A/N: Sorry for this late update but... I'm not going to lie, things have been rough. And crazy. And just... I needed some time to myself. Time to think and kind of get myself out of that hole that I had kind of fallen into.
But I'm not going to talk about anything too serious here. I believe in the freedom to have a space where things are a bit more simple. I want my stories to be that for you guys since writing has always been my sanctuary. It's a place where the outside world doesn't have to get involved. It's a place where there are problems but I always have a solution. And more than that, it's a place where I want everyone to feel at home.
That being said, I'm not going to be answering reviews today however I want each of my readers to know that I appreciate you and I worry about you and I want you to be safe. You guys matter to me and I honestly can say that I love you. Because you like my writing. And even though it's as simple as that, it means the world to me. So whatever happens just know that this story will always be here and I'll be here too - writing somewhere halfway across the world for you guys.
Chapter 15:
"If you give me your badge, I'll protect you this next phase." The boy's monkey gave a squawk of confirmation, his chest puffing up as Minoru gave him an annoyed once over. The boy was lanky with a bush of brown hair, looking akin to an alarmed animal caught stealing cookies. "I mean that guy said he was going to go after your brother but I'm sure what he really wants to do is get to you. I mean… that's just what it seems like…"
I didn't answer, leaning farther into the side of the wooden boat as we tipped this way and that. Only a few feet away, my brothers were huddled together, quietly discussing their strategy. Their plan of attack was always the same: stick together and kick as much ass as possible, hoping that the numbers would both intimidate and suppress any opposition. It wouldn't change for this event.
"We'll stay together," Imori had whispered, keeping a hold on my arm as I tried to file into the boat drifting listlessly at the shore. I didn't answer at first, mulling that over.
Umori had interpreted that silence rather quickly. "She's not going to keep with us, man. You know how she is."
"This isn't the time to be all lone wolf on us, Mori," Imori had hissed, his face reddening as he dragged me a bit closer. Amori watched silently from a foot or so away, his face drawn, unreadable.
Gon and his friends drifted past, each giving me a considerable look. It meant that they felt bad for me. It meant that they wanted to help me but they had problems of their own that they needed to deal with. Problems like the hunter exam.
The basis of this exam seemed to be straightforward enough: wear them down until they aren't able to function. Minimal sleep with panic over actually passing would be enough to drive most to their breaking point. Now they were releasing us onto an island and telling us to do whatever it took to get those badges. Killing? Not preferable but definitely the quickest method. A method that a good number of the contestants left had probably resorted to in the last test.
Ichihiro didn't just want to kill my brothers though. He wanted to use them. Set a trap large enough to where I couldn't refuse. Simple but designed specifically with me in mind.
He knew I couldn't refuse him.
"Listen," I murmured, speaking low enough that no one else would overhear. Hisoka drifted past as I spoke, his eyes always constant, vigilant in a way that made my skin tingle. Even in the silence of his stare, I could feel the relish. The urge to not only see me struggle but.. I gritted my teeth, my muscles tensing as I shoved his aura away from me, earning a heated smile from him as he stalked past. Dangerous man. "Ichihiro doesn't want to go after you. He wants me to go after him. So that's exactly what I'll do."
Imori's teeth flash in a sneer. "That's the stupidest-"
I reach out, squeezing his shoulder. "That's the only option that makes sense right now. The hard truth is that he'll more than likely be released to the island before us since it looks like that's the way they're formatting this phase. So that leaves me the option of chasing him and keeping him away from you or…"
"Or you'll be a sitting duck," Amori sighs, rubbing his eyes. I nod, wincing.
Umori grunts, looking thoroughly pissed off. "If you wait for us to get off that boat then you'll give him more time to set himself up. It would mean…"
"It would mean that I wouldn't have the ability to be on the offense before he comes," I finished. The wind whistled through the grass, the boat bobbing a bit at the sudden gust. A pang of homesickness burst through me, sharp and breathtaking. Forcing a smile, I turned back to them. "I'll finish him off and then be back with you in no time."
But even as I said it, I could see the uncertainty in their gaze. And I didn't try to promise either.
"I mean take it or leave it but from where I'm sitting…" Monkey boy gives a scoff like that's answer enough, his little friend fixing me with a haughty stare.
Minoru nearly bites off his hand when the little guy tries touch the glossy black of his eye. I give the boy a cold smile, watching him leap back about a foot, his face going. "Thanks but I think I'll take my chances."
"Crazy bitch," I hear him breathe as I swing away, Minoru grumbling behind me.
Should have taken his badge, he sneers, the dark blue of his fur rippling in the breeze from the gently rocking boat.
My eyes around the crowded boat, each corner filled with hungry-looking contestants, their eyes roaming around at each other like caged animals. There was only one place that my eyes lingered - the shadowy back corner of the swaying deck, the cat-like smirk, and honey eyes that seemed to gleam through the gloom. Hisoka always looked like an animal, I reasoned, staring at him unabashedly as his eyes flicked up and met my own.
Was it even more daunting that he wore such an ardent lust of destruction on his brow or would it have made me feel better it he hid it? I tore my gaze away, answering Minoru instead. We don't want to seem too greedy.
Just too nice, he sneered back, his teeth flashing as he glowered at the rolling waves. He hated being off dry land. Feeling the bare heat of the sun scorch my own skin, I couldn't help but agree with him.
I keep to the railing of the boat, purposely distancing myself from my brothers.
There's something ugly and sad gnawing at my gut that I don't want to think about. Something that has to do with the fact that my brothers are all very strong but if one of them goes down then the rest usually aren't far behind. They'll be doing this next part together - a risk but one that needs to be taken since they all need badges and alone their physical prowess is… admirable but sloppy in its execution.
Luckily none of them have Hisoka's number or… My eyes drift to the green-clad man, his pallor the same tone of a mummified corpse, skin taut and leathery beneath the array of yellow pins. If Hisoka hadn't warned me about him, I might have dismissed him. His presence had been eerie but minimal this whole exam. A fact that made me both relieved and suspicious. Was it his disinterest in me or my closeness to Hisoka? My eyes drifted between the two - the natural sort of distance, the oddly unconcerned air for two men who I found myself thinking as closer to equals than anything else. Cold dread tightened my stomach. Another Hisoka in the wings was cause enough for concerns.
Click, click-click, clack-clack-clack. My blood ran cold as that gaunt face jolted a twitched, spinning disjointedly until those purple eyes were upon me, drilling into my very soul. There was a wisdom in knowing when to be afraid. I had felt it (if a bit too late) with Hisoka. And now I felt it with this man.
Around his eyelash-less lids, there was a slight swelling. The sort of puffiness that came from tugging at an area for too long - a distortion that made me think for a moment that I was staring at a mirror askew.
Beside me, Minoru gave a snarl, his lips slipping back, strands of saliva dripping from his teeth as the sun beat down at him. I felt a charge of energy buzz from me to him, a ramping up as he caught the thickening of danger in the air. Sweat dribbled down from the contraption on my arms, the skin there slick with it. For a brief, blood-curdling moment, I saw the air around the pinned man thicken like a soup left to sit too long.
And then there was sharp flick of a card being snapped between fingers and the pinned man's head was clicking away, his gaze returning to the clouds above.
He would have killed us, Minoru breathed and I swallowed around the wad fo cotton clogging my windpipe. Because, yes. He would have. And for some reason, I thought that his first target would have been me, a rare occurrence. When looking at a small, wide-eyed girl and a large bear with teeth the consistency of a hacksaw, which would you size up first? The fact that I had felt the way that he almost leaned toward me, his eyes voids - A cold shiver of fear skittered across my stomach and through my intestines.
I didn't answer Minoru, my hands clammy as I forced my gaze to the side. The sound of the waves caressing the side of the boat filtered through the pounding in my veins along with the quiet murmur of some of the other contestants.
The gentle push of a familiar aura drew my eyes to the scarlet-haired man, a card sliding through his fingers as he gave me a warning stare. I told you to be good, that look seemed to say. I gulped, glowering as I shoved back at his aura.
But there was something gnawing at my stomach. The feeling that if it weren't for Hisoka's… attachment to me… I would be in a very different position right now. A position that seemed oddly similar to how I had met Hisoka himself. One led by my curiosity.
"As everyone can see by the defined peaks of the island-" My eyes snapped to the slabs of rock that spiked through the tree-tops of the island, the boat bobbing a bit closer as it circled where it was going to dock.
We won't be able to fly, Minoru mused, his eyes glinting black in the sunshine. I could feel my facial muscles tensing in anger at the news. Although the edges of the island were at sea level, the ground seemed to slope, coning up until it reached an impressive peak at the center. Tunnel systems probably ran through the area, caves that could be accessed by both the animals and our examiners.
That meant that we could either stay grounded or keep to the edge of the island, closer to where it rose above sea-level in the back, leaving a steep cliff's edge. The ladder would isolate me, limit my movement. The first would corner me in a different way, allowing other contestants the ability to take my badge.
It was a risk that I wasn't willing to take.
My eyes slid back to Minoru. Keep to the far edge of the island where the land drops off before the sea.
Trepidation bit through his onyx eyes. You want to separate.
I want to keep the badges safe. Ichihiro and the pinned mummy are wild cards. Not to mention that we still have another person in this group who wants my badge. The boat jolted slightly as it bounced off the shoreline, the pixie-haired announcing giving a bubble of a laugh as she continued to chatter on.
Minoru's eyes darted around. Someone who was smart enough to keep his mouth shut when you gave that little damsel-in-distress act earlier.
"Thanks for being patient, everyone!" the announcer chirped, the clatter of the bridge cutting her off. "We've arrived at Zevil Island!" She seemed to end every sentence on an exclamation, her eyes roving around at the dirty-faced contestants with a hunger that was of a completely different variety than our own. Like an entertainer starving for applause.
You won't die, will you? Minoru asked, his voice deceptively bland even though his eyes flicked down to my bandaged hands.
I flexed my fingers, wincing at the ripping feeling my skin pulling apart once more, warm dampness tickling my palm. I'd be in some serious trouble if the fighting continued. Mentally, I belittled myself for allowing things to get this bad. I'm very quick… and flexible.
I could feel my brother's staring at me, their mouths moving as they formed a quick plan. They would more than likely spend the first day tracking down one of their badge-holders, stalking them until they attacked and were able to move to the next.
Minoru's eyes rolled, the boat shaking slightly as he sat heavily on his haunches as the announcer jabbered on.
Yeah because the last time I checked a good split would knock someone cleanout, Minoru grumbled and I resisted the urge to glower at him. He didn't like it when we separated - a feeling that was mutual but one that I didn't entirely think was mental alone. For some reason, when he was gone from me… the farther he went… It was like my energy was being sapped, a spool unwinding the farther he went until I was near-comatose. Unsettling… worrying.
I shook it off, my head snapping up and towards the dropped bridge, the forest just beyond as I felt the familiar shift of power, the gentle tickling of aura. Like a cat just woken, stretching for the first time after a good nap.
Hisoka rolled from his sitting position, his smirk firmly in place as he cast a nonchalant glance around the boat. His brows quirked as he caught my gaze, a teasing light entering his eyes as he took in my defensive stance. Idly, he toyed with the laminated card. I caught the brief flash of a "0" before it was turning again. 0. 0. 0.
"FIRST APPLICANT, GET READY TO DISEMBARK NOW!" The announcer squealed, jabbing a finger into the air as the little stopwatch in her hands gave a soft chirp. Hisoka strolled forward, that card flicking between his fingers. Flick. Flick. Flick.
His eyes stayed on me, his aura withering around him as his gaze ran leisurely down my body and then back up again. Something in me responded, my aura roaring up to meet his as he drew nearer. Was it a challenge? It felt like that. But also something more. Something a little bit more heated. More personal. His smile grew, his aura finally near enough that it could lick along mine.
He stopped, his head tipping to the side, one hand going to his pocket as he put that card away. I could feel the heavy attention of the rest of the boat, the baited breath.
"Want to guess whose card I have, little mouse?" he murmured silkily to me, his head tilting to the side as he leaned down. He was so close now, his impressive build almost blotting out the sun, his hair an arch of fire, shivering with light. But near the roots… My eyes caught the tell-tale waves of baby blue, a starling contradiction.
I blinked, blushing as his teeth flashed, his eyes crinkling as if he saw the unsteady flash of thoughts. Damn him. I bared my teeth up at him, forcing his aura back with a harsh shove of my own as he smirked. "I. Don't. Care."
His tongue ran slowly over his bottom lip, his eyes flashing hungrily as they traveled over me again. I could see it then - the stark, carnal longing. He would love to eat me up, devour me whole. My face burned, something low inside of me tightening. I flinched, startling by the sudden, combatting emotions.
"I think that you should," he whispered, his breath hot against my ear, the baby hairs there shivering with it.
My heart squeezed, heat and nervous energy waring against each other until I thought I would go crazy with it. What the hell was happening to me?
"FIRST APPLICANT!" The announcer called shrilly, her voice tinged with panic. "Your times ticking! One minute remaining."
Hisoka drew back, his smile cheeky even if his aura was still pinching along mine, pulling at me, pushing me. I gritted down, trying to regain control of my emotions. He didn't need the time, I thought furiously as he glanced smoothly to the announcer and then back at me. No one would go after him. If this was a contest for wild animals, he would be a cheetah, the rest of us somewhere between gazelles and muskrats. Either on par enough to eat or so lowly that he wouldn't even consider.
"Don't get killed, pet," he murmured to me, his fingers reaching up. For a moment, I stopped breathing, my eyes narrowing in on the action. Would he kill me here? No. He couldn't. Could-
My scalp tingled, eclectic zings going up my arms as his nails scraped gently along my chin, the callouses of his fingers making me shiver. Gently - gently enough to slam me with confusion - his fingers slid along my jaw, grazing my ear until his palm cupped my chin, the tips of his fingers diving into my mess of hair.
It was almost… loving. I blinked, gasping, staring wildly up into his smiling eyes, mocking - so mocking even now. Gently, he gave my nap an affectionate squeeze before pulling away.
And walking into the depths of the forest beyond without a backward glance.
Silence buzzed all around me, my head filling with that static until there was nothing but the trees and the place where Hisoka had been.
"Second applicant." I jumped, jerked out of my daze with a forced that should have knocked me flat.
Minoru's eyes were critical as he stared a time, his stitched mouth pulled into a frown. Have a fun break from reality?
I - That was… My mind was blank, still reeling.
Minoru's gaze narrowed scornfully. Well, if you want to keep your little promise to Prince Charming than I suggest you get your head out of the clouds.
He's not Prince Charming, I replied immediately, my eyes darting to the tree line as another person exited the boat. Hisoka… If he had my card, I… My head spun in confusion. Would he hunt me down? When he had the ability to get badges so easily. Most of the poor schmucks here would hand over their badges willingly if they saw him coming their way.
But to not put into consideration that Hisoka had the fullest ability to fuck me over was stupid. No. He wasn't Prince Charming. But trusting him had gotten me this far. So I wouldn't worry about him. At least, not until the problem with Ichihiro passed.
My eyes slid to him, my stomach churning as I realized that he had been watching me the whole time, his pallid grayish as he stared at me beneath sunken lids. Slowly, his body unspooled itself from where he sat, his eyes dark and humorless as his legs jerked out from under him, his frame somehow a lot taller than I had originally thought it to be. His eyes had gone black, the pupils dilating into something alien. Something feral.
Sudden nausea tightened my stomach as he slid smoothly toward the bridge. He wanted to kill me, I realized with a jolt. The idea had crossed my mind but… Why did he hate me so much? I forced myself to keep his gaze as he passed, his head turning even as he passed me, his gaze never leaving mine.
"I'm gonna make you scream, little girl," he whispered to me, his voice devoid of anything. Like he was stating a fact. Like he had no other plans. Chills bit up my arms and legs. This was the real Ichihiro. Whatever trace of the person I had met in the Third Phase was gone. He was good at lying, I realized. Good at hiding away his true self behind a bland smile.
Minoru gave a low snarl. But I could hear the tremor there. My fear coursed between us, bouncing back at me like a ball against a wall.
He didn't stop staring at me.
Even as he got off the boat. Even as he got to land and went into the brush. His head stayed tipped, one eye focused me until the forest ate him up.
I should have killed him, Minoru snarled unsteadily. We both stayed trained to that spot, our eyes locked where he had disappeared like at any moment he would launch himself back across the clearing.
My brother's eyes caught mine, their expressions somber as the announcer called for the next applicants.
"Don't do anything stupid," Imori said gruffly, his eyes flicking to where Ichihiro had been.
A dribble of sweat ran down Umori's face as he flicked nervously glances from me to the forest. His adam's apple bobbed. "I - We love you."
I gulped. That sounded too final. Amori's jaw tightened, his eyes cat-like as they ran over me and then gave Umori a harsh glance. "And we'll see you after you get rid of this asshole."
A swell of gratefulness choked me along with uncertainty. I couldn't think about them not making it. To even think it was to put it into existence. So I wouldn't. My brothers would make it and we would be hunters together. That was the only option.
I didn't answer them, forcing a smile and a nod as I turned to the bridge.
"1 minute and 37 seconds," the announcer chided, tapping a nail at the stopwatch's display. "Tick tock."
Keep to the cliff, I reminded Minoru, rolling my neck.
I didn't wait for him to reply, taking the bridge at a sprint. It would be useless to stalk Ichihiro. He already knew I was coming for him. The only thing to account for was how long until our paths collided.
Behind me, I heard Minoru give a frightful roar before there was a chorus of surprised yelps and groaning timber. A final warning for the remaining contestants to stay away from me before he took to the sky.
I could only hope that they took it.
Listen, guys, I want ya'll to wash your hands and wear your masks and keep thinking about each other. Some people might try to take away kindness in this world but I know that my readers aren't like that. You guys are wonderful, good, beautiful people.
XOXO - Lovely