Raphael gets issued a command; malicious compliance ensues.

Raphael made it back first, peering from behind some rocks. Bisky stood there calmly, a chunk of her hair missing. Now her two-sided ponytail was down one side. Either she was caught off guard or the enemy was equal in terms of strength with Killua's and Gon's soon-to-be trainer.

With how little information he could gather from the scene before him, he couldn't exactly tell who would win without any details. But given she was failing to react to the man's manic laughter, it gave away that she was a lot stronger than she looked. All he could do was watch the fight unfold.

He couldn't make out what the man was talking about, but between his teeth, he could see bunches of golden hair.

The man was chewing Bisky's hair and he didn't know if he should wonder if it was part of the man's unknown Hatsu or be disgusted by the action.

After a moment the man froze, hands reaching out to touch some kind of belt wrapped around his waist, after placing the object on the floor he bowed.

Like the teen, the man suspected something was wrong with Bisky. He almost looked defeated when he stood back up, arms raised as though he was prepared to duke it out with the old lady.

Bisky broke into a smile, removing both gloves. She met the man's stance with her own, waiting for the first move.

Raphael wanted to watch the fight unfold, not serve as her distraction. So he remained still, focusing on the two about to fight.

"~"

The man lunged towards the older lady. He saw her head twist away from his direction, her eyes looking towards something else. Had the other boys come back to assist her? No, she wouldn't need it… not after what he found from chewing on her hair.

He'd use this distraction to his advantage.

That was until he saw her eyes glance back in his direction. He shoved his hand towards her chest, hoping to land a hit.

She took a step back, one hand grasping onto his hand while the other dislocated his arm. His eyes widened from her immense strength when she flipped him into the air. The older woman twisted his entire body with a flick of her wrist, sending him spinning in the air.

A rush of air followed her previous action, slamming her palm into his back. He felt the air expel out of his lungs along with spit and drool. The way she hit him, it felt like he was being rammed with a steel beam. And even though there was no aura behind her attack, he was glad she held back. It would've been an instant death.

He landed on the floor with a heavy thud, unable to get back up. Knocked out in a single strike… was she planning on killing him now? Or did she have ulterior motives given that she didn't aim for one of his vital organs to rupture it with a single strike?

"~"

Bisky took a deep breath in, her eyes meeting Raphael's once more. He failed to act as a distraction. But she was glad her actions managed to hold his attention, hopefully to a standard where he could recount the entire fight.

With a spring in her step, she faced the man who was struggling to breathe "You're lucky. If I used my Nen, you'd be dead."

At this point Raphael saw the boys jump off the cliff, landing in the small ring where the man and Bisky were.

He took this moment to jump down, sliding across the wall towards the ground. Landing carefully, he crossed his arms "I guess you didn't need my help. Nice hairdo though."

"I let him cut my hair." Bisky's tone was neutral. She didn't care about what happened to her hairstyle as it was her only way to give him incentive to attack her. She lured him into a trap.

"You should still see a hairdresser, I hear there's a really good stylist in Aiai, but every town has one."

"I'll keep that in mind. For now, what did you boys see?"

"The guy being flipped through the air."

"Same…" Killua looked horrified at the guy, surprised that he was still able to move a muscle.

"Wrong." Bisky turned to the other "What did you see?"

"You dislocated his arm."

"Close enough." She smiled, "You have a keen eye, but he tried to perform an open palm strike." Bisky held her hand out to the guy, gesturing to the man who failed to stand "If he were an in-game character, he'd have a D rank in terms of difficulty."

"From your perspective, or ours?"

"From mine, he'd be H." She smiled sweetly at the boys before addressing the teen, "I'd still say he's a rank D for you."

"I'd consider him an E at best…" Raphael mirrored the woman's expression with a similar smile. The two locked horns mentally, glaring at each other without words. Eventually, Bisky broke it off first "We'll see…" She shifted her gaze back to the boys "Had you run into him without me or Raphael to assist you, it would've been an instant game over for you boys. What will you boys do with that information?"

Killua looked crestfallen. He thought the two of them might be able to go through this game with only a few minor issues, but it turns out they were in over their heads. They needed to get stronger and Bisky was willing to help guide them.

"Bisky-san…" Gon spoke up, shut down by Bisky immediately "Just call me Bisky. If you insist on an honorific, call me Bisky-chama!"

"Nah, I'll stick to calling you a Hag. Old-"

Bisky smacked Killua across the top of his head, knocking him to the ground without any effort.

Even though Gon was worried for his best friend, Killua was warned multiple times. It was kind of his own fault for calling her a hag "Why are you here, Bisky?"

"Well like everyone else, I'm here to clear the game. But I'm mainly here for a specific jewel."

"Which one?" Raphael smirked at the idea. There were several with huge benefits, but which one did she want?

"There's a jewel that can only be found here. It goes in restricted slot #081-"

Raphael turned pale. She was looking for the SS rank card, one which he happened to have.

Bisky noticed the boy's reaction, the realisation struck her. In a moment she was upon the teen, violently shaking him "YOU KNOW WHERE IT IS! Tell me… Where can I find Blue Planet?!"

"It's not a matter of where… but who has it." She was violently shaking him like a handbell, as though she was expecting it to fall out of his pockets.

"WHO?!"

"Me…" If he gets shaken any longer, he'll be dizzy for days.

"Show me!"

"No!" He grabbed onto her hands hoping his strength would be enough to stop her but she continued to shake him, "Stop! It's ultra-rare and if someone tries to steal it from you, you have no way of protecting yourself from losing it."

Bisky stopped shaking him, letting go of the kid with an annoyed huff. She desperately wanted that card and knowing someone so close to her had it, but refused to give it up because she couldn't protect it made her despise their situation.

The boy landed on his butt with a heavy thud. He shook his head a few times, trying to refocus on his surroundings. He's just lucky she wouldn't shake him until he does give it up… or kill him for it.

Not that she could…

Then again, she could technically force the two of them to leave the game, steal his ring and re-enter the game with his. Then she'll have all his cards… but he'll lose Paladin's Necklace and his free slot cards in the process.

Letting out an irritated click of her tongue, Bisky forced herself to focus on something other than #081 in Raphael's Book "What about you boys?"

Killua got up, still groaning from the slap across the back of his head "We're here to clear the game, obviously." He nursed at his bruise, hating how easily she snapped from a single insult. She's got a hair trigger when it comes to taking insults.

"Same, but I have a side mission."

"Oh, do tell…"

"It's a secret."

He felt Bisky grab his chest, the boy promptly slapping her hand away before creating distance between the two. He knew she was even faster than him, but he was just glad she wasn't shaking him like a ragdoll again. "It's a secret for a reason because I'm not sure if I've found it yet."

"Is it in this game?"

"More or less…"

"Oh, does it have to do with my dad making this game?"

"No…" Raphael frowned. Why would Gon assume he was looking for his father? Sure, he said he'd try to look for information, but that wasn't what he was seeking. He wanted to have a fun adventure… but it looks like that right now, he can't have that yet.

"Wow…" Bisky looked enamoured by the boy. The man must be amazing for being one of the few people to generate a whole world full of unique mechanics, strange monsters, and a game that others were sucked into.

"Actually, I'm looking for my dad, so I thought this game might have a lead… instead, it led to a dead end."

This piqued Bisky's interest "Who's your dad?"

"Ging Freecss."

"G-G-G…" She stuttered, shocked by the revelation. She offered to train the son of a legendary Hunter, "Ging?!"

Gon looked at the woman, confused by her reaction. Did she know more about his dad than she was letting on? "Do you know him?"

Raphael crossed his arms "As I said, anyone who's been around the block would know a thing or two about that man. And considering Bisky's age-" As she raised her fist in preparation, Raphael quickly made his point "I'd be more surprised that she hadn't heard a single thing about him."

"You're lucky…" She dropped her fist before addressing Gon's question "I do know him. He's famous. Chairman Netero once said he was one of the top five Nen users…"

Gon turned to Raphael, "Raphael… If Bisky helps train us, will you be willing to let us make a copy of Blue Planet for her?"

"If you get a Mimic, I'd be happy to do so."

Bisky's eyes sparkled like stars, "You'll really make a copy for me."

"Of course…" He followed through by offering her a cheeky smile, "But if you lose it, I'm going to have to charge you for the next one. About a Billion Jenny should suffice."

"A Billion?!" Bisky was mortified, "Why you…" She shook her fist at the boy, ready to knock him over the head for such an outrageous deal.

That was until he piped up again. Raphael diverted the woman's attention "But I'm not going to train with you… I'm going to keep going in this game since it's a part of my contract."

"HUH?!" Bisky shoved a finger into the boy's chest, "I bet you couldn't beat this man on your own."

Raphael's eye twitched, annoyed at her for even suggesting a possibility "I'm not playing your games. I have enough foresight to know it'll be a waste of time…"

"Is that so…" Bisky gestured to the man, "Then prove it. If you can beat him on your own, without using a Hatsu, I'll concede. However, if you fail… you'll listen to all my whims and requests."

"So, if I win, you'll leave me alone."

"Sure…"

"What about us? Will you teach us Nen?"

"Of course, Gon, I'd do that for you and Killua…" Her gaze turned back to the boy still nursing his cheek, "But I hope you know I won't hold back. Wing will be considered lenient… compared to me. If you're ready, you two will be doing the same thing as Raphael, but unlike him, I expect you two to be pushed to your limits."

Raphael found himself cracking a smile "You already consider me to be strong."

"No, I'm handicapping you. No Hatsu, no advanced techniques…" She then pointed towards the spear, "And no weapons."

Raphael threw the weapon at her.

The woman caught it easily within her grasp. The object's weight hadn't even fazed her. Holding onto the shaft she looked towards the others "Are you prepared to go all out?"

"Yes!" Gon cheered loudly followed by Killua who wasn't as enthusiastic as his friend "Sure, I'll be fine."

It was at this point the man broke out into a series of coughs, struggling to regain his ability to breathe normally. Bisky wasted no time "You're up, good. Take out all your cards."

The man merely looked at her in defeat "Book…"

Having taken all the cards, Bisky offered him a smile "I'm going to give you a chance to escape. If you can survive against these three boys for two weeks, I'll let you go. I won't chase you down… However, if you're knocked unconscious or can't stand… I will kill you."

"I just have to avoid their attacks, right…?" He turned to the three, smiling maniacally at them. The act sent a shiver up the two boys' spines, the third remaining unfazed by his expression or words "And I can do whatever I want to them?"

"Sure, you can harm them in any way… I only have a single rule. You can't leave this crater. You break the rule, you lose… and I'll kill you."

Killua didn't like that deal. She was effectively saying that killing them was an option when she was preaching that she was going to help them survive this game "What about us?"

"The same rules apply. If you leave or fail to defeat him after two weeks… I'll have to punish you."

The man wobbled as he got up, moving towards his scissors. He was still struggling to breathe, let alone move freely after her attack. She was a monstrous figure in his eyes.

It was at this point Bisky brought up information she had failed to alert the three to "You're the Bounty Hunter Binolt, right?"

"Yeah…"

Bisky crossed her arms, "I should let you three know there's a bounty on his head, as well. He's a brutal murderer."

Raphael frowned "So your training is to pair us up with a murderer as our training."

"Yup…"

"And that's supposed to be our incentive to improve. Beat a murderer into submission within two weeks, or receive a punishment. What's it going to be… a thousand push-ups?" He offered her a sly smirk, "Two thousand?"

"I can think of worse things. So, get to it. Raphael, you're up first. Begin!" She waved her hand initiating the fight.

"~"

Raphael watched the man get ready, scissors snipping at the air. Even though he knew it should've been a threatening action, he kept his attention on the way the man held himself, from the uneasiness of his breathing to the spots he knew Bisky hit him.

He's going to use that to his advantage. Binolt's sinister smile wouldn't change a damn thing.

"I hope you-"

Raphael walked towards the man. He wasn't going to give away any of his raw talents or skills. The man was fast, so the less he knows, the more he'll assume.

The man took a swing at him when he got closer, the scissors sailing through the air. Raphael moved at the last second, stepping off to the side. He wasted no time swinging his fist into Binolt's back, knocking him down.

He took a step back, watching the man groan against the floor, spit gathering around his mouth.

"I'd advise you to take me seriously next time… I have years of experience over the boys behind me."

The man looked at him in surprise. He probably wasn't expecting him to go for his back. The man's hand clutched at his chest, panting heavily. He won't be able to continue fighting if he keeps landing those precise strikes, to aim for Binolt's severely damaged limbs.

The man refocused, glaring at him. It was clear he wasn't planning on letting him get away with any more cheap shots. Raphael got into stance; arms raised as Binolt grabbed a second pair of scissors.

Binolt charged towards him with both scissors drawn, wildly swinging the scissors around in a constant barrage of endless attacks. The boy watched the man's movements looking for any weakness.

He wasn't leaving much room for openings; the man was guarding all his weak points while he was trying to close the distance between them. Raphael will just have to focus on making an opening. During one of the downward swings, he slammed his foot into one of the man's knuckles, causing him to wince. He probably managed to hurt his wrist, the same one Bisky had broken earlier.

When he took another swing, Raphael grabbed the other hand, redirecting its trajectory. He twisted the man's wrist, adding more pressure to the arm that had already been broken by Bisky, forcing him down into the ground.

He brought up his fist, slamming it into the man's chest again, aiming for the same spot. He was sent grovelling to the floor, clutching onto the scissors. Binolt's expression screamed murder.

Bringing up his foot, Raphael brought it down, aiming to slam it into the man's back, but Binolt rolled out of the way before getting up to charge the boy.

He could see the man's moves getting more sluggish with each passing second, the constant abuse being directed to those same weak points making it harder to move.

That was until he made a misjudgement.

Thinking Binolt was down like a wounded animal, he went in to grab the man, to force him against the ground and concede that he was better. A pair of scissors cut into his arm, barely breaking the skin.

But there was a noticeable thin line of blood that made Binolt smile.

All bets were off. Raphael kicked off the ground, bringing his foot up to swing his leg into the man's side. Binolt brought up his arm to defend his side, there was just one problem he hadn't anticipated. The teen switched sides.

Raphael bounced between his stance, switching feet. He slammed his foot against the broken arm and ribs.

Binolt coughed up blood.

Raphael wasted no time delivering a series of kicks to the same area, knocking the weakened man to the ground. It was over. He harmed the man enough to make it much easier for Gon and Killua to take on "You're done…"

The teen turned his back to the man, now walking away. He felt like he proved his point. He wasn't as weak as Bisky assumed "I told you he's weak. He's no-"

He felt the man move behind him. He knew he had time to turn around and knock him back down. But he instead funnelled aura into his fingertips. The fight was over and he'd be damned if she hits him with a technicality.

Twisting his body around he faced the man, stepping back to create distance between them. He lobbed the ball of aura in his fingertips at the man "Catch!"

Binolt brought up his arms across his chest, defending himself. Everyone always makes the same mistake, assuming the attack was offensive rather than him relying on subterfuge. The impact released a bright burst of light, a loud screech of shock rocketing through Binolt's chest. The man was successfully blinded.

"Everyone makes the same mistake…" Raphael cocked a grin as he charged towards the man.

"I told you no Hatsu…" Bisky warned the boy.

Raphael at that point didn't care, not while the man was blinded. He already showed off one of his two Hatsu, Blash Bang. Why should he start caring about breaking one of Bisky's rules? He slammed his palm into the man's chest with enough force to send him bouncing across the floor. Binolt grovelled on the floor in agony, struggling to stand "If you try pulling that stunt again, the next time…"

Raphael looked at the man coughing on the floor "I'll be the one to kill you."

He glared at the defeated man for a second longer before shifting his attention back to Bisky, "The fight was over. As you can see, I didn't rely on any of my Hatsus, until the last second. Even then, I could've defeated him without having to resort to them."

"You have skills… I'll give you that." Her mood soured. What made the kid think this way? Had he not reached any blockades while playing the game? Was he so used to dealing with weak players, he hadn't considered the possibility of running into someone stronger? She was probably the first encounter he has had, where he felt easily outmatched…

"But your cockiness is going to get the better of you one day. You'll run into an enemy far superior to you, one that your Nen abilities can't stop in their tracks… and you'd wished you'd been training."

Killua pondered those words, wondering how exactly Raphael was weaker. He was able to pick up more from the fight than they did. He was able to go toe to toe with Binolt and he walked away with only a single slash across his arm.

He was far from the narrative the old hag was pushing, that Raphael was weak. Against her, he could see it… but not this game.

Raphael found himself pouting. Again, she's pushing this narrative that he's weaker than what the game could offer. There's nothing in this game that has or will offer that kind of threat. Sure, there was the Bombers, but not only did he fly under their radar, he always had a safe way out of the game. Whether that be through Leave or a Return card, well… in his case Accompany "I could still beat him…"

"That you did…" She cracked a small smile. Even if he hadn't used his ability, he had demonstrated his strength. There was some truth to his words. The ability itself could act as a distraction, a well-thought-out ability if he could learn to master it properly. For now, it seems like the teen considers it, a one trick never works against the same person twice ability "Well, I can help you improve. There's-"

"No thanks. If I'm going to improve, I'll do it on my own terms." It's not like you'll be a better teacher than my father anyways "Book."

Although she was pissed from being shafted, clearly, he was adamant about not having a reason to get stronger. I wonder how I can incentivise him. What would push him into wanting to get stronger?

"With the openings like the ones I saw, definitely…"

Although he despised the insult, he grabbed a card from his binder, launching it at Bisky. He won't play this petty game with her for another second longer.

She caught the card with ease, the boy recalling his book before she could even think of closing the distance to try to steal the card "I guess I'll just have to make sure to keep training then, won't I…" He pushed aside the possibility, instead focusing on creating distance between himself and the pushy woman "Just use that Contact card when you need to get in contact with me. Until then, I need to make up for lost time by gathering resources. Once they're done training, I'll drop everything to come back. Toodles…"

When he turned his back to them, already walking away Bisky stopped him "No."

"No…?" The boy looked confused at the older woman. What else could she possibly object to?

"This is a perfect opportunity for you." Bisky smiles brightly, "You can be my errand boy. You're going to do all my chores"

"Chores?" He looked at Bisky as though she had gone crazy. What makes her believe he's going to do anything for her, the boys… certainly. But someone whose only offer was to make his life miserable for minimal improvements was not likely. Raphael frowns, "For what…?"

"Well…" The woman held out her finger, gesturing to the boy who wasn't completely on board with her idea. But she had a sneaking suspicion she knew what would incentivise the boy to assist her "You've been in this game for a while." When he quirked an eyebrow, she pressed on "So you would know where to get everything."

"Ideally, yes… What of it?"

"I want you to run from town to town, gathering everything I need to help me assist these boys. I'm going to need a portable stove and ingredients, none of that cheap stuff."

"I'm not your personal slave…"

"Well, that's just too bad." Everything had fallen into place with her. The reason why Raphael was willing to leave them behind is to continue playing, but the moment their training is done, he'll reconvene with the group. It's because she doesn't matter to him…

The only thing that mattered to him was retaining his friendship with the boys. She was going to use that against him.

She saw potential in the teen, not just as a training partner for the boys, but as a gem she couldn't wait to uncover. She'll make use of his talents to chip away at the gems that make Gon and Killua, and in doing so, she'll refine the boy's skills in the process.

"Either you can assist me…" Bisky gave the boy a sweet smile, one that generated a feeling of dread "or I'll make sure you never see these boys again."

"No!" Gon interrupted Bisky before she can push that narrative any further "I won't let you-"

"You can chuck a fuss all you want, but Raphael will hold you back, Gon." She shot the boy a glare, forcing him to stand down. Raphael is strong, she'd grant him that. But they will reach a blockade sooner or later that will put them at a disadvantage because of the teen's major flaw.

Raphael froze, "What do you mean?"

"I have an idea what you're looking for. I believe once they're done training, you'll get what you've been looking for…"

"And what's that?"

"Excitement…" When the kid's eye twitched, she knew he was hooked. "But again, if you don't help me now… I'll make sure you'll never see them again. Even if you try to hunt us down, you'll never get within fifty meters of us…"

She read him like an open book. The boy swallowed thickly. It's a threat he wasn't willing to challenge "What… Do you want?"

Bisky smiled gleefully from the change in demeanour, "Perfect!"

She was right. He was seeking excitement and given half the things Gon has said, it's bound to happen if he lingers around them.

He was hooked. But now she was annoyed again. While she was trying to blackmail Raphael, Gon and Killua were focused on their conversation and not the man they were supposed to be fighting, Binolt. Bisky's expression grew dark, shifting to glare at the boy "You don't have a lot of time. While you two were busy listening to us, Binolt was resting. I suggest you get to it before he can recover. You won't have a chance of beating him if you wait this out…"

"Hold on." Killua piped up, now glancing towards the teen who was now questioning his motives. Bisky isn't aware of half the cards he's carrying, all the information he had been telling them on the way to Antokiba. He could do all her tasks in a couple of hours and still have time to fulfil his contract with Tsezgerra.

He doesn't want that. He knows his friend wouldn't want that either. Gon would want Raphael to continue visiting them throughout their two weeks. There was one way to make sure that happens, and that's to alert Bisky about the Trace card Raphael has on him.

So, he offered Bisky a cheeky smile "Raphael has a Trace on him."

Raphael fumes at Killua, prepared to level a rather annoyed glare at the kid "Don't you-"

"It allows you to see where they are at all times."

"No!" Raphael let out a long whine, "Why did you have to tell her that… and after I weakened Binolt too."

"Because I know Gon…"

His friend reacted in surprise, "Don't act surprised. I know you'd rather he remains training with us even though clearly, he'd easily outmatch the guy in terms of strength."

"Yeah…" Gon offered a small smile, "But I think you're also doing it because you don't want Raphael to leave either."

"Baka…" Killua turned away, "You always-"

"Less yapping, more punching. Chop, chop." She shooed off the boys, both moving to box the man in.

As Bisky held out her hand, she expected the kid the hand the card over, "Hand it over."

The boy let out a long-frustrated sigh from the situation. While he was secretly glad about what Gon said to Killua, that neither of them wanted him to leave them behind, now he'd be used as an errand boy. He relinquished his card.

"I get to use Trace on you, so I know you're not cheating. I don't want you secretly teleporting from place to place. I want you running… to… and back on all my errands. So, if I catch you moving faster than I know you can go, I'm going to throw everything out… and make you run the errand again. Oh, and don't try to pretend you're slower than you are. I clocked your speed with Binolt, so I've already calculated your most likely average pace." Bisky held the card in her hand, unsure of how this specific mechanic "So how do I use this?"

Rolling his eyes, the boy directed her attention "Open your book."

"Call out Trace, on. Raphael."

She made the call, the bright light hitting the boy.

"Now go all the way to the back of the book. You'll have a map."

On Bisky's map, two points were lit up, "I'm the one in white… any questions?"

"Yes." Bisky pulled out a piece of paper "I have a list of items I need and you're going to tell me which town offers the best product."

Raphael dropped his head in shame, "All right… Tell me what you need."

"~"

As the two fought the man, Raphael barely glanced in their direction. Bisky was honestly milking him for every detail. She didn't want details, she wanted specific information about every town, their specialities. The things the woman expected were all over the place.

She was practically going to utilise every town to its maximum potential. Like going to Soufrabi for its open fish market, the large selection of different types gave her a variety to work with.

Hell, even one of the pans she expected him to get was from a different town, even though virtually every hardware store offered the same one.

Bisky was planning his route down to the last stop, "Okay. That's everything."

"Finally…" He looked over the list, "So basically, I'm hitting almost every town? Thank you for at least letting me avoid some towns. I've pissed off a lot of players and I don't want to be caught empty-handed while running your errands."

"No problems. Again, no cheating with your Accompany or Return cards."

"I hope you like the smell of dirty old rags because that's what I'm gonna smell like when I get back."

"Like Gon and Killua are going to smell any better after two weeks." She shifted her attention back to the boys, noticing that they were improving. They should be done by the end of the day, "Well get to it. By the time you get back, they should be done with their training."

"That quickly? Seriously?"

She gave a nod, watching the boy break out into a small smile. That must be the most exciting news for him, given that he couldn't wait to start a proper adventure, one where he wasn't alone.

A/N: Leave a review, it helps inspire me.