{Jerk}

"I'm telling you for the xx-th time- I have nothing to do with this," Aurora said, "You saw my ID. I'm merely here for business."

Her wrist were bound up tightly by a pair of Nen Strings - curtesy to Machi. Franklin and Feitan were there too. They made sure to keep an eye on her, so that she could not escape. For the past few minutes this odd gathering of people had been in a stallmate. One side accusing, the other, a sole person, defending. Of course, there were a few members calm enough to try and reason with her.

In the eyes of the Troupe, Aurora was their only lead. Even though she claimed to be a third party, with no relation to the mafia, considering her timing, she ought to know a thing or two - This line of logic lurked in the mind of the majority of the members present.

"You said you wanted to meet us. How did you know?" Franklin asked.

"That's..." Aurora tilted her head and thought. She really didn't want to play captive any longer.

But was telling the truth the right decision? It might prove to be just as dangerous.

Then again, this situation might be as bad as it can get. Aurora counted her chances:

She was severely outmatched, currently rendered immobile, and they even had a valid reason to fault her... All things considered, it must be a miracle that she was still alive.

Reaching this conclusion, Aurora confessed.

"It's my ability..." Aurora said and glanced around the circle. Her voice was quiet and it was clear that she didn't want someone to listen in on them.

"Oh? Is it what boss talked about?" Aurora heard Shalnark ask.

'Boss? So their boss, isn't here.' she realized.

"I don't know what he said," she said, "How could I?"

Shalnark laughed at her comment.

"Guess so," the cheerful platinum blond guy said, "Then what can you tell us about your ability."

Aurora sighed and pondered for a little.

"... My ability..." Aurora stated slowly. "...It allows me to sense the next huge event in the world... Like a 'hunch.'"

Shalnark's eyes widened as he heard about this ability of hers. Seeing his interest, Aurora knew that this wasn't good news.

"What I see is fairly random,..." Aurora continued.

"And not very helpful. Except for the fact, that it hints towards something that will certainly happen, I have to pierce the majority of the information together by myself."

This was a weak attempt to downplay her abilities. Of course, Aurora wasn't stupid enough to reveal the full extent of her skills. For the young woman, telling a half-truth was the best in this situation.

She didn't want to be on the radar of these people any longer, nor did she want to boast about her abilities and make herself stand out anymore. She looked around to see their reactions.

'Did I make the correct decision?'

"So that's how it is...," Shalnark said as he rubbed his chin, "Did you hear that, Boss?"

Shalnark said. It was only then, that Aurora noticed that he had been on a call all this time.

"That's cheating!" Aurora complained. She looked towards the phone with what resembled a sullen look. of defeat.

Someone who isn't even here knows about her ability. Meanwhile, she didn't even know how their boss looked like, or even his gender or name.

"How interesting," the voice on the other line responded, "And she said she wants to meet us?"

'Oh, it's a man.' Aurora noted. His voice was dark, deep and smooth. Aurora couldn't help but find it strangely familiar. She was sure she had heard it before, but couldn't really recall it with the distance and phone static.

"Hahaha, more like asking for an interview." Shalnark responded with a playful laugh and turned away, walking. "A funny girl."

"I'm not..." Aurora complained at being belittled. Now that Shalnark had walked away, Aurora couldn't hear the rest of the conversation.

"..." On the other hand, Chrollo's side was quiet. Only the light of the candle that softly flickered illuminated his ghostly, pale face.

"...Asks her where Uvogin is first. If she really has the ability that she claims she does, finding Uvogin shouldn't be difficult. Afterwards, bring her to the hotel."

The call ended with that. Shalnark relayed the command to the team and suddenly Aurora was pushed towards the center of attention even more than previously.

'Oh well, talk about not standing out,' she sighed.

In hindsight, Aurora praised herself for not underestimating the Phantom Troupe. That, and mild uneasiness were the only thoughts on her mind as she looked at the smettered bodies of the Shadow Beasts in front of her.

The sight and smell of blood was strong. Not fond of it, Aurora's stomach turned a little. She turned her head sideways to lessen the impact of the smell.

"Do I need to vacuum them?" Shizuku asked with her Nen-conjured vacuum cleaner in hand. Hers was an ability Aurora never would have guessed. It was truly unique and valuable. It also explained how all the guests had disappeared.

"Don't bother." Feitan returned and happened to catch a glimpse of Aurora. He tsked, when he saw her mildly disturbed and rigid expression.

'The Phantom Troupe's strong.' Aurora clarified in her mind.

The Shadow Beasts were one of the Mafia's hidden and strongest assets. A huge amount of money, training and time was spent into cultivating and raising them. It's terrifying to witness that three Troupe Members was all it took to take down this whole group of Nen-Masters.

'Would I have a chance?' Aurora gulped. Frankly, she didn't know. 'If I'm smart about it, maybe.'

Aurora bit onto the inside of her cheeks and glanced around, seemingly calm. Without the Troupe knowing, Aurora studied the members and their strength. She doubt that they'd like the idea of a stranger knowing their abilities, - information like this is highly valuable after all - ...but on the hindsight that she managed to live through today and escape... just how much could she trade this information for?

Aurora's mind rattled at the thoughts and opportunities this newfound information could give her. Monetary value aside, it could open a completely new path to secretive information she had been trying to get, but never managed to grasp for a long time.

"Looks like this one has the merchandise." Machi's voice pulled her out of her reverie.

The pink haired woman approached with the Beast called Owl tied up in her strings.

Aurora heard the little voice of Nobunaga from Owl's pocket.

"So? Can you free Nobunaga?" someone asked.

"Wait," Machi interrupted, "do we have to get Nobunaga out. It's crowded."

She hinted at Aurora while doing so. The woman, being as unfazed as always, just smiled.

"I'm sure, you won't have that problem, if you just let me go-" Aurora shot back.

She didn't even finish when she felt something brush her neck.

She glanced down at the black-haired assassin. It was Feitan that had ultimately silenced her once again.

A drop of blood spilled from the cut he opened on her throat.

What happened next was an instinctual reaction of Aurora's.

For a brief moment, a drop of her Nen, along with a tiny bit of murderious intent, spilled. This little spark was enough to get the Troupe into battle mode.

Aurora felt the animosity that came from the Phantom Troupe and sharply inhaled.

Her Nen flow stabilized, and she heaved a heavy sigh. "Haaa..."

'My patience sure is getting tested today.' Aurora thought.

She then looked at Feitan with a sweet, innocent smile.

'You little piece of shit. Just wait until I get you~.'

Notes

In which Aurora wants to kick ass, jerks, and Feitan.

A minor change from the canon that occured here is that Machi did not use her In String to latch onto Uvogin but instead focused on rendering Aurora immobile. I just figured that this is how the Troupe would act in such a situation, because let's admit it... Aurora's appearance is pretty suspicious ^^' Even if she was used without her knowledge, it would still make her an accomplice.

Aurora & Feitan: She definitely sees him as a brat, regardless of age. He sees her as a nice victim to bully. And I mean, he does enjoy teasing people and getting a reaction out of them. My conclusion is: They are bonding, everyone. They are bonding. ^-^

Thank you for reading!

Please continue to love & support Yoshihiro Togashi and HxH for a long time!