Chapter XLII

Hisoka has no knowledge how boats work. He simply messes with the buttons and somehow manages to put the engine into life. He grins, triumphant, and looks over his shoulder for his companion's approval. He receives none however, since Valtiel keeps to herself in the corner of the boat, huddled in her clothes. Chuckling to himself, he sets to guide the boat towards their destination.

It is a bleak, cold night. The sea is as dark as the skies, the waves gentle. Their boat slices through the waves without difficulties, and they say nothing to each other for many minutes. Once or twice, Hisoka glances over to her to make sure she's not sleeping. She does that a lot−sleeping−as if she could not be bothered by the world. Then he guides the boat to the nearest island on their map, putting it into a stop on the nearest shore, flanked by sharp rocks.

They disembark on the beach, ankle-deep into the sea. Hisoka hums a cheery tune as he slings a large backpack behind him. He looks more like a mountaineer this way, and he reminds himself that they are two thieves stealing into a protected area.

Their first island is thick with palm trees and other plants. Thorn bushes, wildflowers, and strange-looking fruits. He feels the young woman press more closely to his build, no doubt cautious of the poisonous plants and wild animals lurking in the darkness.

"How exciting," he says to break the silence. "I smell your fear all the way here."

"Of course," she grinds out, eyes darting back and forth the dark surroundings. "This is a restricted area protected by professional Hunters. There are traps everywhere."

"How do you know that?"

"I read about it in a museum," she answers, the sand and gravel crunch under their steps, some outgrown vines tickling their ankles. "About King Solomon's well-guarded treasures and the traps he and his crew laid out for thieves. Solomon had the treasure map cut into pieces and scattered throughout the world, but the Ruins and Treasure Hunters in the museum managed to collect everything−and Danchou managed to steal them right under their noses."

"You're so well-read, aren't you?" he muses.

"Just an interest of mine."

"I am surprised you let Danchou steal such precious information."

She shrugs, as defeated as she is nonchalant about it. "Once he sets his eyes onto something, he would move heaven and earth to get it. It's not exactly something I can stop, even if I am against it." She tucks a hair out of her face and shudders from the cold winds. "We have to start working. Can I have the map?"

He blinks down on her. "What map?"

"The map, Hisoka-san." She frowns. "Don't tell me you don't have the map."

"Oh, you're as paranoid as Danchou." He giggles and produces a map from his back pocket. "Here you go, little Val. Don't glower at me like that, I'm shaking in my boots."

She snatches the map from him. "Looks like Danchou gave us the smallest area," she says, counting six islands and three islets. "We are on one of the biggest islands, here on the southern part. We would have to continue northwards if we want to start searching for the treasures and−" She glares at her companion, who is yawning. "Hisoka-san, are you listening?"

"I stopped listening when you got the map." He grins. "So what now?"

"We should really start working on the mission."

"Now?" He whines.

"Yes. Why not now?"

"It's late already, almost midnight. Let's find a place to stay and get some good night's sleep. We can start troubling ourselves in the morning." He starts walking back towards the shore, putting the dark forest and plants to his back. "It's dangerous to delve deeper into a forest at this time. Let's camp out near the shore where we can have a good vantage point of our designated area."

Valtiel stares at his receding back, and he knows she cannot argue with that logic.

Deep down, Hisoka really has no intentions of completing the mission, sharing none of the competitiveness of the other Troupe members. He is only here for the fun and thrill of it−surrounded by the most powerful Nen users in their natural habitat, stealing and murdering in their wake. That, and of course, Valtiel herself: amusing in her own way, snapping at him when he gets too excited.

They return to the white shores, the boat swaying with the waves. Hisoka drops the large backpack on the sand and starts rummaging for their provisions. Then he blinks.

"What's wrong?" Valtiel asks.

"We have two blankets."

"So?"

"I thought I made sure we only have one blanket. One of everything, to be exact."

"Meaning?"

He chuckles and shrugs his shoulders, as if understanding some secret joke. Well, it is somewhat a secret joke. When the Danchou's attention was on his Kurta, Hisoka had messed with their provisions−one bed, one blanket, one of everything else−so that he and Valtiel would be forced to share everything for one week. Who would have thought that the Danchou had seen through it, and rearranged their things?

He sits cross-legged on the sand and looks up at her with an amused grin. "Danchou made sure we won't share anything throughout the mission. He's so meticulous when it comes to you, isn't he?"

She rolls her eyes and prepares her bed. "You should really stop antagonizing him, you know," she advices, smoothing the blanket across the floor and grabbing another one for herself. "And the Spiders, too. Nothing would come if you keep annoying them on purpose."

"They keep me entertained."

"Then stop," she says firmly. "You'll get yourself in more trouble."

"As if you're not antagonizing them yourself." Like a lazy cat, he stretches across the sands, elbows supporting his upper weight, while he angles his face towards her. He smiles. "Did you complain to Danchou about your babysitters? Because I don't feel anyone stalking you now."

"As a matter of fact, I did," she says. "I told him it makes me feel uncomfortable."

"But you're more than just uncomfortable, aren't you?" His eyes narrow as he licks his lips, watching in pleasure as she hesitates, confirming his theory. She is easy to read, like one of her many open books. Under normal circumstances, he would have grown bored already, but Valtiel is anything but. "You feel like you're being chased around by those mercenaries again? Fanboys of yours?"

"They are hardly fanboys, Hisoka-san."

"Ah, but you still admit that your babysitters remind you of them."

She pauses as if to contradict him, and then shrugs and slips into her bed. "They do," she mutters. "It's especially very hard to concentrate when their auras are as hostile as those mercenaries. I can't stand them keeping watch on my every movements."

"Good thing you're with me then."

Her brows knit together. "Why so?"

He chuckles and lays on the sand next to her. "Because my aura isn't hostile."

"No," she agrees, yawning. "It's not. Your aura is… warm and comfortable."

"Like a blanket?"

"Yes, something like that." She eases into the bed and starts dozing off. He watches her slowly drift off to sleep, buried under a thick blanket that the Danchou no doubt provided for her. Then she opens her golden eyes and glares at him. "Could you promise not to go anywhere while I sleep?"

"No promises, dear Val."

"Well, you can't just leave," she demands.

"Hold my hand, then." The devious little smirk is back on his face. He stretches out his left hand to her, for more persuasive effects. Knowing her indulgent nature, she should not refuse. "Hold my hand so that I won't have to go anywhere, Val."

"Are you a child?"

"Sometimes."

"This is ridiculous." But Valtiel is already reaching out for his hand, while burying herself once more under the covers. She murmurs her "good night" and falls silent afterwards.

Hisoka takes her hand in a firm grip, brushing his thumb across her knuckles. He uses his other arm as a pillow, him looking up at the dark blue skies. He counts the few stars burning, listens to the breeze and the waves and the boat rocking between the rocks in a short distance. He feels for her hand and it slackens, which tells Hisoka that she has already fallen asleep.

Sleepiness kicks in after an hour or so. He glances at his side, spotting her blonde locks peeking from under the blanket. He tightens his hand on her and closes his eyes, and finally falls asleep.

He wakes up again in the wee hours of the morning, his hand still holding Valtiel. He giggles at the childish ridiculousness of everything, and rises from his makeshift bed, tucks Valtiel's hand under her blanket, and pats her head as if he would to a puppy. He should be seeing her more as an unripened fruit, like so many others he encountered before. Oh, very well, she is a fruit, not a puppy.

The morning out here in the beach is colder. Hisoka crosses the length of the beach and removes his clothes, hoping for an early morning swim. He lets his top and pants fall into an unceremonious heap on the sand, slips off his high-heeled boots, and plunges into the cold waters.

He swims and fights off the waves, until he senses that his companion is awake. He smiles at the thought of her waking up and patting for his hand. She could wake up worried about him, so he gives one last dip into the water and rises again, like a merman from forgotten fairytales.

"Are you awake already?" he asks, stretching out his abdomen with the grace of a cat.

"Five more minutes," she mumbles against her pillow, her back turned to him.

He shrugs and keeps standing there, hands on his hips. "So, you and Danchou, huh? That's very sweet. I am not so surprised. My congratulations, by the way."

"Thank you."

There is something lazy and disinterested in Valtiel's part that wants him to tease her. It could be that she has just woken up and her mind is still on the edge of proper consciousness, but he already wants to have fun, tease her so early in the morning.

"So, have you done it yet?"

"Done what yet?" she asks groggily.

"Oh, you know."

"What, Hisoka-san?"

He hears the impatience and annoyance in her voice now. "Come now, Val. You should already know what I'm talking about," he croons, swaying his hips.

"I have no idea what you're talking about. What is it?"

"Oh, I can't say." A low, seductive purr rumbles in his throat. "I'm so shy."

"Fine. Then don't say it."

"Sex," he says bluntly.

"WHAT?!" Valtiel rounds on him so fast her hair whips like a pale silver-gold whir. She has a glare already in place, eyes glaring, her cheeks also flaring up. She growls at his disrespect, and at her own embarrassment.

Hisoka smiles innocently, knowing that she already has a mouthful of scolds and probably curses from her.

But then her anger dissipates as immediately as it has come when her burning eyes look at him in his fullest glory−red-purple hair down, no star-and-teardrop makeup under his eyes, no clothes.

She lets out a little horrified squeal and snatches her blanket to her face. "Gods, Hisoka-san!"

He whistles, twirling a lock around his long finger. "What's the matter, Val? You've seen me before."

"This is why Danchou doesn't want me anywhere near you," she exclaims. "Get dressed already! Spare me your nudities since I have already seen everything before! I will die of heart attack before this mission is even halfway through!"

"That's adorable," he says, collecting his outfit from the seashore. He starts dressing himself in front of her, and even then, Valtiel doesn't trust him. She keeps her face covered. "Is Danchou really that suspicious towards me? I thought the Troupe works as a family, too. Why the suspicions?"

"You give them reasons," she fires back, voice muffled by the blanket. "And I always have to work so hard to make them like you. You're a hopeless case, Hisoka-san."

"So, have you done it?" he returns to his original question as he slips on his pants.

There is silence but for the constant waves.

Valtiel turns around, her back to him, and sighs. She seems to be contemplating her options: to answer or not. Hisoka wouldn't purse the topic if she weren't so prudish about it.

"Of course not," she says.

He finishes with his clothes and runs his fingers through his damp hair. "Just as well," he says. During his time with her in the Heaven's Arena, he knows how modest she could be, despite his constant teases and pranks on her. She never lost her patience, but it did earn him some sarcastic comments.

After three months in the tower with her, he realizes that she has a long way to go.

"Don't do it yet," he advices, sounding like some wizened crone. So unlike him. He turns for the beach and stares up ahead, to the numerous islands and their forests. "When Chrollo gets all of his way with you, you wouldn't be able to save yourself. You're a good kid, Val. Save something for yourself."

There is something surprisingly caring in his words and tone that Valtiel turns around to face him. She searches for his amber eyes, usually glimmering with mischief, but right now, they are soft and thoughtful, almost impossible for a bloodthirsty magician.

She mulls over his words and nods. "I am my own person. Whatever else happens, I am not his property."

"Just as well, Val," he murmurs. "Just as well."

At daybreak, they finally−finally−move on to their mission.

Six islands. Three islets. They start from the southernmost island and work their way northwards. For most of the time, the weather holds fast, the grey overcast skies hanging low over the islands. They pore through the thick, wild forests, and come upon various plants and never before seen animals. While Hisoka stares at boredom, not very thrilled about their discoveries, the Kurta whips out a small notebook somewhere and starts documenting everything.

They labor across the islands for days and nights. The map Chrollo provided doesn't make any sense, Hisoka could barely trouble himself with the mission. He is not here to please Chrollo, but to fight him. His body still tingles from the sensation of gripping the Spider leader's hand and engaging him in an arm wrestling match. The leader's strength is something Hisoka admires, tremendously so, but a mere arm wrestling could not satiate his thirst. Nothing in this world would ever satiate his thirst but a real fight, a one-on-one, against Chrollo Lucilfer.

Once or twice, he thinks of endangering Valtiel in hopes of provoking the Danchou. Perhaps an "accidental" fall from a cliff, a quicksand in the forest, or even drown beneath one of the underground lakes they found. Given the Danchou's possessiveness, Hisoka could just think of a quick painless death and have the Danchou chasing after him. Now wouldn't that be a sight.

But no, really. It crosses Hisoka's mind that he could not do that. Not because he has grown fond of the young woman, although he certainly has, but the thought of the entire Phantom Troupe hunting him down is not as fulfilling. He doesn't care about the others, and earning their grudge would be a waste of time. He wants Chrollo−and no one else.

Well, he has the patience for it. He could wait a few more years to challenge the Spider head. Maybe in those upcoming years, he could also challenge Valtiel. If she focuses more on developing her Nen rather than wandering around reading books, perhaps she would be a good enough match for him in five years. He certainly hopes so; if he watches her over now for her to die an untimely death, then what's the point?

On the fourth night of their treasure hunt, they come upon the last of the largest islands with a holdfast assigned to them. To Hisoka, it looks like an old castle of sorts had stood here for centuries. The tower rises from the highest cliff, reminding him of the lighthouse, but the stones are already crumbling with age as he and Valtiel draw closer. He never listens to her explanations−about a pirate king's stronghold something something something−and so he follows her inside the castle, and prepares camp.

Four nights into the cold wilderness, they are happy for hard ground and a roof over their heads, although the said roof is also crumbling and Hisoka could see half of the night skies as he lays down to rest.

"We haven't found anything yet," Valtiel sighs sadly.

"Don't worry. We have three more days," he assures her.

"We might be the only pair who's not doing very well."

"I'm not good with missions," he admits, using both arms as a pillow. "Or working with other people." He angles his head upwards to grin at her, and she rolls on her makeshift bed to face him. "Maybe one or two people, but in a group? Nope. I fare better alone."

"If you think that is so, then why'd you join the Troupe?"

"It's a secret. If I tell you, you might tell Danchou."

She pushes herself up on her elbow, her blonde hair bouncing in tangles over her shoulders. "I won't."

He looks up at her again, pouting. "If I tell you, it won't be a secret anymore."

"Ugh." She drops her face into her pillow and groans. "Fine," she says in a muffled voice.

"Plus, I don't think you'd even believe me if I tell you."

"If it's one of your shenanigans again, then do me a favor: don't tell me."

"Okay, guess I will tell," he singsongs, hoping to annoy her. He stretches his arms high above his head, and then rolls over to his stomach, facing her, while his legs sway back and forth in the air. Their gigantic backpack is discarded to the side, and they have just finished their dinner of rice and salted fish. He hums and props his chin onto his palm. "I joined the Troupe because I wanted to test my strength."

"When you are already strong by yourself?" She follows his lead, chin on her palm, legs in the air.

"I want to be stronger." He grins at her, pouring honey over his lie. "And to be stronger demands to be surrounded by the strongest." He gives a dramatic pause. "They are the strongest, are they not? The Phantom Troupe? With over two dozen confirmed heists all over the world, thousands of deaths in their wake, not one member identified by name or face."

"I suppose so."

He points one claw-like fingernail at her direction. "And you're not even close to those feats."

She flares up, cheeks burning with indignation. "I am not trying to live up to the Phantom Troupe," she shoots back, insulted. "They are my friends and I love and respect them, but I am not a Spider. I have no tattoo and I would never have one."

"Not for now, I suppose." He sways his legs back and forth. "Unless someone dies so soon, you will be a reserve, a backup. Someone to be called upon when Danchou has no other options."

"He won't do that," she insists. "We already talked about it. I am not joining the Spiders."

"Sounds good to me." He yawns and goes back to his original position, staring up at the half-destroyed roof and endless stretch of dark blue roofs. "Because if things get bad between me and the Troupe, I wouldn't want to kill you. Not like that."

"You? Kill me?"

Hisoka licks his lips at the delicious change in the atmosphere. She is far from ready, a thousand miles out of his league, but if she keeps radiating with this kind of aura, he might just lose his self-control. Then he could proceed to his initial plan: kill Valtiel, anger and fight Chrollo. And kill him, too.

He moans aloud and says, "Don't fret, dear Val. I will save you for last."

She produces their useless map and starts poring over it. "You can do as you like, but we should really start worrying about this mission. According to this map, this stronghold should have a canal that leads to the underground lake. Solomon's crew should have hidden a treasure there."

The magician sits up and combs through his hair. Since he bathed on the first morning, his hair has been hanging down naturally, and his makeup is nonexistent. He might as well be just Hisoka, not a magician, not the infamous Grim Reaper. At least he still has his jester outfit and boots.

"Should we be going now? Since you're not so keen on sleeping," he teases. "So worried about what the others would say?"

She rolls her eyes and starts clearing their meager campsite. "Even if I fail to locate those treasures, I won't be in trouble. I am not the Spider, but you are." She smirks at him over her shoulder. "And if you fail to do your part, I am sure not only Danchou would scold you for irresponsibility."

"You're doing it for me?" He takes her hand and puts it over his heart. "I'm touched."

"Whatever." She throws the backpack at his face and jumps to her feet. "Let's head to this castle's basement and see if we can find that underground lake. I swear I'm the only one serious about this, Hisoka-san."

They wander through the olden castle and find a crumbling staircase. Hisoka goes down first, testing if the stone would hold against his weight. When everything seems clear, he starts wandering down the spiraling darkness, with nothing but his heels resonating and bouncing off the stonewalls.

At the end, there is a tunnel that leads to the canal. The canal is dry, though it still stinks of decades-old worth of garbage and dead animals. Nothing new to Valtiel, having spent her childhood in Meteor City; and certainly nothing new to Hisoka, who lived off his years in the streets until he was twelve years old. Together, they meander inside the tunnel, so dark that none of them could see their hands.

Hisoka hums another cheerful tune, while he keeps his senses to their highest capabilities. Something is strange down here, something even his extraordinary perception could not pinpoint. It could be a wild animal, or the ghosts of the pirate crew.

The deeper the tunnel slopes, the harder it is to walk without slipping. The corridor is coated with algae and mud, adding more unbearable stinks into an already stinky place. Hisoka covers his nose.

"You all right, Val?" In the darkness, his hand reaches out for her. He takes hold of her sleeve. "Take careful steps. It's getting very slippery. Your clothes are not at all adventure-friendly. Danchou might as well make a nun out of you in those clothes." Even in the darkness, his amber eyes gleam with mischief.

"He was just being cautious," she says in Chrollo's defense. She would not say aloud how her light blue furisode hinders her every movement, making it all but impossible for her to trek through the tunnel without the impending doom of tripping.

"Cautious of what? Showing off your skin to me?"

"Who knows?"

"Well, he doesn't need to worry. I've seen you before."

"Are you still insisting that story back at the tower? It's hardly credible."

"I won't force you to believe," he drawls. "Oh! Lookie here!" He stops and points at somewhere in front of him. In the shadows, it is hard to tell, but he could see how the tunnel slopes ever downwards, the stones switching into a cave floor. He finds her hand and tugs her with him. "We must be entering that underground cave now."

They walk for another few meters, until the cave comes into view in earnest, complete with a narrow stream and columns of stalagmites and stalactites. The darkness is more bearable as the water gleams. Hisoka finds a crevice to his left and leads the way. He could hear the current getting louder in this part, and the air is starting to get colder and fresher as opposed to the lingering stink of the tunnel.

At the end of the crevice, there is indeed an underground lake. Hisoka blinks and Valtiel gasps in wonder. The lake is glowing a bright blue, as if illuminated by some sort of underwater disco lights. He crouches on the side and dips his finger into the water; it is cold, and he could feel no danger from them.

"It must be bioluminescent algae," Valtiel says, rounding the lake.

"What's that?"

"When an environment has enough nutrients, the algae would follow. Their glowing is supposed to be a defense mechanism against predators," she explains, dipping an entire hand into the cool waters. "They are not particularly harmful to humans, but we have to be careful. Too much of anything is dangerous."

"Have you consulted our dear treasure map?"

"Yes." She unfolds the parchment and the magician bends over her shoulder. She points at a small location marked by a black X. "This is where we should be, underneath the castle. I bet the treasure is buried somewhere deep in the lake."

"Ah, well, in that case, I should get moving." He crosses his arms and pulls off his top.

Valtiel narrows her eyes at him, the iridescent blue lights shining in her golden ones. "What are you doing?"

He smirks as he pulls down his pants next, and she immediately looks away. "Uh, retrieving our treasure? You're so disappointed that we haven't any progress yet, so I am here to make you happy."

He kicks off his boots and scratches at his abdomen. Every inch of him ripples with hard muscle underneath pale and smooth alabaster skin. He catches her little blush, made brighter by the glowing lake. "Do you want to join me for a late night swim, Val? It's romantic."

She shakes her head, burying her face in her arms. "No, thank you. I am fine."

Languidly, he lowers himself into the lake. His skin glows, the alabaster lustrous beneath the blue lights. Even his hair seems to catch the light. He looks over his shoulder and purrs. "Are you sure, Val?"

Nodding, she sits cross-legged on the cave floor.

"Can you even swim?" He swishes one hand over the surface, teasing.

She blinks, as if the thought never occurred to her before. "I don't think I could," she answers in a thoughtful voice. "I have never even considered it until now. Meteor City doesn't have good water resources to begin with, just a narrow river that passes through the center of town. I don't remember swimming there."

The word remember puts a frown on her face.

Hisoka smiles. "Amnesia is such a disgusting trouble, isn't it? Well, no matter. No need to put yourself in a bad mood just because of wrong choice of words." He sinks deeper into the lake, shivering. "Wait there while I retrieve our treasure, okay? Now, now, don't frown. Danchou will accuse me of bullying you if you keep frowning like that."

She glowers. "I am not frowning."

He just laughs and dives into the lake.

It is brighter underwater. Hisoka has to adjust his sight if he doesn't want to be blinded. So much blue assaults his vision, every corner of the lake a shade of cheerful blue. He wades and kicks into the water, propels himself deeper, hands seeking purchase on slippery rocks. He spots schools of little orange fish and green plants towards the bottom.

But the treasure−there is no signs of a treasure chest, the one portrayed in most children's stories.

There is nothing down here but fish, plants, and blue. Ugh. Now it makes him hate blue even more.

Legs kicking beneath him, he tries to use Gyo. Perhaps the pirate king knows Nen, right? He looks around again, his red-purple hair coming into his line of sight as the water surges around him.

And he spots it: a bright pink amidst the sea of blue.

He swims towards it, fighting off the water. It is at the very bottom, wedged inside a thin crevice. He raises his eyebrow when he understands what it is−a plastic sheet containing their treasures. He shrugs and pries the sheet out of the crevice. A thin pink thread snaps as he yanks the treasure out.

Suddenly, he senses something odd in the place. With the treasure in the crook of his arm, he stares back up to the surface and notices something pink lingering in the area. His eyes widen in an instant.

No, Valtiel.

The magician rushes to the surface; one powerful kick on the floor sends him back to the shore. He puts the treasure on the floor first, and then frowns at the pink gas in the air.

He heaves himself off the lake, droplets rolling down the length of his limbs. He takes a short, cautious sniff, and blinks.

A strange sweet fragrance. Some kind of poison?

He holds his breath and walks around the space. "Val? I got the treasures. Where are you?"

A croaking voice answers him. "H-Hisoka-san…"

The magician rushes to the supine figure on the floor. She could have been attacked while he is gone, but there are no signs of a third party. He puts his hand on her shoulders and gently pulls her into the sitting position, pressing her back against a large boulder.

"What happened to you?"

Valtiel's eyes are regarding him through heavy lidded lashes. Her lips are parted for quick, shallow breaths. She fists at the skirt of her furisode, and shuts her eyes when he inches closer. She half-moans and half-sighs, licking her lips, and then panting again.

Hisoka is at a loss. "Have you been poisoned by the gas?"

"Poisoned." She spits the word with contempt. Her eyes open again, glazed with something he does not expect to see in her−not her of all people.

Slowly, her gaze studies his entire face, his shoulders and chest, and wander even lower−Hisoka doesn't know whether to be amazed, excited, or conflicted−and finally, there. Her glazed eyes stare down at him, with her still panting, her cheeks flushed.

"Don't look at me like that," he croons and lifts her chin, forcing her eyes back to him. "If you keep staring down there, I might get ideas. Danchou will be very displeased."

"Kiss me," she chokes out, and then shakes her head wildly. "No, no, I didn't mean−"

"You are poisoned." He snickers and taps his chin. "I wonder what kind of gas this is, to make you see me this way. I should get myself some of these. Maybe I can use it on Machi."

"Hisoka-san!" she grinds out his name. "Please…"

"Wait a minute." He leaves her there and returns for his clothes. "Let me get dressed, and then we can get out of here. Let's go to the beach. You like it there, don't you? Skies and pretty stars? We can go to the beach and get you some fresh air."

While he monologues to himself, he finishes with his clothes and tucks their treasure under one arm, and then he scoops his friend in bridal style. At once, she latches onto his neck and shoulders, burying her face into the crook of his neck. He could feel her lips pressing on his throat.

He walks out of the cave and heads back to the tunnel. Whatever the gas is, it does not reach far from here. He takes a deep breath, smelling algae and garbage rather than that sweet fragrance. If he had fallen victim of that, and Valtiel also became a victim−

"Oh, I am blushing just thinking about it," he purrs to himself.

They pass through the decaying stronghold, back into the palm tree forest, and then to the rocky shores. He sits her down on the white sand and arranges the treasure and backpack beside him. He messes with the backpack and takes out a bottled water.

He lets her drink, discards the bottle to the side, and feels for her forehead. "Hm? Your skin is very hot, Val. Are you sure you're poisoned and not just having a fever?" He pouts and digs into their backpack. "Guess Danchou did not see this coming. We've no medicine. Tell him next time to bring you some…"

She embraces her knees and curls up on herself. "Hisoka-san…"

"What do you feel, Val? Maybe I can help."

"I feel strange," she whimpers, as if afraid of herself. "I feel… very hot."

"Hot?"

She screws her eyes shut and nods. "Yes."

He blinks, humming. "This doesn't look too good." He rummages through their backpack again and comes upon their leftover foods. He holds them out for her. "Are you hungry? We have some apples left and some chocolate bars. What do you want?"

"I want you," she pants, eyes heavy.

"Now, now, don't spill our secret so casually, Val," he says. "Danchou can't know about us." He holds out his hands again, closer to her face. "Apple or chocolate?"

"Chocolate, please." She snatches the bars but clutches her fingers around them instead.

The magician sighs and pouts again, childish. "I think we should really call Danchou. Whatever you're feeling, it must be because of that gas. Probably a Nen ability, able to influence the mind and the body. Make someone feel something uncharacteristic of them." He taps his chin as he thinks deeper about it. "Or it might have something to do with hormones. You know… teenager stuff."

She tries to laugh it off, but groans and throws her head back. "I don't feel so good, Hisoka-san."

He takes out his phone. "That's it, I'm calling Danchou." He jumps back to his feet and finds Chrollo's name in his list of contacts, presses the call icon, and waits for the other line to ring.

Standing at the beach and staring up ahead, Hisoka furrows his brows at the unfurling scene before him.

The islands in the dark horizon are covered in multi-colored mist, thicker and higher than the one from the cave. His hand falls to his side as he gapes: green gas on one island, purple in another, yellow and orange in the next two islets. If pink has this much effect on Valtiel, he has to wonder what the others could do.

His phone vibrates and Chrollo's voice sounds faraway. "Hisoka? Is there anything wrong?"

"Hm, Danchou, are you seeing these gases right now?"

"Yes, Paku and I are evacuating our area. You and Valtiel should do the same."

"Ah, about that?" He could almost feel the Danchou's anger seething through the phone. "Val has already fallen victim. I have a vague idea what the effects are, though I am not sure about the others."

At a distance, one island trembles. The skies above it grow darker than the midnight skies, and the black clouds swallow the stars. The waves around the island grow more dangerously, and Hisoka feels the ground shake beneath him, as if there is an earthquake and thunderstorm on that island at the same time.

Chrollo's voice hardens. "Keep Val out of danger. One island is about to be decimated."

Hisoka is intrigued. "Who can do such a thing?"

Valtiel, who has been keeping to herself since her poisoning, joins the magician at the shore and gasps at the horrendous display of gathering black clouds and lightning bolts. Even in her haze, Hisoka notices that she knows whose aura it belongs to. He supposes that she should know, having spent more time with the Phantom Troupe than himself.

Her golden eyes, once glazed with lust, now glints with terror.

"That's Fei-san." It comes out as a terrified whisper. "And he's angry."

Author's Notes: *nervous chuckle* Hehe, how did this one do? Where are my HisoVal shippers at? 😂

But first and foremost, Happy Valentine's Day everyone! Or Happy Independence Day to the single peeps like me! I hope you enjoyed your day with your loved ones. Remember: we celebrate all kinds of love today, so no need to be sad if you're single (like me, LMAO).

Now, this chapter! We've got Hisoka and Valtiel partnered together after Chrollo lost the arm-wrestling match to our friendly neighborhood magician. But let's be real−Val is actually the one carrying this team. Hisoka tried to help at the end though, and look what happened. Some sort of poison, and now Val's all over him. I wonder how Danchou would react if he finds out. Torture for Hisoka? Decapitation? Or a team effort from everyone in the Troupe? We shall see, we shall see...

Thank you all for reading! And thank you to everyone who took their time to leave reviews last chapter. I love you all so much! Thank you very much for the warm support. It really helps during these tough pandemic-quarantine times. I pray that you all stay safe and healthy! ❤️

EDIT: About the time skip thingy, I received mainly positive opinions towards it. So far, I think only two or three people are opposed to it. I will be grateful for more input, whether you think a time skip would be wise for the story. Thank you again!