat Uvogin, and the other he is using to keep Hisoka silent. The phrase 'sword of law' leads me to assume he is able to put conditions on other people. Things like, 'You cannot lie to me', and 'Do not give out any information about me'. It also seems likely he put something in Hisoka's body."

"Oh!" Even I'm somewhat startled when Shalnark suddenly interjects. "Could that be why you were unable to say anything about the chain user and Uvo's fight, Corona?" To the others he explains, "I thought it would be useful if she watched the fight and reported back about the chain user, but when she came back she told me she could only confirm Uvo's death."

"Why didn't you tell us that?" Nobunaga rages.

"Well, I knew you'd figure it out eventually," Shalnark waves off. Then, to me repeats, "Is that the reason?"

Damn, I hadn't thought about that. Of course he'd figure that out after listening to the reasoning surrounding Hisoka. I have the same 'symptoms' as him, after all. I purse my lips, deeply considering my reply before opening my mouth. For a split second, I can feel the sword pressing into my heart in warning. "I can't say."

From then on, the conversation flows with the assumption both of us are under the control of Kurapika's constrictions. Shizu reads off other parts of Hisoka's fortune, and Chrollo from it concludes that the death toll among us would not change, whether we leave or not. Once more, I meet Hisoka's gaze. That's all it takes for me to know we both know where each of us stands. He knows I have a real Nen sword. I know his fortune is fake, and he doesn't have a sword.

That means he manipulated his paper to say what he wanted, which also means he's influencing the troupe. With just his fortune, he can make us take action. Or he can prevent us from taking action. Just what is he trying to do?

I love writing poetry, so it was a ton of fun to formulate her fortune. I, of course, had to make it metaphorical and rhythmic, and above all, accurate! It was actually a bit of a challenge. If you liked my work, though, I have poems up that I'd love if you'd check out. Shameless self advertising complete. Okay, so I mentioned school earlier, so I hope you guys don't mind if I talk about it a bit. I finally finished my summer reading. I'm a bookworm, and love a good story as much as anyone else, but I could barely stand to get through this particular story. There were countless Mary Sue characters, and they'd repeat themselves over and over and over...Completely unrelated characters would say the exact same lines at separate points in the book, as if they have no mind of their own, and everyone's memory is impeccably perfect. At different points I wanted to slap the author for being so unrealistic! There are no rules to truly creative writing...and yet this somehow broke the rules. I was so glad to be done with it. Now I'll have to go to school, discussing and dissecting it for another three months. Fun.

Till then, Kisses from SnowyNeko! :3 MEOW!