A/N: Sorry for the late update. I had a really bad cold. Enjoy the chappie, guys!.
You came back in the pouring rain
Turning our sorrows into a poem.
CHAPTER 18: THE CHASE
September, the 4th.
Another heavy downpour smashed down on Yorknew city around lunchtime.
The weather was quick to change. It was perfectly clear just an hour ago with no hint of rain. Now the sky was a gloomy color of greyish black that poured down its tears endlessly.
A slender teenage girl quietly sat by the windows of a cafe in Yorknew's grand commercial center. She reluctantly took a sip of the cappuccino that oddly resembled the color of her brown waves cascading down her waist. After heaving a quiet sigh, she quickly put the cup back down on the table and it was soon forgotten. She did not know if she liked the taste or not. It did not matter since her heart was not in it. Her eyes were busy lingering on the masses of people out on the street with umbrellas on their heads, scurried blindly to find transportation or places to shelter themselves from the sudden heavy rain. She frowned, thinking back on what happened a few hours ago.
"Can you include me in your plan? I can help you guys." She offered.
"That's out of the question, Clandestia!" He flatly brushed it off.
"Why not?" She frowned. "I can help dealing with that woman you targeted."
"No, there's nothing you can do! It's too dangerous. Go back to Beitacle hotel now. Melody will join us so Basho's on the way here to escort you back." He turned away, not giving her a chance to demur.
She held back the words that were about to come out of her lips and decided to let it go. As much as his words were hard to swallow, he was awfully right. She may not be able to help much. They're all pro-Hunters and she's just a university professor with a feeble body. Hell, she did not even do well in PE when she was still in school. What exactly can she do for them? Or is it even possible just trying not to drag them down?
"Fine." She sighed with a slight tinge of forlornness. "Be careful!"
"We will." Was his curt reply, leaving no room for further discussion.
Clandestia felt a surge of annoyance. That jerk! She thought angrily. Okay, she totally respected his decision. Still… would it hurt to be a little nicer to her? She scowled. That despicable guy chased her out right after he got the information needed. Some friend she had!
"Lady Clandestia, is the coffee that terrible here?" She heard a soft female voice call from beside her.
"Huh? Eliza?" Clandestia snapped out of her trailing thoughts.
"No, I was just kinda… preoccupied." The teenage professor stuttered as she instinctively glanced down at the long-forgotten drink that had gone cold and miserable on the table. "Oh and… have a seat, Eliza!" She added.
"You were making a really mean face, Milady." Eliza softly chuckled as she moved to take a seat beside her mistress. "Anything bothering you?"
"Ha, now thinking of him is enough to drive me nuts." Clandestia hissed in exasperation.
"Oh, I see…So it was a boy problem." The maid smiled knowingly.
"It's not what you think, Eliza." Clandestia said resignedly. She wondered why Eliza was so persistent on this idea. "It's just a friend!"
"Well, either way, when it comes to boys, they always try doing everything by themselves." Eliza said with a contemplative look as if she was reminding herself. "So please don't take it personal. You might get hurt."
"Yeah, you're right." The young professor sighed and beamed at her maid with appreciation.
"Well then, would you like to join Lady Neon at the makeup store?" Eliza asked, smiling innocently.
"No! I'm dead on my feet now." Clandestia squeaked. "-I'll head back to the hotel first. You all stay here to escort her!"
"That won't do, Milady! At least take some bodyguard with you!" Eliza protested wearily.
"Don't worry; I'm fine on my own. I need you all to keep an eye on Neon!" Clandestia reassured with a gentle smile. "Who knows that brat might give us a slip like last time! We can't deal with it a second time, right?" The teenage professor added flippantly with a wink.
"Alright, Milady. I'll go and call for the chauffeur then!" Eliza sighed as she took a bow at her young mistress and finally left.
"Thanks, Eliza!" Clandestia smiled as she waved a hand at Eliza's retreating figure.
As soon as the maid was out of her sight, Clandestia's expression instantly darkened. She gazed at the crowded street; her purple orbs tainted with sorrow. Today, somewhere in this endless rain, Eliza's lover will meet his demise as predicted. How deceitful of her to be here sipping coffee and talking to the sweet woman like nothing wrong!
She tried to muffle the chaotic emotions raging inside her. When would this endless cycle of feigning ignorance and dealing with the gruesome after-taste stop? No matter how much she despised the curse of premonition, she had not found any way to lift it. God, how she wished she could forget all the ghosts that she had carried on her shoulders all these years.
Out on the street, the rainfall got heavier and heavier until everything became nothing but ominous streaks of unrecognizable colors. The traffic jam was getting worse every minute.
A small sedan car sped amid the heavy downpour towards the North of Yorknew.
In the car's front seat, a young man disguised in a black suit and long silver wig vigilantly observed the map of Yorknew in his hands. He's got a big beret hat over his head and a pair of oversize black sunglasses to cover his chisel face.
"Where are you right now?" His chains-covered hand pressed a handphone impossibly close to his ear. The heavy rainfall was making the signal awfully unstable.
"In front of Motoba Building. I'm walking on Continental Avenue, heading west!" A boy's husky voice responded to him on the other end of the line.
"There's a station." His other hand deliberately searched the map in his lap. A spiky black-haired boy curiously rose from the back seat of the car and joined him in reading the direction.
"Can you get on the same train with them, Killua?" He asked the boy at the other end of the line.
"I'm not sure. It depends. With a little luck, it'll be crowded." Killua replied.
"Leorio, head south!" He instructed the man in the driver's seat.
"Ok." Leorio took a sharp detour.
"Kastour station?" He frowned at the map. "-They're heading downtown."
"But the auction is on the other side, Kurapika!" The boy in the passenger seat raised his voice in confusion.
That's definitely fishy. What are they after? Kurapika silently pondered. The Troupe should be heading to the auction. Why were they navigating to the opposite direction?
"It's the same direction as our hotel." The young Kurta mumbled in terror.
Everyone in the car fell silent as a bad omen started looming over their minds.
Kurapika hurriedly redialed Killua.
"Yes? Ah, they're in Ripa station." Killua reported. "-Heading to the Saloma Department store."
The Kurta lone survivor immediately broke out in cold sweats. His fear had come true.
"Shit, I really don't like this. That's where our hotel is!" He cursed, barely restraining from crushing the phone in his chained hand.
The first person that flashed through his mind was a certain brown-haired girl. He searched his phone and dialed a number.
"Hello? Kurapika? What's going on?" A deep male voice answered him.
"Scuwala, where is everyone?"
"They're all out shopping! I'm guarding the room and our stuffs. Why?" The Indian bodyguard asked with a perplexed tone.
"First, get out of there now. And tell everyone not to come back to the hotel!" Kurapika instructed with urgency. "Those guys already knew we switched rooms!"
"Fuck my ass!" Scuwala squeaked in horror as the call ended.
The Indian bodyguard frantically searched for his belongings. As he was about to leave the room, his eyes landed on the pair of scarlet eyes lying on the table. Ok, fine, he'd at least take this with him! Or Neon would throw another tantrum over these creepy red eyes. He pulled out his phone and dialed a Nostrade bodyguard's number to relay Kurapika's order.
Alright. He had enough of this! He was going to quit this job after today! And he'd take Eliza with him, run away from this whole fucking shit, and never look back!
Scarlet eyes in hands, Scuwala bolted out of the room, having no idea that he had no chance to quit anymore.
The black sedan car stopped in front of Ripa station.
"Gon, from here to the station is within my perimeter." Kurapika explained to the boy in the back seat.
"From this point, I can reach them within half a second" He added. "With their skills, that's the most time we have unless they're distracted."
Gon nodded with a grave expression. This was where he comes in as the key to their plan.
As they all stayed put in their seats waiting for the Spiders to appear, Kurapika suddenly got a nagging feeling.
Clandestia. Has she got his message?
Scuwala must have informed them all as told but he still couldn't shake off this unsettled, ominous feeling.
He dialed a number. His anxiety steadily built up as the ringing sound kept echoing back without anyone picking up. Where is she? Why is she not answering? Damn it! He finally ended the call and typed in a short message. Stay away from the hotel!
"They're here, Kurapika!"Gon's shout immediately grabbed his attention. His eyes shot to the station's entrance, fully alert.
The Spiders. 6 of them. They're here.
Something snapped inside his head. Under the black contact lenses, he felt his irises instantly blaze.
"They're heading to the hotel." He gritted his teeth. "They're fast!"
"Leorio, can you pass them with the car?" Gon rose from his seat impatiently.
"It's rush hour! They're faster running than we are with a car!" Leorio scowled.
The six figures from afar were charging at full speed, heading towards Beitacle hotel's direction.
Fuck. At this rate, we're going to lose them! Kurapika cursed internally.
They're so near this time. He can't lose their traces again! Images of his long-lost kin fleetingly rushed through his mind. The young Kurta clenched his fists until his palm bled.
Eventually, he jumped out of the car.
"Kurapika!" He heard his two friends' panicked voices but he did not care.
"Wait here until I call you!" He barked out his last order before rushing off towards the station.
"Kurapika, wait!" Gon shouted, slipping out of the car to follow his Kurta friend. "-Wait, I have an idea!"
But no matter how much Gon pleaded, Kurapika did not turn back. Their figures soon disappeared into the merciless torrents of rain.
"Killua?" Kurapika impatiently pulled out the phone that had been vibrating in his pocket for a few minutes now.
"I'm back at the station entrance. Those guys are heading North West!" Killua reported, unaware of what his two friends were currently doing.
"Yes, in pursuit!" The Kurta curtly replied.
"What? No! It's too risky! You'll be spotted!" Killua shouted in terror but the other end of the line was already disconnected.
"That damn bastard! He hung up." The silver-haired ex-assassin cursed, almost smashing his phone in a fit of fury.
Now they had no choice but to follow Kurapika's reckless chase.