{Bargain}

It didn't take long for the rest of the Gordeau-Desert participants to gather. Franklin and Shalnark, left the store with the giant carrying a pile of what's presumingly the store's whole storage of beer. Just the sheer amount of it, let Aurora assume it to last for about a whole month.

"You paid for it, didn't you?" she asked the question that should never be asked.

Franklin just raised his eyebrows. "Uh..."

Their conversation ended with that.

She shook her head and adjusted her hat.

"You shouldn't steal and make enemies of people everywhere you go." Aurora chided them in the same manner she had done to Kurapika before.

She heard an annoyed "Tch" coming from the direction Feitan was in.

For the sake of her life, she decided to drop yet another topic of conversation.

A part of her still remembered her earlier confrontation with Feitan. She was starting to feel irked with his edgelord attitude.

Come to think of it, from the start, he was the one that had treated her with the most suspicion and distaste - threatening to kill and torture her and all...

'Just what is rubbing him the wrong way?' Aurora pondered as she looked at the masked man. He was a little smaller than her. Was that maybe why? Maybe she should ask him one day!

Aurora bit down on her inner cheek. She masked down the chuckle that threatened to spill out.

Just imagining his irritation was enough to make her smile.

'Ah. I better reimbuse the damage later...' Aurora suddenly remembered.

She glanced through the store windows behind her. A little smile appeared on her face. Seeing how everyone inside was still alive, Aurora at least knew that the Troupe wasn't psychotic enough to leave behind a needless trail of blood everywhere they went. With this, she hoped to enter talks with them.

"Ahem," Aurora cleared her throat and looked at the pink phone in Shalnark's hand. "Is your Boss listening in again? It's bad manners to eavesdrop."

"..."

The members were mildly disturbed. No one has ever treated them or their boss like this before. Heck, no one ever dared to talk to them like this. Aurora's bluntness made them feel a little bit loss. She was fairly similiar to Shizuku in that regard, but even Shizuku wasn't as... noisy.

Shalnark just settled for a silent smile. He neither denied nor agreed to that statement.

"Get working already." Feitan said. He was obviously annoyed by the delay and her audacity.

"S u r e." Aurora drawled through gritted teeth. If there was one thing she hated more than anything in her life, it was being told what to do.

"But before I tell you the location, you should tell me what will happen to me first." Aurora bargained.

Her gaze was clear. Her eyes reflected the soft yellowish glow of the street lantern above them. She looked straight into the Troupe members' eyes. Her eyes brimmed with an intelligence and shrewdness to them. - It contrasted the well-mannered and petite stature of her appearance. Aurora looked docile... until she started speaking.

What the Troupe didn't know, however, was that Aurora was putting up a front. Whatever it is, Aurora saw her being a captive as too much of a risk to her life. Even if she was safe now, the situation might chance the moment she met their Boss.

At the off-chance that the Troupe decided to throw her away after getting what they want...

She would have no other choice but to fight. No matter how much she sucked at combat, or how slim the chances of survival would be...

All she needed right now, was an answer, and her fraying nerves would settle.

"Hah?" Feitan's cold voice echoed through the night. Aurora flinched a little. Her eyes fixated on him.

"Who do you think you are?" He said in a soft, yet dangerously low whisper.

The energy around him darkened. He didn't like Aurora's demanding attitude and his Nen spiked a little.

Feitan took a step forward and cracked his fingers.

"You're only alive, because boss ordered so. There's no use for you after this." He said and despite his mouth being masked, Aurora could see the cheeky grin from the way his eyes crinkled into cat-like slits.

'He's enjoying this.' she realized.

This jerk was enjoying her predicament! She clenched her jar as she tried not to fall into his provocative attitude. That twerp called Feitan was making it painfully hard for her to stay calm.

'Focus, Aurora. Focus.' she reminded herself mentally.

'Deep breaths. Don't lash out. You need to survive this.'

Her body started to quiver from holding back. To the Troupe it looked no different from a person shivering out of fear.

"Scared?" Feitan asked. He was now right in front of her with his claws stretched out. It amused him seeing her earlier confidence gone.

But.

He didn't know that Aurora wouldn't be Aurora if she did as told.

"You're lying." she said. Her face lifted to stare at him squarely.

Feitan flinched at the suddenness and intensity of her voice and glare.

He stopped in his movement and instead focused onto the stubborness that's shown in her eyes.

"What-" He was cut off by Aurora, who had slapped away his hand from her.

"You. Are. Lying." Aurora said, enunciating every word.

"You can't kill me. The fact that I'm still alive right now proves it." Her eyes narrowed into little slits as she figured out the answer.

"If you'd kill me after this, there would be no meaning in using me in the first place. Saving time?" Aurora asked and looked at Shalnark. "Shalnark could have figured out everything just as quick."

Shalnark rubbed his cheeks in slight embarrassment. Well, she had a point.

"In addition, if you all really cared about your comrade's life THAT much, you wouldn't be this calm. I witnessed his strength myself, so I understand. He's sturdy and won't go down that easily." Aurora nodded to herself as she remember how robust and strong Uvogin was, both his Nen and body.

Then, there was only one conclusion for why she was still alive. Initially, none of them had the intention to use her or her abilities to help locating Uvogin. They even doubted her claim as a journalist until... Chrollo meddled.

"... Your Boss wants something from me." She said. Her eyes lit up in a pink shimmer.

'...Why?' she added in her mind. She couldn't figure out exactly why or what he wanted from her. Her only assumption was her ability.

"Does it mean I will get to meet him after this?"

Her voice was light. Just the thought made her happy. The corner of her lips lifted into a smile. The thought excited her like a little kid receiving candy. She looked around the group with a beam like sunshine. Her eyes shone with excitement.

"..."

"Uh..." Franklin was the first to interrupt Aurora's radiant beam of light.

"It's true that our Boss did ask for you. But even I can not tell what he wants."

Franklin said. There was no use in hiding once the cat got out of the bag. He figured that it was quickest to just hurry and get it over with. The way he saw it, Aurora might end up as their comrade, after all.

The woman nodded. It didn't feel like a lie and she figured that asking any more would be pushing it. Instead she flipped around her laptop and revealed a map.

"He's here." Aurora said and pointed towards a spot on the map. "That's all the information you need, right?"

Notes

"Aurora, the mad(wo)man, that'd even bargain with the devil."

- Ney, probably.

This was such an interesting chapter to write! Did Aurora manage to captivate you with her charm just a little?

Yes, Feitan and Aurora didn't get along here. I figured that it was only natural since the things they valued, and how they behaved, and what we have seen of their personalities so far, were practically opposites.

Such a dynamic isn't always bad, is it? I do have plans to develop her relationship with (each/some) of the Troupe members. Some more than others; considering their past, screen time and shared connections with Chrollo (and/or Aurora).

Thank you for reading!

Please continue to love & support RSL (Lycoris), Yoshihiro Togashi and HxH for a long time!