*Finding Leorio*

by: WhiteGloves

"Right now, I'm lettingyou live. And I'll continue to keep you alive...

until you've grown enough to become worth killing. "

~Hisoka

Chapter 15: His Name

Leorio threw himself backwards with his feet skidding on the ground because of the force. He had to do it in order to avoid being sliced into quarters by his opponent who was left standing meters away from him.

Their arena, formerly a bar, was now left in shambles.

Leorio, with his whole body now covered in his trademark black, was shaking in rage. There was no reasoning for him anymore—he was all out and just like a monster. The fight that ensued between the two was a promised fight—and both were trying to get the upper hand than the other.

And in a fight like this, casualties were expected. Clutched in one of Leorio's dark hand was his opponents pale left hand cut around the wrist. It was crushed in between his fingers.

Hisoka, for his part, was also holding something on his remaining hand: a limb from Leorio's left side.

Both opponents were dripping blood on the floor. It was an ugly sight—an ugly sight that received no less than a smile from the magician's face. Leorio merely stared with indifference to his bleeding side.

Neither of the two seemed to notice their missing parts.

In the midst of their silent pause, Hisoka's face suddenly contorted and his whole body started shaking. Then he suddenly raised his free hand, which was still clutching a part of Leorio, to his lips and started giggling nonstop.

"Pffftt…."

Leorio craved to attack but his instincts were holding him back to attack at the wrong time. Hisoka, meanwhile, giggled continuously with an indifferent nature to his lost hand as he wrapped his left arm to his stomach as if giggling was making his tummy ache. The dangerous battle field was filled with the jester's tinkling snicker.

Then after awhile, Hisoka stopped himself and straightened up with the smile still lingering on his face.

"Well… you are certainly entertaining. I knew it was a good thing to let you live during our hunter exam back then… look at you now. I can't believe you can really put up a fight with me when you can barely stand my presence before… You have become such an item of interest, Leorio-san."

Leorio's instincts told him be on his guard as he stared into the deadly eyes of his opponent, who just then did not just show the meaning of malignant through his expression but also his aura. The red glint in his eyes didn't escape Leorio's notice.

"Indeed… marvellous of you to reach such power… you're making me change my mind…" Hisoka went on, still smiling as he threw Leorio's chunk of limb on the floor. Leorio did not seem abashed by this as he also threw Hisoka's dead hand away—the moment he did, Hisoka disappeared and so did he and the two clashed in the middle of the former bar with walls cracking and other objects just suddenly blowing into bits as if hit by something.

The next thing—Leorio had Hisoka's head on his right hand and had smashed it on the floor with such force that made the floor form a crater in the middle. Still, Hisoka grinned. Leorio cold bloodedly continued to smash the magician's face on the hard floor—and still Hisoka grinned manically—even biting his lower lip as if grinning more would threaten to split his pale face.

With force, Leorio released Hisoka's head and retreated a few steps, his poise ready for battle. He watched as Hisoka slowly picked himself up from the floor and clutched his trembling body.

"Dangerous… *chuckles*… dangerous…" the magician whispered to himself, his back at Leorio, "if this continuous I'm gonna lose it… so much power… *chuckles*… how to stop this craving, I wonder…"

He paused and then slowly turned to Leorio with dark shadows under his eyes. It was a picture of a kid actually trying very hard to restrain himself from getting his candy without permission. Hisoka in this state was actually unsightly.

Hisoka stood straight slowly.

"I'm shaking in excitement," he whispered with his only hand across his face, "I really despise moments like this, Leorio-san… you've got so much potential…"

Leorio's darkened face showed no recognition to his words. Hisoka's eyes turned blades and he attacked once more—this time appearing in a second below Leorio and grabbing the dark man's lower chin and raising him up—the magician's eyes were ruthless.

"I'll kill you."

But Leorio was a real match as he aimed a deadly slash of his sharp hand that nearly got the magician's head if he didn't dodge it. Hisoka's grinned widened as he made his decision and he and Leorio was again engaged in another clash that seemed to shake the very underground they were fighting on. The fight was something too astounding and deadly to watch for both opponents was showing no hesitation of trying to get each other's necks. Once or twice their hands were seen aiming on the most vital parts but both were capable of fending the other off which prolonged the fight.

At the maximum, Leorio always aimed at Hisoka's heart (which delighted the magician) but the latter was able to accurately tell his moves and was able to capture Leorio's hand. Hisoka had almost pulled away his hand if not for Leorio's quick thinking: he threw himself on Hisoka strongly and grabbed his neck with his free hand. Hisoka responded by breaking Leorio's arm and the two were lost in the air like clashing winds.

The third time they broke up, Hisoka was no longer the same. He was enjoying the fight but a dilemma was setting his mind off the battle. Leorio nearly manage to take his other hand if he did not send his bungee gum directly at the man's face. As Leorio stumbled, Hisoka's eyes were already turning white in frenzy as he tried to decide what to do with his present contender.

"Him or him…" he was still muttering with a loving voice, not caring for his wounded body for the fight were more on physical, "which would give me the better thrill…*chuckles*"

And his consideration ended as his eyes lost its glint.

Taking out a card, the magician licked it.

"Time to end it for now." He told himself.

Leorio raised his head from his hands after removing the gum— then he felt everything around him started collapsing as Hisoka used his cards to destroy everything. Gritting his teeth, the monster planned to escape the destruction—only to realize his feet stuck on some gum on the floor.

There was a loud crash.

Hisoka calmly appeared outside the collapsing building. Residents of the area started swarming the street like rats but Hisoka has already moved away quietly with his cut hand still bleeding. He examined the amputated part with interest and then looked down at his other hand holding the dead hand Leorio threw on the ground.

"Oh, I've gotta have Machi-chan fix me again *chuckles*… I wonder what to do with her after killing him. If to kill him I gotta kill her… I'll be terribly upset… still…"

He looked back at the place where he had been, then continued on his way again, muttering to himself.

"If I killed him, his friends will come after me… but if I kill him now, Chrollo would not fight me…. After he fights me, I'm gonna finish Leorio, and then Kurapika will kill me, if I kill him Gon will come after me… and then… if I kill Gon Killua will kill me… if I kill Killua, Illumi will kill me… hahaha… isn't that more thrilling?"

Kurapika was chained up in a dark place with his head bent down, his blond hair covering his entire face. His arms were pulled and stretched sideward with and his shoulders hunched— his entire form motionless. There was no sign of life in the dark room save his own shallow breathes.

A trickle of sweat slid down the blonde boy's chin.

Then, out in the darkness, a face came in like a light—a man with a pale face, sleek black hair and enthralling pure black eyes.

Chrollo didn't even blink as he stared at Kurapika.

"Wake up."

Kurapika's head shook a little and after a few moments, he looked up.

The red eyes met the black. Chrollo looked as indifferent as ever.

"You…" Kurapika hissed with marked hatred in his voice.

"You didn't think you can have me under your command forever, did you?" the black haired man said quietly, "not when the world is full of unique nen users…"

Kurapika gritted his teeth as hatred etched on his blazing red eyes even more. Chrollo stared at him quietly and then slowly reached his right hand on the blonde boy's face. He caressed Kurapika's cheek until the tip of his index finger made contact on the side of the blond boy's crimson eyes. Chrollo's eyes glinted.

"Such beautiful, burning eyes… I'd like my reflection to be etched on them when I take it."

Kurapika held his breath. Chrollo didn't look like he was kidding.

"Your red eyes are the only pair in the world now. I'll take it."

And before Kurapika could react, Chrollo's fingers have started gouging his eyes—

A terrible scream pierced the air—

Leorio opened his eyes as he heard himself scream. He bolted up from where he was lying, breathing heavily and loss for a moment—until he recognized a familiar silhouette in front of him.

He recognized that familiar apathetic expression mixed with a mask-liked smile.

"You're awake."

Leorio shook his head and raised a hand to it. He was in the middle of an empty street with large boulder surrounding him. He remembered why he was there and who he had been fighting before everything collapsed on him. Then suddenly remembering what he saw about Kurapika, he threw his companion a dirty look.

"You put that picture in my head, didn't you? You damn headmesser."

Rye Shin, who was sitting on one of the large rock from the crumbled building, inclined his head on one side with his legs crossed in front of him.

"I foresaw it happening," he said absentmindedly.

Leorio sat straight and stared hard at the calm guy before him. Rye's expression did not change. Leorio looked around him and saw the dark sky. The place was a mess and he found it a bit odd that he was already out of the debris. He gave Rye a knowing look before looking at his body. There he found traces of blood and with a disgusted realization, found his left side still open and bleeding.

"Damn monster," he murmured as he pushed himself up, putting his uninjured hand on his left side and feeling his broken arm.

Rye watched Leorio go up and straightened himself with still a cold expression on his eyes. Leorio noticed it and said without turning to the slick guy—

"I know you're wondering about it… but Hisoka ran away from on me."

Rye's expression didn't change. Leorio continued on his way.

"Where are you going?" Rye asked as if the answer interests him.

Leorio paused and then looked back at the placid man still sitting where he was.

"I'll hunt the bitch and get my old friend back… before what you showed me becomes reality." He answered.

"And do you know precisely where to find them?"

"I can look. I'm good at hunting."

"By the time in which they are gone and your friend dead."

Leorio halted with an angry look on his face.

"I'll kill em' if they touch Kurapika!"

Rye merely stared at him and that made Leorio turn to look at him with his eyes hardening a little.

"What?" he asked with a frown.

Rye shrugged and said, "Nothing… it's no wonder you've got that soft look on your eyes again. Something that concerns your friend indeed… and here I thought you were above that already."

Leorio looked startled for a second and then looked away with levelled eyes.

"What are you doing here anyways?" he threw the question to Rye but it was apparent in Leorio's voice that he wasn't interested at all, "it's been weeks since I last saw you."

Rye Shin stood up quietly and put his hands on his pockets.

"I came back because a certain name caught my attention in the underground news."

Leorio raised an eyebrow.

"Name?"

"You know… him. The guy who you thought would be unworthy to kill… seemed like he was able to find the key to his release from your old friend's chain… and consequently the guy I need to be wary of once again…"

Leorio gave Rye a look of disbelief.

"You don't say?" he whispered, "Chrollo?"

Rye gave a silent confirmation that sent Leorio's mind spinning.

"But that would mean…" he muttered and in his mind's eye the scene of Kurapika chained up under the powers of the leader of Phantom Troupe suddenly became vivid. Rye was following his trail of thought in silence.

Yes. He plans to finish your old friend.

Rye Shin silently sent this to Leorio whose eye rounded yet again.

If you want to save him… then get that soft look out of your eyes… because I did not train you for Chrollo's type. That man… is a holy being. Even a monster like you won't stand a chance against him.

Leorio froze with his mind jumping to Kurapika's well being and the last time he spoke to him…

Then Rye Shin gave him a small smile that made Leorio blink in surprise.

In an old building, Chrollo slowly straightened himself and closed his Bandit's Secret with a snap. His eyes were looking at a body on the floor where a golden haired boy was unconscious. As he stood up, the girl standing behind him walked closer behind him and kicked the unconscious body to see the boy's face.

"Pity I can't kill him." She said with a look of longing in her eyes, "His display of fight moments ago is really something. I've always hated the sound of his chains."

"I had to make him use it," Chrollo muttered with eyes still transfix at Kurapika, "and had his palm here… and to even answer some questions… it's all a process."

He tap his Bandit's Secret on his chest while Machi's eyes lingered on it.

"He couldn't believe when he saw you moments ago, leader," she went on, "and he was very much distracted while trying to fight you."

"That is because his hatred has ceased," Chrollo answered, "he is no longer the same person back then… someone filled with hatred. What I see now is a boy trying to start a new… but it does not change his fate at all."

Machi looked down at Kurapika again.

"The chain guy got cut off from his chains… Why don't we just finish him and let his talent get erased together with him. You're not planning to use those chains like he did, do you?"

"Not more than I need to," he whispered, his eyes darting on one side toward the dark doorway, "I did not steal his ability without a reason… and no, do not finish him yet, Machi, we need him for that guy… even if we don't know his real identity, knowing that he is connected to this Kuruta boy is enough to make our plan work… am I not correct, Hisoka?"

Hisoka appeared on the doorway with his glinting eyes back. His eyes fell on Chrollo, then to Machi and finally to the unconscious Kurapika. His eyes showed merriment.

"Your transportation of goods always amuse me," he told the leader of the spider, "oh, how I rejoice this day, it's good to have you back."

"What took you so long?" Machi asked him testily, "you didn't finish that guy, did you? Because I'm the one to finish him."

"I didn't finish him," Hisoka answered, "he actually severed one of my hand… do you mind putting it together?"

Machi stared at his dead hand with impassive expression. Chrollo, however, was eyeing Hisoka with a calculating look.

"I suppose he's really connected to this boy." He pointed at Kurapika, "that guy who killed my gang... and to see it all I want to know his name... and to see for whom he is working for."

Hisoka watched as Machi walked toward him and produced her thread and needle. A smile crossed his lips as Leorio's name popped up in his head and almost danced in the reflection of his eyes. The fact that Chrollo couldn't see the man's name dancing in his eyes seemed humorous to the magician.

And what if Chrollo heard the name of Leorio's master? He could hardly wait to see the expression on the leader's always calm face.

"Well… who knows?" Hisoka chuckled, "As far as I'm concerned, you're the most important person to deal with, Chrollo."

Machi's eyes hardened. Chrollo gave Hisoka an undaunted look.

Hisoka continued smiling.

"This may seem a bit late but welcome back to my world."

Chrollo's pure round eyes met Hisoka's as Machi sew his hand back.

And the powerless Kurapika continued to be oblivious to everything, even to his own lost of power.

-To Be Continued-

Kurapika's ability got stolen!

The shadow duo will meet up with the joker and the holy man in the next chapter:

His Eyes

Thanks for Reading!

A/N: Almost at the end! One chapter to go before the ENDING! FINALLY!