Is anyone still reading this? Who knows. But I'm gonna finish this. Mostly out of spite, because that's just how I am.
Staring out the window of her lab, Adella took a moment to gather her thoughts. It had been a slow week, one she was grateful for considering the turmoil in her personal life, but that didn't mean she could relax. Last time she'd done that, bad things had happened. Her phone pings, and she sighs, taking it out of her back pocket. It was probably Netero asking about lab operations.
She stares down at the screen, brows furrowed as she tries to understand what she's seeing. Why was Hisoka texting her? They weren't close, only really acquaintances thanks to Ryn and Illumi. Sure, the magician didn't mind her, but he'd never texted her before unless it was about Ryn.
She has a startling realization it may be about Ryn. What if something was wrong? Adella swipes open the chat, relaxing as she sees the message. It's Ryn. I lost my phone so I'm using Hisoka's.
Fair enough. She responds quickly, knowing she'll get spammed if she doesn't. Hi, Ryn. You should be more careful where you place your things.
I have news. It wasn't like Ryn to ignore her ribbing. Something had to be wrong. Maybe it was just the boys; Ryn was always sensitive about them. Hisoka and Chrollo may be strong, but Ryn felt protective over them considering one was a wanted man and the other had little regard for his own life. She's drafting another message, trying to lighten whatever mood Ryn is in, when she gets another text. She stares at it, mouth agape, before rushing from the room, already calling Ryn.
Gon is going to fight Hisoka.
"He'll kill him, Ryn!"
"Adella," Ryn sighs, looking at the smug man currently wrapped around a visiting Chrollo. "I swear, he won't."
"You can't promise that! You know how he gets when he's in the arena! We've seen all his old fights!" Ryn hears her friend sigh, envisioning Adella pinching the bridge of her nose. "Ryn, he's twelve."
She knows that. "I'm not dumb, Adella."
"I didn't say…"
"Do you not trust Gon?" She knows that's not the issue. Of course she trust Gon, she'd watched him become a Hunter.
"I don't trust Hisoka."
And there it was. Deep down, Ryn can't blame her, but still… "And I don't trust Illumi, but here we are."
"That's not fair." Adella sounds close to tears. Ryn knows his betrayal is still fresh, knows they're trying to move on, but it needed to be said.
"And it's not fair you still think I need you to save me. I'm not weak, Del. I'm not you."
The line goes silent, and Ryn realizes maybe she's gone too far. Adella wasn't weak, at least not completely. What she lacked in physical strength she made up for in intelligence and morality. Her friend couldn't be swayed from what she knew was right. It was why Illumi had moved first, why he'd been the one to apologize for what happened in the exam. Illumi was many things, but he was not strong enough to move her friend over the lines she'd drawn. But Adella was apparently enough to move a Zoldyck just by threatening to leave.
Just because she was sweet and mostly optimistic didn't mean she was weak. It was a strength all her own, one people often overlooked. It only made her stronger. "Adella…"
"I have to go." The call drops, and Ryn sighs as she pulls the device from her ear.
"Well that went well." Hisoka calls, amused. "Poor Illu; still don't trust him?"
"Would you?" Chrollo asks, having been informed by Ryn of all that had transpired. "She would be much less interesting to him without her…"
Ryn whirls on him, pointing her finger in his face. "If you dare use Bandit's Secret on her, I'll sell you to the highest bidder and help Illumi gut you."
He raises his hands in surrender. "I don't need her ability, it was just an offer."
"Don't even joke about that." Ryn hisses. "It protects her. The only reason Illumi has taught her as much as he has is to protect her. If he wanted to use her, he wouldn't have let her grow strong enough to manipulate him."
"She can do that?" Both men seem intrigued. "And here I thought she was the weak link. You just said so yourself."
Ryn winces. "I shouldn't have." Adella won't hold it against her forever, but she will be distant. "The Yorknew trip is going to be much more interesting now."
