*Finding Leorio*
by: WhiteGloves
"When a person changes, its always because of other people.
Still, let's hope they change for the better."
Chapter 5: His Darkness
Running footsteps were approaching the door and then—
A breathless man came dashing into the room with a wild look on his eyes.
"Aniki*!" he shouted once inside but then he stopped as he saw four strangers looking at him from the inside. "huh… who're you guys!? Where's aniki?"
"When you say 'aniki'…" Killua started as he stepped toward the guy, "do you mean to say the guy who lives here?"
The man blinked at Killua, and then slowly looked up to Senritsu, Gon and then to Kurapika. That was when a flicker of recognition came to his eyes that didn't come unobserved from the four.
"…blonde hair…" he whispered gulping, "…shit…"
And he dashed away from the room with a look of guilt on his eyes—only to find himself face to face with Killua again who was grinning. And everybody knows the feeling when Killua's grinning.
"Hey, ossan*," he said shrewdly while Gon stood behind the man, "seems like you know something, huh? Wanna share?"
Killua's eyes glinted that made the man nervous for a moment.
"You know Leorio, don't you?" said Kurapika's voice as he came out of the room calmly. "Not only that, you seemed to hear about me from that person."
The man gulped and looked sideways at Kurapika. Kurapika didn't look nice just then.
Moments later the man found himself locked in the same cold room with the strangers around him. He was forced to sit down on the ground while Kurapika stood in front of him, Killua standing with crossed arms beside him and Gon and Senritsu sitting quietly on one corner.
"He's quite intimidated," Senritsu whispered softly that made Gon look at her briefly, and then back to his two friends.
"Alright, let's start this," Killua said conversationally as he leaned down at the man, "what's your name?"
The man pressed his lips closed with a crease on his eyebrows. Killua's right eyebrow twitched.
"It wouldn't be good to be quiet now, ossan," he said with his left hand cracking sharply that made the man gasp at the ugly sharp fingers he's got, "I don't want to be a menace to you."
"Just answer us truthfully," Kurapika quietly said, "and mind you, don't lie. We have someone with us who can detect if you're lying or not."
He inclined his head slightly towards Senritsu. The man started breathing heavily, and then looked down at his hands.
"Gai… my names Gai…" he answered after a moment.
"Then?" Killua pressed on, "what do you know about Leorio? He's the aniki you're referring to, right?"
The man who called himself Gai shook his head. Kurapika glanced at Senritsu who nodded to indicate he was telling the truth.
"I don't know if that's he's real name… all he told me was to call him aniki." Gai continued slowly.
"Is he a tall guy with short black hair and a scar on his right face?" Kurapika went on. Gai, Gon and Killua shot the blond boy a look of surprise.
"Scar?" Gon muttered with a crease on his eyebrow while Killua remained silent.
"Yeah, that's aniki," Gai confirmed with a nod, "Although he just told me he'll be using one of the rooms here temporarily he didn't tell me much. He's usually not here and when he returns he'd always be checking on something in his computer. Aniki's very mysterious like that…"
"If it was the old him he's just probably fooling around the internet." Killua muttered with levelled eyes, "but it so happens that he could probably be plotting to rob Heiz's mansion."
Killua grinned at the man again that sent chills at his spine.
"Neh… you wouldn't know about his robbery, would you, ossan?"
Gai cringed guiltily. Kurapika stepped forward.
"Tell us everything that you know."
Gai looked at Kurapika who was eyeing him with transfixed eyes. He'd give anything to be smoking outside right now than deal with a bunch of scary kids, he thought.
"I-I told you he didn't say anything—"
"He's lying," Senritsu offered helpfully that sent Killua's hand patting the man's shoulder assuringly.
"Come now, ossan, stop fooling around…" he pressed on the man's shoulder that sent him to panic.
"N-no—he didn't tell me anything much! He just said something about a job—sneaky job that requires much of his unused intellect—he said he won't be nagging for that guy's help…"
"That guy?" Kurapika frowned, "who's 'that' guy?"
"I don't know…" mumbled the man, "I think that was his superior… he said he got all his information from that guy… and then he told me two nights ago he'd be going on a job and I was to wait for him here! And then last night he returned here with a bag he said he stole from a rich person—but he was all messy because of his injury and then he started acting weird…"
"Weird?" Kurapika's attention was caught by the word as he lowered himself on the floor to look at Gai in the eye, "what do you mean?"
Gai gulped and then said, "I— I don't know what happened exactly… but he was clutching on his head like he was in pain… I—I thought he got himself hurt as well so I tried to help him but he threw me away… then just like that he collapsed on the floor and I tended to his wounds."
He pointed at the used bloody linen across the room. Gon and Killua exchanged looks while Kurapika's jaw tightened. He swiftly turned to the man again with aggravated expression.
"How did you know about me?"
"A-about that…" Gain lowered his eyes, unable to keep up with the intensity on Kurapika's eyes, "When he woke up at dawn… he told me to deliver the bag on the address he gave me… then he told me just drop it there and leave at once because a blonde boy wearing unusual clothes might come after me…"
He pointed at Kurapika.
"Figured it was you. He did tell me to be careful but I got careless… before I know it someone was following me so I tried to shake them off… Aniki told me he might not be here when I returned cause he's gonna finish another job… then here—to think you guys would be here!"
Kurapika's eyes flickered and slowly, he got up from the floor and took out his phone. Gon, on the other hand, stood up and approached Gai with a worried look on his face.
"Gai-san," he started, "was he badly injured?"
Gai looked at Gon and then sighed.
"I don't know if it's bad or not, but it was deep cut around his abdomen…"
Killua snorted, "It's a deep cut already—how can you not decide if it was bad or not?"
"Because!" Gain stammered all of a sudden that made Killua, Gon and Senritsu stare at him, "because with only like that, you would not know… after all… all those other deep scars covering his body… it'll really make you wonder if that little wound was still bad or not!"
Silence came after Gai's words and he found them all looking at him with shock in their eyes—most of all Kurapika, who nearly dropped his phone as he looked at the man. Killua's eyes shone meaningfully.
"Those scars…" he muttered more to himself. Kurapika frowned for a moment, then he turned to his phone again when somebody picked up.
"Hisoka!" he said rather urgently that made Gon and Killua shot the blond boy an incredulous look.
"O-oi!" Killua blinked looking alarmed, "d-don't tell me—?"
"You're keeping tabs on the Ryodan as well right?" Kurapika continued, ignoring Gon and Killua's protest, "Where are they right now?"
Hisoka said something that made Kurapika's eyes hardened.
"No… that wasn't me…" he answered, "…it's the truth… but it's urgent—can you tell me who among them is near Naria City?"
Hisoka said something again. Kurapika's jaw tightened.
"I don't have any idea… now just tell me… so there really is one? I understand."
He clicked off the phone. Gon and Killua were staring at him transfixed as if he was a creature they've never seen before.
"W-what's the meaning of that?" Killua immediately pointed at Kurapika with a sweat drop at the side of his face. Gon nodded and the two looked intently at the blond boy.
"One of the Ryodan is in the city next to this one," he told them, again ignoring their protest, "If Leorio said he's gonna finish another job I can't help but think…"
"That's ridiculous," Killua argued frowning, "you think he'd take on one right after another? That's next to impossible already!"
Kurapika turned his back on the white haired boy. Senritsu gazed at him as she felt his heart beat. It was the same beat over and over again.
"If we're talking about the old Leorio then yeah," Kurapika whispered with eyes hidden under his hair, "but with everything I heard and witnessed… I don't think it's impossible anymore."
And the blonde boy walked out of the room, leaving the boys and the man staring after him. Senritsu stood up too and followed Kurapika quickly while Gon turned to Gai.
"Sorry about the trouble, Gai-san,"
"No," Gai looked at the paper on the floor and touched it, "I got careless. And besides … when I spoke to aniki two days ago he was an easy going man… but when he started focusing on his job he suddenly became a different person… I think that is weird…"
He was lost for words as the boys stared at him.
"Let's go, Gon." Killua said after a moment and they were off.
Kurapika hung his phone. He had just given his last instructions to his men about their boss' security. He gave an excuse to go somewhere for a few hours and now he was on his way there. Hisoka told him one of the members of Ryodan was indeed on the next city— Rio. He knew it was risky on his part, but he just had to search for that Ryodan himself. The chances that Leorio has already found about that were big. Then maybe if given the chance—he'll beat the crap out of his friend to bring him to his senses.
"Are we there yet?" Gon asked from the backseat looking dizzy. They have been driving for at least an hour. Kurapika gazed at the boy and then to Killua who was quietly musing on his own.
"We're near Gon…" he said after a moment, "Killua…what do you have in mind?"
The Zoldyck kid briefly glanced at him, and then sighed.
"I was just thinking about 'that guy' Gai was talking about. He said Leorio seemed to think this was his superior. There's no question about who that guy is, right?"
Kurapika nodded. "The Blacklist hunter, Rye Shin."
"Exactly. And remind me what his ability again?"
"It's mind control. But Killua, if you're saying he's controlling Leorio then isn't that contradicting? Because as far as I can tell—Rye Shin became famous because he can control people with powerful nen. Leorio's not that powerful."
Killua nodded and threw his hand at the back of his head again.
"True," he agreed. Then he gave Kurapika a glinting stare, "but what if he was able to get powerful?"
Kurapika stared at Killua hard. The white haired boy continued.
"He disappeared for a year… and he has signs of being thoroughly tortured if his body was full of scars. I wouldn't say that was for nothing. That was a sign of training, don't you agree?"
Silence.
Only Senritsu could hear the sound of their beating hearts. Gon stared at Killua for a moment as if lost for words while Kurapika remained looking transfixed at the kid.
Then Killua's eyes glinted for the last time.
"Just imagine if his master was that Black List hunter… if that is the case then… things are really going interesting."
Moments later, Kurapika stopped the car on the place where Hisoka said that Ryodan member might be. It was a large hotel. It was already afternoon by the time they reached it and the sidewalk was full of people.
"Is Leorio here?" Gon asked as he looked around and stood beside Kurapika who wore his cap and black shades. "How do we find him?"
"That's a good question," Killua said as he stepped forward with hands on his pockets, "either way we're hunters… hunting's our job."
"We split up to look for this one," Kurapika showed a picture of the Ryodan which the boys recognized, "if we find her, we might find Leorio. Otherwise if he hasn't gotten to him yet then just make sure she doesn't spot you… Hisoka's already suspecting…"
Gon and Killua stood straight and nodded.
And so that afternoon the hunt began. Gon secured all the busy sidewalks and contacted Kurapika of his progress. Senritsu was on the building scouting while Killua was checking alleys and undergrounds while Kurapika was on to empty warehouses and buildings.
He didn't know what to expect as he searched there. He just had that nasty feeling that somehow, somewhere in there—if Leorio has gotten his hands on his targets— then maybe, just maybe… he would be in one of those places.
"We're finished in the city," Killua called in to Kurapika moments later, "we didn't find anything and it's already this late…where are you?"
"I'm on the southern borders," Kurapika sighed as his eyes wandered around the empty windows, "I've just finished checking half."
"Right. We're going over."
Kurapika hung up again and continued his search. The buildings were eerie and the sound they were making because of the gust of the wind was like moans of people. Still, Kurapika was sensible enough to continue his search.
Then he stepped inside a dark warehouse where he thought he heard something unusual to be the wind. Cautiously, he walked inside with eyes on his left and right.
Going deep, he heard another sound that alerted his senses. By then Kurapika was sure that there was someone inside as he clutched his fist and continued on. Forward, forward… not even his footstep was making any sound.
He stepped into another part of the warehouse. At first he didn't see anything out of the ordinary. Then he noticed a vacuum like material lying broken in two pieces on the floor. Kurapika instantly recognized it and knelt down to make sure. To hi great surprise, another thing caught the corner of his eyes. Looking closely to his left, he saw a hair like material on the floor. Kurapika frowned and advanced toward it.
That was when his heart skipped a beat as he recognized with full attention that which was lying on the floor. It was a person with lots of white hair. It was also a Ryodan member.
Kurapika's stood up in disbelief, and then gritted his teeth. That was when he heard a soft moan. He looked up and saw movements on the far end of the room where humongous boxes were kept. And then on top of it were shadows.
Kurapika couldn't be mistaken by what he saw next—for there in split seconds he saw a member of the Ryodan with short black hair and wearing an upside down crucifix suspended on the air. Then there was a sharp movement as she got stabbed in the heart by a person using his bare hand—Leorio.
"LEORIO!" Kurapika shouted at the top of his voice and noticed another figure standing just behind Leorio. But the shadow instantly disappeared when it noticed him and Kurapika's eyes went back to his friend.
Leorio let the dead Ryodan girl to slip from his grasp with something nasty on his other hand.
Kurapika was speechless as he stared at the man still standing above as if he had no idea he was clutching a cold heart. And then the man's eyes moved and fell on Kurapika. He noticed the Leorio could open his scarred eye.
It was not him, Kurapika argued with himself. Glinting full of malice and covered in blood—the face of the man was not what Kurapika remembered it to be.
"LEORIO!" he pulled himself together with his own eyes wavering from the color red to green, then taking steps forward he tried again— "what are you doing, Leorio!"
Leorio did not respond, but there was a lusty smile on his face that horrified Kurapika even more. Then Kurapika's senses alerted him for an attack—he was not sure but just then he felt Leorio was intending to go after him too—
Then realized that Leorio was not looking at him but pass his shoulder. And then Leorio moved and disappeared in a flash. Kurapika opened his mouth to call him back, but then finally noticed the presence of the new comer standing behind him.
Kurapika's eyes widened as he recognized the man.
"Hisoka!"
Hisoka was staring at the place where Leorio disappeared with a glint on his own eyes. The blond boy's body shrivelled as all of a sudden Hisoka's killing intent aura get the best of him.
And Hisoka smiled with eyes showing sudden cruelty and excitement with eyes lingering to where Leorio had been standing. His menacing words then sent chills on Kurapika's spine.
"I~saw~ you."
*aniki*- older brother *ossan* uncle/reference to older men
-To Be Continued-
What happened to Leorio?
Find out the root of this evilness in the flash back chapter:
His Consequences
Thanks for Reading!