Chapter XXVI

"Fucking no," Phinks rumbles, dark-faced and angry.

"Oh?" A lazy smile stretches across the magician's lips. He turns bright amber eyes back to Chrollo. "But your leader himself stated I can take my pick. I want to challenge her."

"Yeah? Well, news flash, dipshit! She's not a Spider." Phinks draws himself to his tallest height as he leers at the other man. "Challenge someone else."

"That's kind of unfair to me, isn't it?" The magician has the nerve to pout, petulant, like a child denied his toy. He turns back again to Chrollo, like a son waiting for a parent's permission.

Chrollo levels the situation with quiet grace. He stands at the crumbling throne, hands in his pockets, the evening breeze stirring his black overcoat.

Around him, the other Troupe members are also waiting for his decision, holding their breaths like bated bears. He feels everyone's gaze on him−but not Valtiel. Not her. She has been extremely careful not to glance his way or acknowledge his presence. His lips spread into a thin line, remembering all of a sudden how hers pressed against his not so long ago.

Before he could express his judgement, someone else speaks up.

"If you challenge her, even if she's not a member, you gain nothing by it," says Shalnark, levelheaded as always. "You will have to challenge another one to replace them."

"Exactly." Phinks is quick to side with his friend. "You fight her and kill her, you still gain nothing."

"Or she kills you." Feitan jumps from the window ledge and stands beside Valtiel. His black eyes glare daggers at the beaming magician. He hates his sunny disposition. "She defeats and kills you, and you die in the most pathetic way possible. You die for nothing."

Valtiel widens her eyes at Feitan. Although she doubts she could even last five seconds against the magician, she is surprised to hear him taking her side. She nestles closer around the Spiders, letting them do all the talk for her.

Again, the magician pouts. "If I can't fight her, then I can pick someone else?"

"That's what we've been telling you, genius," Nobunaga snaps.

"Okay, then. If I can't fight her−" He licks his lips at Chrollo's direction−"then surely I can challenge you?"

All the Spiders rise from the floor and dark, unmasked aura bursts furiously from them. The intense amount of aura from powerful Nen users shake the entire castle, its stonewalls crumbling further and the wooden beams from above falling on them. The very atmosphere is heavy with the scent of danger−and even then, the magician seems to bask in their anger and gives them another cheerful smile.

Chrollo lets the intensity hang for a moment, and then raises a hand.

The black aura dissipates. Valtiel could not even start to comprehend how they could manage such an amount of aura as a group. She already pities the victims of their next raid.

The magician just grins at the blatant display of threat.

"Of course you can challenge me," Chrollo says, much to the surprise and utter horror of the members.

Machi flinches and Nobunaga's face goes white. Pakunoda and Shalnark glance at the magician.

Even then, at his announcement, Chrollo notices that Valtiel does not dare looking up and meeting his eyes. He purses his lips.

"Since it never happened before, there are really no rules against challenging me. If you defeat me−which I highly doubt would happen−you would have to step up as the leader of the Phantom Troupe. Now, can you promise me that you can own to the commitment?"

"Hmm. Commitments are not really my thing," the magician answers after one thoughtful moment. "If it's okay with you, maybe I'll try again after a few years."

"I see." Chrollo nods to the other members. "Then choose which one to fight."

"Can it not be her?"

Pakunoda sighs and murmurs under her breath, "He's stubborn. This is getting tedious."

Valtiel feels the magician's stare on her again, despite Phinks's large build towering over her like a statue. She peers behind his arm and meets the magician's amber eyes.

He is smiling at her again, not the same malicious one he has before, but a cheerful, friendly smile.

She swallows hard and whispers, "Maybe I should try−"

"You shut your mouth," Feitan snarls. "I don't want to hear anything from you."

"He'd skin you alive," Nobunaga agrees.

Gee, thanks, guys. Valtiel nods and obediently says no more.

Phinks takes an aggressive step forward while he cracks his knuckles. An orange aura surrounds his body and the magician stands straighter, poised like a dancer on the floor. Phinks jabs a finger at the magician's direction and growls.

"You wanna fight her? You gotta go through me first."

The magician's eyes gleam at him and Phinks scowls deeper, angrier. "What's the matter, clown? Afraid to fight me? Come on! Let's get this over with!"

"Maybe you should sit this one out, Phinks." Omokage sidesteps the blond Spider, a devious grin playing across his lips. He strides towards the center of the throne room, the black cape he wears billowing with the wind. "I have recently acquired dolls, you see. I'd like to try them."

"Be my guest." Phinks could care less about the creepy puppeteer. He sinks down to the ground next to Valtiel and leans against her. His warmth soothes her. "Anyone can fight the bastard."

"Thank you," says Omokage, and then turns to the magician. His aura slowly emerges and surrounds him, like a warm blanket. "Will you play with me?"

"Ooh. Interesting."

The magician appreciates the power behind the puppeteer's aura. He saunters forward−until he and Omokage are facing each other like fighters in a battlefield. The Spiders watch around them, with Chrollo on his throne by the candlelight, observing like a game master. The magician produces a deck of cards out of thin air and shuffles them expertly.

"Would you mind picking a card for me?"

"No," Omokage growls and puts out his right hand. His numbered spider tattoo is in front for the magician's gaze.

Another, more powerful burst of aura comes from him. He snaps his finger; a puppet of a green-haired woman in a body armor materializes behind him. The puppet summons numerous crystalline blades, which hover behind Omokage in a semi-circle.

Grinning maniacally, Omokage sends the blades towards the magician in a dizzying speed, whistling through the air powerful enough to damage the stone floor.

The magician dodges at the last second, somersaulting with absolute grace, and then launches himself in the air, high above them all.

Omokage flicks his wrist and the puppet's blades pivot upwards. The magician pits his cards against the blades; the cards slice into half and the blades fly to the ground, embedded there deeply.

Omokage scoffs and snaps his fingers again. This time, a burly pirate materializes and sends an iced geyser towards the magician.

The attack misses again, for the magician leaps out of the way, jumping from one column to another. Omokage follows the quick movements with ease, though he could not concentrate whether to summon the swordswoman or the pirate again.

The magician sees through his temporary lapse and dives toward the puppeteer, destroying one stone column that he uses as a leverage. He closes the distance between them in a tenth of a second and comes face-to-face with the astounded puppeteer.

Omokage grits his teeth. Before he could snap again, the magician yanks at his right hand and forces it backwards, breaking bones and ripping veins from the inside. Omokage's pained scream resonates in the entire room and bounces back from the vaulted ceilings. He glares at the smiling magician and attempts to punch him in the face. However, physical strength is not his field, the magician takes the punch in stride and delivers one strong blow of his own.

The force of his punch sends Omokage flying backwards, toward Chrollo and his throne. The magician snickers and runs after Omokage, then throws a back kick.

Omokage snaps the finger of his left hand and summons the pirate again, in which the pirate wraps Omokage's feet in a block of ice to slow him down and grounds him firmly to the floor.

The magician nods in appreciation, but he is done playing. He opens his palms wide, and then with a flick of his wrists, the crystalline blades on the floor rise and hurl toward the puppeteer. Omokage gasps, unable to release the pirate's ability, which damns him and subjects himself to the numerous blades surging forward.

Valtiel puts a hand over her mouth to stop a scream. She does not miss the swift movements of the blades as they pierce through Omokage's entire body.

Blades go through his thighs and legs. Multiple blades notch deeply into his stomach. A lone blade goes straight through his open mouth. Omokage's aura dims and then disappears, and the pirate's ability vanishes. His body slowly goes limp, yet it stands, held up by the several blades crisscrossing his body.

"Stop wincing," Feitan snaps at her again. His dark eyes are on the magician. "Use Gyo."

And so she does, blinking when she notices pinkish flimsy threads connected to the blades.

Feitan nods to the puppeteer's corpse. "What do you see?"

Countless of sleepless nights translating foreign languages and using Gyo prepared her for this. Her eyes dart and forth, counting the threads and noting where they are attached to.

"I count seventeen, all of them connected to the columns, ceilings, and even the floor."

"Do you know how they got there?"

She shrugs, lost.

"He set them up when he dodged the blades," Feitan explains, surprisingly patient. She is half expecting him to lash out again at her incompetence, but he sounds serene now, thoughtful even. Could Feitan even be thoughtful? "One blade per column and crisscrossed the threads around the place," he adds.

"Like a spider web," she whispers, amazed.

"Yes," he says. "Spider web."

"How did Omokage-san not notice?"

"Oh, the smartass noticed," Feitan says in a grim tone. "But he chose to ignore it. He knew at first glance what he was getting into, and played along with the clown's trap. He's planned this out well."

"But why would he get himself killed?" she asks, still lost.

"I believe he wants to get out of the Troupe," Machi chimes in, arms folded in front of her. She dares not take her eyes off the magician, and half expects him to challenge another member. "I noticed Omokage acting strangely ever since the…"

She pauses, about to say Kurta Clan massacre, but halts when she remembers Valtiel's precarious situation. Even Feitan shoots her a quick accusatory glare.

"Ever since the last raid in the Norden mountains, he was very strange," she recovers.

"He's always strange." Nobunaga scratches at his nose. "Been asking for fights in the last few months."

"If he wanted to get out, he could have told us," Pakunoda says.

"Yeah. I'd kill him myself," Phinks says dreamily. "The punk."

Finally, Chrollo stands from his throne and steps down for the first time. He studies Omokage's butchered corpse and ignores the stench of blood seizing his senses. Instead, he stops in front of the magician and meets his salacious stare with calmness.

Around them, the Spiders stand in deference, with Phinks forcing Valtiel up to her feet when she refuses to acknowledge Chrollo's presence.

He congratulates the magician with a small smile and extends his hand to him. The magician takes it, allying himself to this man.

"Welcome to the Phantom Troupe," Chrollo says amiably. "You are our newest Number Four. I am Chrollo Lucilfer, the leader, and these are your new friends and comrades."

The members half-heartedly nod to him. No friendly greetings. No enthusiastic hand shakes or pat on the back for a fight well done. Once they finish, they all slump back to their seats and fall into silence. No one even asks for the magician's name, and he sits in the dark corner of the room, away from the Troupe members.

Valtiel glances at her phone. It is 12:00A.M. She sighs in defeat. She misses the small house and her giant of a clock that chimes every hour. She misses the bed, despite its coldness. She misses the swing on the porch, her little seed that has grown to bloom into a small sunflower.

And Pairo−she peeps at Phinks under her lashes and he grins down on her, nudges her with his shoulder, and says nothing. She could never hate Phinks for that, not when he is friendly to her like this.

Chrollo takes the center and explains the details of their mission. The raid would take place three hours from now, in a headquarters of a diamond trafficking operation not far from the castle. He assembles a team that consists of Shalnark, Machi, Nobunaga, Phinks, Feitan, and their as-of-yet newest unnamed member. Pakunoda and Valtiel are to stay behind at the base.

When the clock strikes three, the team moves out.

Valtiel snatches the sleeve of the nearest Spider−Phinks−and fidgets under the heaviness of his gaze. She fiddles with her fingers and murmurs, "Can I go with you guys?"

The Spider gapes at her. "What's that, dollface?"

"Can I go with you guys please?"

"Hell no." Phinks snorts. "We're not fetching ice cream this time. You stay here. Danchou's orders."

I'll be damned if I listen to one more order. She sets her jaw tighter and glares into his face. Phinks takes a step back, shocked at her outburst.

"Please. I want to help."

I want to get out of here. I can't stand being in the same room with him and pretending nothing is wrong with me.

"Please," she says again. "I'll do my best to keep up. I won't stand in your way, Phink-san."

Shalnark notices them idling and pauses. "What's going on?"

Phinks makes a distressed face. "Val here wants to come."

"Oh? Really?!" Shalnark's face brightens and he laughs. "That's a first! But Danchou said you're staying behind, Val. And it will be dangerous. Do you really want to come?"

"Yes, please," she repeats, almost desperate now.

"Danchou!" Shalnark rounds towards their leader. Valtiel cowers behind Phinks's build to hide her shame from Chrollo's inquisitive gaze. "Valtiel wants to come to the mission! What d'you think?"

"Is that even a good idea?" Nobunaga interrupts. He pokes at Valtiel's left cheek. "It's dangerous."

"Oh, let her come," Feitan sighs in annoyance. "Let her tag along so she knows what's it like outdoors. She will have to get into the field sooner or later. Better now than never." He rolls his eyes and heads for the exit, followed closely by Machi.

"Well? What do you think, Danchou?" Shalnark asks again.

Valtiel presses herself closer to Phinks as she hears Chrollo's quiet hum.

"If she wants to come, then she can." His eyes never leave the pages of his book. He is as stubborn as she is, pretending that nothing is wrong when in fact, everything is wrong and no one wants to admit their mistakes. He flips to another page, one hand to his chin. "She can switch places with anyone who's willing to stay behind," he adds as a condition, aware that none of the members is willing to be left behind.

"Okay!" Shalnark chirps and turns back to Valtiel. He hums and searches around the room for the unlucky victim. His eyes land on Phinks. He grins mischievously. "Okay, Phinks, you're out!"

"WHAT?!"

"You switch with Valtiel," Shal says. "You stay here with Paku."

"Why would I−" Phinks sputters as Shalnark already takes Valtiel by the hand and leads her out with Nobunaga and the magician in tow. He stomps his feet like an angry child. "Hey! I'm not finished talking yet! I'm not staying here!" He whirls to the throne. "Danchou−!"

Chrollo hides his face behind his book.

"Damn you guys to hell!" Phinks bellows after the others, while Pakunoda just rolls her eyes and sits herself on the window ledge. "I won't forget this! Next mission I'll do it myself!"

Machi is driving, while the others are stuffed in the van. Shalnark is fussing over with his phone and is watching a live feed from the security camera he hacked last night. Nobunaga is dozing off in his seat, head thrown back, mouth wide open for loud, gurgling snores. Feitan is sneering once more, nudging the samurai away before Nobunaga could fall on the smaller thief.

Valtiel, seated beside Feitan, peers back to the magician quite alone in the back. He is playing with his cards, absorbed in his own world. She decides to join him, taking careful steps.

"Hi."

"Oh." Amber eyes glimmer in the van's shadows. "Hello."

"Welcome to the Phantom Troupe," she says hesitantly. She is not a member. Is it fine if she welcomes a new member? Not one from the Spiders is complaining. It must be all right. She smiles and extends a hand to the magician. "My name is Valtiel. What's yours?"

"That's a pretty name," the magician murmurs to himself. He produces a black Joker and shuffles it over his long fingers. He offers the card to her, and when she tries to take it, the Joker turns into black, withered asphodel stalk. He smiles kindly when she gasps in amazement.

"My name is Hisoka."

"That's a strange name," she tells him.

"Valtiel−" Feitan's voice rumbles from the front. "Get back here. Stop talking to strangers."

"He's not a stranger," she counters. "Not anymore. His name is Hisoka."

"Guess what? I don't care. Come up front. We're getting close."

She sighs and catches Hisoka's secret smile. She slumps back to her former seat just as Machi forces the van into a sudden stop. Nobunaga all but flies across the van and bonks his head on the nearest window. Valtiel and Shalnark laugh as they climb down the vehicle.

Before them stands a fifty-story building. It looks old and abandoned, like their temporary base, with broken glass windows, debris, and multi-colored street art, most likely from teenager punks. The wind is arid in this part, as Nobunaga complains.

"Okay, team." Shalnark gathers everyone in a circle, like a sports team where he is the coach. "Our target is in that building. But! Instead of being hidden on one of those floors, the item is buried underground. About twenty-stories deep and over a hundred meters. We'll have to proceed to the deepest vault."

"What are we stealing again?" Nobunaga yawns.

"Diamonds," Machi answers. "They're illegally trafficking diamonds."

"Illegal or not, we here to take everything," Feitan says.

"Let's go, then." Shalnark leads them towards the front door. "I set up the security cameras yesterday. They always have guards posted on each floor but I thought we'll be fine."

On cue, a group of six armed soldiers appear by the doorway. They hold up black assault rifles, and are poised to launch grenades at them.

Shalnark blinks at his teammates; with a roll of his eyes, Feitan runs through the soldiers and beheads them without the use of his claws. The others push forward, but Valtiel, perpetually impressed, gapes at the dark-haired thief.

They take an elevator that leads underground. It is unbearably small, designed only to take three persons at a time. With six team members, they are forced to cramp inside the elevator, suffering with the lack of air and listening to the damned cheesy elevator music. Everyone tries not to squirm, but they still do, especially since Shalnark, Nobunaga, and Hisoka are all six-footers. Feitan grumbles beneath his bandana, squished between Nobunaga's back and Hisoka's biceps, while Machi and Valtiel turn their backs against the boys and stare blankly at the buttons.

Suddenly, the elevator stops. The lights flicker until they die down. Everyone looks expectantly at Shalnark.

He pulls out his phone and whistles. "Looks like we've got company," he muses. "They saw us from the elevator camera. A group of soldiers is trying to cut down the wires from above."

At that moment, the elevator quavers. A loud metallic clang sounds over their heads as well as hurried shouts of the soldiers. The wires are falling to the elevator's roof like anchors on a ship.

"We have about fifteen stories left to fall," Machi observes.

"It's actually a faster way to get to the lowest floor," Shalnark says.

"Anyone wanna hold on to me?" Nobunaga teases.

"Ten thousand Jenny says Nobu will scream like a girl," Feitan says.

"Done," Machi returns.

"You guys are so disrespectful," Nobunaga snaps. "I can hear you, you know."

Again, the elevator trembles until the last wires snap. The floor beneath their feet gives way as the elevator free-falls several meters in a span of few seconds.

Valtiel screams at the sensation of falling, of being swallowed up in the darkness. It reminds her then, of a burning forest, of a stormy night, and of an abyss that took her. She screams like the way she screamed back then, delirious with fright. Then she feels a firm grip on her forearm, steadying her as they fall. Her golden eyes look up at Hisoka, and he smiles.

The elevator goes down and down−until Hisoka, thinking quickly, smashes the elevator door and sticks his pinkish aura onto the wall. The box jerks up and then down, and to a stop. Valtiel looks around the faces around her and laughs at Nobunaga's flyaway hair.

"I told you he'd scream," Feitan tells Machi. "You can send it into my account later."

Hisoka uses his aura and lays the box to the ground. Shalnark pries the doors open and they find themselves in the lowest floor indeed, in a long hallway with road lights on the corners.

At the end of the hallway, there is a massive vault with seven different locking mechanisms. Machi purses her lips and taps at the steel door. The metal clangs and echoes.

"Where's everybody?" Valtiel searches around the hallway. "Where are the soldiers?"

"On their way," Feitan answers. "From there." He points to the emergency exit on the far corner of the place.

"I count about fifty, seventy," Nobunaga says, his mastery in En a great asset in missions. "They're coming towards us in high speeds. Several weapons included. Shal, think you can work with the vault while Machi and I take care of the soldiers?"

"No problem!" And Shalnark sets to work.

"Let's go, Machi−"

"Wait." Feitan's hand darts underneath his sleeves as he yanks Valtiel toward the samurai. "Take little girl. She needs fight experience, not babysitters." His friends give him incredulous looks. "She said she wants to help. She can help now. She finished Nen training with Danchou, remember?"

"Oh, yeah, that's right," Machi says wearily. "You can go in my place, Val."

"A-Are you sure?" Valtiel blanches as Nobunaga starts dragging her towards the emergency exit. "Wait! I haven't fought anyone in a real fight before! Can't I have a simulation or something?"

Shalnark laughs. "Maybe I'll design one for you in the future, Val! For now, stick to the guinea pig soldiers! Have fun, you two!" He waves a hand as Nobu shuts the door behind them.

Valtiel follows the samurai into the darkness. Behind the door is another hallway and a short flight of steps that leads to the floor above. Nobunaga switches the lights on and scratches his belly. Valtiel, worrying about the upcoming confrontation, paces back and forth as if a caged lion in distress.

"They're here." Nobunaga stretches and unsheathes his katana. He raises an eyebrow at the pale young woman and says, "You know, since you finished your training, it won't hurt if you use your ability. It's good practice for you, kiddo." He discards his sword and stands aside.

"Oh, you're joking," Valtiel deadpans.

The door across the hallway bursts open and a sea of green-clad soldiers stream inside.

Nobu chuckles. "All yours, kid."

"You!" The leader of the pack points an assault rifle at their faces. "Who the hell are you?!"

"The Phantom Troupe," Nobu answers.

"Tch. Never heard of you!"

"Oh?" Nobunaga's mouth drops in surprise. "Oh, well, that's okay. I'm not offended. Are you offended, Val?" Confused, she shakes her head and he shrugs. "Yeah, we're not offended. We're cool, man."

Valtiel takes a deep breath and starts walking toward the soldiers. They raise their rifles in unison, all aiming at her head. She opens and closes her hands, feels the rush of her blood down to her fingertips. She has once chance to take them down. Her feet dig into the ground, her body bent and her gravity low.

The general growls. "Fre−"

And Valtiel pounces to the center of the group.

A golden sphere bursts out of her and slowly engulfs the entire crowd.

The soldiers go slack under the influence of her aura, their mouths agape and their eyes open yet unseeing. In their stillness, she takes out her claws and disables the general first−breaking his body from joint to joint, shattering the bones of his thighs and feet. When she finishes, barely two seconds have passed. She turns back to an astounded Nobunaga.

"Nobu-san," she calls out, "could you finish the others? You have eight seconds left."

Without telling twice, Nobunaga takes his sword and slashes around the swarm of soldiers. He cuts them in half with frightening ease, and finishes a second before the golden sphere dissipates like steam.

"−eze−!" The general finishes his sentence and falls limp to the floor.

"Woah," Nobu breathes and blinks at his companion. "Was that your ability?"

"It is," she says, beaming. "Did I do well, Nobu-san?"

"Are you kidding me?!" He drapes an arm across her shoulders as they walk back to the group. "That was impressive! I didn't understand what you did but it was incredible!"

They reunite with the other members and Nobu keeps gushing at them. "You guys should have seen it!"

"Seen what?" Machi asks. "Are you two done already?"

"Hell yeah!" Nobunaga grins at her face.

"Not even minute passed," notes Feitan.

"Guess who made it possible? Little kiddo here!" Nobunaga pokes at her cheek and Valtiel sighs at the samurai's sudden enthusiasm. Who would have thought that the usually grumpy Nobunaga has a brighter, more childish side in him? "You guys really should have seen it. It was awesome."

"Is everyone dead though?" Shal asks, still tinkering with the vault.

"Dead and on their way to hell," Nobu confirms.

"Good. Now help me with the steel door." Shalnark steps aside and wipes at his forehead. "It's made from Rhialton steel, very hard and tough. Maybe your Nen-enhanced sword can cut through it. Hisoka's playing cards and Machi's threads certainly cannot."

After a few quick nicks, the vault door falls open.

Everyone steps inside and admires the winking diamonds in their glass cages. Some are small as pebbles and gathered together inside a transparent net. One is as large as a tennis ball, its luminous silver hue shimmering. The largest in the collection is a deep blue diamond with the size of a melon. The Spiders gawk at the glittering beauty and understand now why their Danchou wants it.

They take everything and stuff them into sacks. On their way out, they stop to consider.

"The elevator's broken," says Shalnark. "Should we take the stairs?"

"I hate stairs," Nobunaga grumbles.

"Me, too," Valtiel murmurs, not glowing at the idea of climbing twenty-stories. She would barely make it three floors before collapsing. The others would leave her behind.

"Well, what do you guys suggest?" Machi sighs. "We don't have a choice but the stairs."

"Actually," Hisoka starts to speak up, "I have an idea."

"Anyone who is not a magician?" Machi retorts.

"So I have this idea," Hisoka continues. His team members glare daggers at him and he grins back. "If everyone could only get back into the elevator, then it would be great."

Grumbling to themselves, the Spiders plus Valtiel squeeze inside the small space again.

Hisoka stands by the door and smashes the box's roof. He jumps onto the edge and starts flicking his wrist. At Feitan's insistence, Valtiel uses Gyo; she could see a pair of thick threads on either side of the wall. The aura latches several meters above the box, and stretches downwards as Hisoka sticks the other ends on the elevator's roof. Then he jumps back to join them inside.

"Everyone ready?" he asks exuberantly.

More grumbles answer him. He winks at Valtiel and says, "Hold on to me."

Valtiel clamps her mouth shut and keeps her hands to herself. Hisoka giggles, then snaps his fingers.

The elevator ricochets so hard everyone inside stumbles on their feet. The force of it is twice as fast and strong than they were falling half an hour ago. The Spiders hold on to their treasures, and Valtiel, having nothing to hold on to, finds herself gripping Hisoka's arm and using him to steady herself from the surge. The rollercoaster ride ends as the box flies from its hinges, smashes through several floors, and soars through the night skies.

The Spiders leap out of the box in time. Valtiel, more focused on falling than landing on her feet, feels someone's strong arms behind her back and under her knees. When her gaze steadies and the nausea ebbs, she looks up at Hisoka's beaming face.

Quietly, the two of them stare at each other for a while.

Feitan growls. "Val, get off the clown. You don't know where its hands have been."

Author's Notes: Hoo boy! Took me longer than intended to update this story. My sincerest apologies, friends! I literally had NO day off for three weeks straight until today. I had to fished every other thing I needed to do before editing and publishing. I hope some HisoVal (yes, I'm coining that term now!) moments are enough to compensate for the long wait. HisoVal moments... and some ChroVal angst.

Sooo... how did Hisoka's introduction to the Troupe and the story go? I am a bit skeptical because Hisoka is such an interesting yet complex character, and this would be my first time writing his character. He's one of my (and my dad's) absolute favorite HXH character, so I'd really appreciate opinions/suggestions how to make his characterization in this story on-point with Togashi's writing. As for now, I love writing Hisoka and Valtiel together. Such contrasts−him a bloodthirsty killer and her an innocent soul.

*xenocanaan - Rest in Peace in pieces once more, Pairo!

*Aurora Clarion - Pfft! Danchou has been a jerk since Day One but that's okay! Hisoka's here to save the day! I live for a scene where Hisoka's just sexually (and playfully) harassing Val and everyone in the Troupe just sighs, and grumbles, and there might be some curses and thrown chairs at Hisoka's general direction. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Adultrio x Val, you say? Oh! I can see it perfectly! Definitely Hisoka will be fine and excited about the concept, Illumi (who for some reason likes Val?) might get possessive and controlling, and Chrollo will be the only one with a sliver of rational thinking and take Val away from the chaos. It's funny, chaotic, difficult, and ten times more exasperating−for Chrollo! XD

*Amy - ChroVal fluff? Nope! Those two are still going through the prideful, angsty road like a pair of teenagers. *rolls eyes* If there's no ChroVal fluff, we're more likely to have HisoVal fluff instead (initiated by Hisoka himself, definitely). And you're right about an AdultrioxOC story... there are too many characters involved for one OC to suffer them all. Besides, Val's already deeply into Chrollo and vice versa. Hisoka shenanigans though?! Oh, you bet! ;)

*HuangShaotian0005 - Val's not dying in front of Chrollo... unless Chrollo himself kills her. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Okay... Maybe I shouldn't have said that. Now I'm doing a major concern about our girl Val.

*Eric - Sorry it took so long! Hoping you enjoy this chapter!

*Mia Mena - The era of ChroVal has come to an end. Please welcome the dawn of a new era: HisoVal.

*ChroVal - I really don't have an update schedule because my work schedule sucks! :'( By the way, are you, by any chance, considering to change your username now that Hisoka's here? Haha.

*Loool - Waiiiiitt a minute! Were you the same person who left a comment in the AO3 version of this story? You share the same username. If you are, very nice to see you here! Join the shenanigans with us!

P.S. Any more suggestions to make this story more chaotic are welcome! (Not that I want Val to suffer more but...)

See you guys next update!