A/N: Sorry for the long break. I was seriously unwell. This short chappie is a little fluffy as I hope to take a break from the ongoing tension. The next chapters won't be so pretty. This chapter is not beta-ed yet. So please bear with some of the mistakes while I fix them.

Rubberxandxgum: Thank you so much for your kind words. I'm already 30% into the story and yes, it's still unpopular. It must be due to my own shortcomings and I think I should seriously reflect on it. I would be really thankful if you readers could help me make it better by dropping me your thoughts in the review box.

Thanks for supporting my story.

Love,

Mona

Chapter 22: What's wrong with Kurapika?

Running, hiking or whatever outdoor sports had always been Clandestia's greatest torture. When it came to physical endurance, she was always terrible.

Thinking back on all these years of youth she spent lazing around her office desk and burying her head in research labs, she felt a tremendous deal of regret. So frustrating, she thought. If only she had worked out her body a little!

Pakunoda, Clandestia, and Killua had successfully fled from the Spider's lair with the help of Machi and Kortopi. Now the three of them were not far from the assigned hostage exchange spot.

The only problem they had left was that... Clandestia's pace was agonizingly slow.

The young brunette's feet were covered with bruises and cuts from running barefoot. She had originally disguised as a hotel waitress and it came with a pair of high heels which she quickly threw away while running. For Christ's sake… why would a bar waitress uniform come with heels that were so painful to move around? And running barefoot around the Spider's ruined buildings meant trampling on plenty of rocks, debris, pins, needles, and other unidentifiable wastes. They didn't have time to pause and she didn't have the heart to check on her feet since they were running out of time before her illusions to keep Phinx and Fetain in check expired.

Clandestia suddenly tripped on own her feet and kneeled over, out of breath. Perspiration decorated her forehead and her heated face.

"Damn... How the hell did I get stuck here with you?" Killua rolled his eyes in annoyance while Pakunoda watched the teenage professor with a doubtful gaze.

Clandestia quickly got back on her miserable feet while sending the silver-haired a grumpy look. As she was about to give the cheeky punk a piece of her mind, someone unexpectedly cut her off.

"Why?" A question rolled off Pakunoda's lips out of the blue. Killua and Clandestia promptly shot her a quizzical glance.

"Why aren't you two running away?" Pakunoda continued, her gaze fell on Killua's stoic blue eyes. "I'm already injured. I'm sure you're capable of bringing this girl along and fleeing."

"In that case, I wouldn't have anything to save Danchou." Pakunoda asked, a confused expression flooding her face. "Why didn't you do that? Aren't you that chain guy's friend?"

"Kurapika has all the rights to kill you and your troupe," Clandestia uttered after a brief silence. Like a sparrow soaking in the rainfall of the night, the young professor looked pitifully frail but her gaze was hard like stone. "-But he will never go back on his promise. Neither will we!"

"If killing you people could make him feel better, I wouldn't stop him. But it won't!" Clandestia said, her expression showing a hint of melancholy. "Killing you will only make him suffer more!" Kurapika's state after killing Uvogin was still haunting her mind.

"Because we're his friends, we don't want him to hurt himself any more than he already did." The young professor sighed, earning a bewildered look from the Spider woman.

"Pfft.." Killua covered a hand over his mouth in an obvious attempt to muffle a chuckle, instantly breaking the mood.

"What's so funny?" Clandestia made a face.

"Dunno." The ex-assassin grinned. "Maybe the way you say it? It's sort of dramatic and cheesy. I couldn't help it."

Don't you dare tell Kurapika what I said! Clandestia sent a telepathy threat to her silver-haired companion.

Like I care- was his nonchalant answer.

Calm down, Clandestia, no time to get angry now, the young professor exhaled heavily and chanted to herself. Since she was busy being mortified and all, she almost choked on her own tongue seeing Killua suddenly crouch down in front of her.

"Get on my back." The ex-assassin threw her a look over his shoulders.

"What?" Clandestia's eyes were wide as saucers.

"Hop on." He scowled. "I have enough of watching you tottle like a crippled foal."

"Oh…but… I…" The young professor stuttered.

"Hurry up before I leave you here," Killua said impatiently.

"O-okay." Clandestia reluctantly climbed on the boy's back. Once she was set, he lifted her up effortlessly despite their difference in height. As expected, he was strong.

"Aren't you coming?" Killua glared at Pakunoda over his shoulders. The woman promptly broke out of her trance and followed behind them.

The warmth and hardness of the ex-assassin's back reminded Clandestia that this was real. She was really on a piggyback ride, like a long time ago when Eliza used to carry her around. It made her feel like she was a child and Killua was an adult, not vice versa. Her expression suddenly darkened.

"Sorry." She whispered to his back.

"Stop wasting time apologizing and start training your body. Even the most useless ones can get better." Killua said without looking back.
Even though his words were sharp, it still put a soft smile on Clandestia's face. She already realized that Killua had a really unconventional and clumsy way to show that he cared.

Typical tsundere. She concluded.

"Thank you." She said earnestly.

"Don't get the wrong idea! I'm not doing this for you!" The silver-haired boy suddenly uttered. "I just wanna quickly get back to Gon and the others!"

Killua was glad not to face the annoying girl because, for some reason, he could feel his cheeks heating up a little.

Unbeknownst to him, Clandestia could still notice a hint of red on his ears.

"Yeah, I know." The young professor whispered as her purple eyes brimmed with tenderness.

"Tsk!" The ex-assassin clicked his tongue and quickened his pace.

What Killua would never admit was that there was something about Clandestia's frail self that reminded him of Alluka (*) but he couldn't pinpoint what it was. And it kind of annoyed him seeing this foolish girl pushing herself so hard.

Everything would have gone according to Kurapika's plan if another member of the Phantom Troupe other than Pakunoda didn't show up.

The lone Kurta survivor glared at the caller ID on his phone.

"Hello." An eerily jolly voice greeted Kurapika on the other end of the line. "Nice work there with the dirigible! Running away to a desert or a mountain peak would make hunting down a hard task."

The inappropriate compliment only made the blond Kurta's face hardened.

"What are sketching, Hisoka?" Kurapika was already fed up with the clown's habit of beating around the bush.

"Simple. Let me on the airship." Hisoka smiled.

"And if I refuse?" Kurapika asked, a hint of bloodlust fled through his scarlet eyes.

"Well, I could kill Killua and the little princess here." The clown clicked his tongue and threw a quick glance at a very cautious Pakunoda and the pair of kids behind her.

"You fucking bastard!" Kurapika slammed a fist on the airship's windows, eyes blazing a bright shade of red.

"Don't worry. I only want Chrollo." Hisoka chuckled. "He's my only target. The rest of you is none of my business."

Left with no other choice, Kurapika's group was forced to make the hostage exchange along with Hisoka on a deserted mountain peak.

The moment Kurapika saw Killua and Clandestia from the distance, his brows immediately furrowed. Clandestia's state startled him. She looked like she was drained of all blood. He was about to have Melody check on her before a message was delivered to his mind.

We're fine, Kurapika. Please proceed with the exchange! Her purple eyes locked on his scarlet orbs as she sent the message.

The exchange went smoothly without any more interruption after that. Kurapika's gang gathered on the dirigible and immediately took off. Before the airship disappeared into the night sky, the group of friends took one last glance at Hisoka and the other two Spiders. As predicted, Hisoka quickly abandoned the fight with Chrollo.

"Hisoka left without fighting?" Leorio asked.

"Chrollo must have realized that Hisoka was a fake spider and explained everything to him." Kurapika scoffed. He already rendered Chrollo useless. The bastard wouldn't even be allowed to contact the other members of the troupe.

Served you right! Now you have a taste of how it feels to be robbed of everything! , Kurapika thought as the sight of Chrollo walking alone gradually turned into an unrecognizable dot.

"Killua! Clandestia!" Gon's cheerful squeak immediately broke the solemn air in the dirigible.

"Hey guys, we're back." Clandestia gave them a warm smile. Her gaze slowly appreciated each face that she thought she would no longer live to see. It was quite a close call! Finally, her eyes stopped at a pair of scarlet eyes.

"Sorry," Kurapika said; His voice slightly tensed. "I put you two in such a dangerous situation."

"It's alright; we're safe and sound now," Clandestia said. The gentleness in her tone deepened.

"But are you really alright, Milady?" Melody asked worriedly. "You're looking pale as a ghost!"

"That's right. You should have a full checkup, Clandestia!" Leorio added.

"Oh, don't fret. It's nothing serious!" The young professor waved her hands, quickly dismissing her friends' concerns. "Just an annoying, temporary side effect of my power."

"And… I came out unscathed this time thanks to Killua, too." Clandestia cast a side glance at Killua, a hint of mischief twinkled in her eyes.

"Look." She casually pointed at the jacket hugging her body. "-He took really good care of me!"

"What the hell are you saying?!" Killua squeaked.

"Ehhh?!" Gon titled his head and exclaimed as he instantly recognized Killua's jacket while Melody quietly chuckled and mumbled something like "it's so good to be young".

"Whew... Didn't see that coming, Killua! When did you decide to become such a gentleman?" Leorio whistled, followed by a wicked grin.

"Haha. He's secretly a gentleman, isn't he?" Clandestia giggled.

Everyone was so busy teasing Killua that no one noticed Kurapika's peculiar expression. The guy was awfully quiet watching the whole exchange. He should be happy now that Clandestia and Killua were back. But bizarrely, Clandestia's last sentence bothered him.

Seriously, what has gone wrong with me? The blond Kurta silently pondered.

A/N:(*) The similarity between Clandestia and Alluka will be explained in the coming chapters.

btw, guess what's wrong with Kura-kun? =))