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"SPIDERS."
With the black sleek notebook still clutched in his hands, Kurapika swiftly exited the bar. The drunk men and women watched silently as the blond pushed open the doors, a girl following quickly behind him. Beau watched his two saviours burst out of the bar violently. The conversations in the bar resumed promptly as the doors closed; it wasn't an unusual sight. Beau turned his head as Kelsie walked out wearing an unamused expression. She shook her head in disbelief.
Outside of the brick bar, between it and the neighbouring building, the two partners hid from the public eye. Kurapika could feel the frustration burning in his eyes. Y/n stood behind him, a sizable space left between them. She thought it best not to approach at that moment. Kurapika brushed the hair annoyingly falling on his face back with his hands. He sighed with frustration.
Y/n reached out a hand but rescinded it, "are you alright?" she asked bluntly, not avoiding the subject. She wasn't concerned about his mood; she was however interested in his expression when reading the records. It was curious.
"Fine," he replied in the same tone. He spoke, yet he couldn't look in her direction. He faced away from her in an attempt to conceal the magnitude of his frustrations. She might understand a part of his anger, but she didn't know half of it.
Y/n couldn't comprehend his actions. He was fine but couldn't look her in the eyes? She reached out and tugged at his shoulder, but he was unmoved. It wasn't that he couldn't look at her, it was that he refused.
"Wait," he said harshly.
Y/n promptly removed her hand from him, leaving him space. She stood in silence, the darkness creeping over them.
The alley between buildings wasn't spacious, shadows were easily attracted. Y/n pressed her back against the wall, crossing her arms, as she patiently waited for Kurapika to speak up first.
Kurapika let out a deep sigh and turned around, "sorry," he apologized as he fixed his hair. He seemed perfectly well. Back to normal, expressionless and collected.
Y/n stared him down. He seemed to have calmed down. "What happened," she asked as he leant on the wall, beside her, "you seem to know something." She was genuinely confused by his reaction to the records.
Kurapika sighed, feeling the cold concrete wall press up against his back, "yeah," he admitted, "I have an idea who bought the bullets," he stated confidently.
What?
Maybe she failed to connect the dots. The clue of "spiders" did not indicate an actual person, never mind a suspect. Had Kurapika been able to deduce a lead with so little information? She honestly had never expected him to carry his weight.
"Who?" she asked curiously.
Kurapika looked ever to the girl with a severe expression, "this might be far-fetched, but there is evidence to back it up," he admitted, cautious to not lose the credibility of his theory.
Y/n raised a brow, "alright, so who is it?" she asked. She wanted to bypass the bullshit.
"There is a group of strong people who terrorize in order to achieve whatever they most desire," he explained, "they desire everything and yet, desire nothing."
Y/n looked at him weirdly.
Kurapika sighed knowing that Y/n was losing his train of thought, "they work closely along with other dangerous groups in the country, mostly arms dealers or flesh collectors."
He paused for a moment, "they're a group called the Phantom Troupe," he revealed.
Y/n looked at him in surprise, "I know them," she confessed, "but why that group?" she asked, still puzzled as to how he connected those dots.
Kurapika sighed, "well, the first thing that came to mind when I saw the name of the buyer was the distinct spider tattoo that each of the members has to get tattooed on their bodies," he said, "it's a mark of being a member."
"You're right, that's true, but there is no reason for them to attack Togari in the middle of the night," she pointed out.
"Correct. When I first theorized their involvement, I wasn't thinking about their motives, but now I have a theory," he confessed.
"Togari was formally known as the Carrier. He was in charge of smuggling shipments across borders. Many crime groups, formally including the Yorknew Mafia, got their profit off the products he supplied. Now their primary source of income has been cut off," Kurapika explained, "the Phantom Troupe doesn't appear in public, they are completely anonymous. What we do know is that there are 13 members, and they deal in anything and everything."
"Right," she said skeptically.
"But who are the Phantom Troupe's biggest rivals?" he asked her, attempting to guide Y/n to the same train of thought as himself.
Y/n paused for a moment and thought about the question, "..." Nothing especially crossed her mind, the only thing that would make sense in her mind was - "the Hunter's Association?" she said, but it came out more like a question.
Kurapika interjected, "the group that controls the borders - or rather Togari," he stated, Y/n's body chilled at the name.
"We don't know if they are hunters, but it would be difficult to smuggle items - or people across the border if there was a group controlling the come and go on the border of our country," Kurapika continued.
Y/n covered her mouth in disbelief. The theory was plausible. It wasn't something even she had thought about. "Not only would this allow them movement, but newly gained control. With the crime syndicates in a panic, it would be easy for them to usurp power," she added.
Kurapika nodded, "exactly - but there's one more reason," he stated, "they did it to simply wreak havoc around them."
Even though there was no evidence to back the theory up, it was believable considering the past actions of the Troupe. "It's not a definite explanation to name them responsible, but it is enough to suspect them," she interjected.
"It's the best theory we have at the moment," he said.
"Yes, that's true," she agreed, "still, I didn't expect you to connect Togari's murder and a plausible motive of the Phantom Troupe." She was impressed, to say the least.
Her eyes trained on his, she still had one question left unanswered, "but that still doesn't explain why you got so upset," she said referring to him hastily making his way out of the bar.
Kurapika lowered his eyes to hers, "just drop it," he said.
Y/n's eyes scanned his face. He was dead adamant about not speaking about the topic, "fine," she said, giving in to him. It wasn't pressing enough to pry from him yet.
The two partners stood in silence, their backs pressed against the wall, for a moment before deciding there was no reason to stay in Meteor City. They left promptly after saying their goodbyes to Beau, who was saddened to see them go, and Kelsie, who ushered them out of her proximity after the gruelling back and forth deal. It was far too argumentative for her liking.
After touching down on Yorknew soil once more, the two partners went their separate ways, promising to meet up later that night. Y/n returned to her own house, located deep within the desolate city, whereas Kurapika returned to his office to regroup with the rest of his close subordinates in the Yorknew Mafia. They commenced getting ready to leave for the Underground Auction which would take place that night.
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Many cities away, Killua and Gon continued their mission of earning money for the Southernpiece Auction. After getting sidetracked from their original reason for being at the Bull Market by Kurapika and Y/n, they were well behind schedule - and Killua was sure grilling Gon for it.
Killua continued to be suspicious of Y/n. She had somehow gotten deep within the Zoldyck Family to the point of receiving the number of the estate, a number only the members of the family have access to. Not only did she slip within the Zoldyck Family, but also the Yorknew Mafia. When Killua had suggested they work together, he didn't realize it would become such a problem for him. Had he been cool-headed, he wouldn't have suggested it, but something in his mind pushed him to. It was as if someone pushed him to partner the two of them against their will.
He didn't know the reason, but if anyone were to get their hands on Y/n now, she would have too much information. She was a liability. So, when he saw her at the Bull Market standing like a deer in headlights, his instincts took over him. She couldn't be stronger than him, so it would be simple to take her out. He was so locked onto her, that he didn't notice Gon calling out to him, but after seeing her rush behind Kurapika, he snapped out of his state of irrationality.
Killua couldn't tell the stance between Y/n and Kurapika. When they first met, they were at each other's necks. It was a stark difference from arguing with one another to seeking safety from each other. He hadn't talked to the blond in a while and he couldn't tell whether Kurapika was slowly letting down his guard again, or if he was still the same cold and strategic man. Kurapika was unpredictable, even to the trained assassin, - but so was Y/n. They were a scary secretive duo.
The two boys continued their mission in the Bull Market, seeking out help from their new acquaintance Zepile. Along the way, they ran into Leorio, and the search group continued to expand. Not that Gon minded - Killua on the other hand was not so happy about the additional support.
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A sleek black car pulled up to the site of the Underground Auction. Inside, Kurapika patiently waited for the car to pull to a stop. He was dressed in a black tux and a matching black tie with a white button-up underneath. He wore his hair loosely as he always had along with his scarlet pendant and gifted scarlet stud.
The car stopped moving and the driver quickly got out of the vehicle. He wrapped around the car and to Kurapika's door, opening it up for the blond. Kurapika stepped out of the vehicle, slipping his phone into his suit pocket. Kurapika looked up at the tall building. It was made from walls of glass reaching the sky.
There was security personnel as the plans had shown at the front entrance. They stood silently as they scanned every person that entered. Kurapika walked into the building and was met with bright gold decorated foyer. Marble floors and red carpet were outlining the passages to the main rooms. Inside was also guarded by security. It was designed to be sure none of the events that happened that day would get out to the public.
Melody, Basho, and Lissen walked in shortly after and met up with Kurapika. The two men wore black suits just as Kurapika had. Melody wore a gentle green dress which flowed to the floor, just barely touching the carpet.
The atmosphere in the building was suffocating for Kurapika. Around him were people who would order their subordinates to kill someone so easily. Money-hungry and power-driven men and women played the game of a simple conversation.
In reality, they were engaged in a game of chess, strategic and costly. It was easy to get what you wanted if you said the right thing, and leaders wouldn't hesitate to lend you a favour. It was always plagued their way. Even if they helped you, you would have to pay it back tenfold - or with your life, but this is exactly what Kurapika would have to do.
Going along with Melody's ingenious plan, Kurapika would have to approach the leader of the NGL, that was if he was even present. Everyone knew the leader was a man named Gyro, but he was a faceless man who never made an appearance in public. It would be shocking if he showed himself today.
A gentle melody played by a piano and violins quietly played in the back. The music sounded far away as it carried itself from the auction room.
Kurapika and the other three were led to the room the auction was being held by one of the staff on site. It was a huge concert hall, with an empty stage set with a podium and table to display items. There were huge crowds of people that discussed amongst themselves. They stood by the stage in front of the hundreds of lines of seats. Many people were already seated.
The big auditorium was filled with hundreds of people, maybe even thousands. He couldn't lie, he was feeling quite overwhelmed, yet it didn't show. Y/n would probably relish in the overbearing noise. He wondered what she was doing. They parted not too long ago, and they planned to meet up after Kurapika attended the auction. She probably went home.
Kurapika stumbled back, a shoulder bumping into his own. He turned his attention to the figure. The person who hit him, a woman, continued to walk away from him, back turned, leaving without an apology or even a glance. She walked towards a door by the stage. Kurapika was about to follow her when he felt a hand on his shoulder.
Basho nudged Kurapika, "over there," he pointed in closely the same direction as the woman to a figure seated a couple of rows down. "She's the representant for the NGL," he said.
Kurapika nodded, taking a slow breath before walking over to the woman. He approached her and took a seat next to her. She wore a tight-fitted black dress. She didn't decorate her neck or ears, rather her outfit was quite simple. She had pale skin and light brown hair. Evidence of dying her hair could be seen in her roots.
Even while sensing his presence, she didn't turn her head to him. She kept her eyes on the stage. So, he did the same.
"Is your leader not making an appearance today?" Kurapika asked.
"They will not," the woman responded.
"I wonder why that is," he said, coaxing an answer from her.
"Well, they want to keep their life," she chuckled.
"Understandable," he kept a neutral tone, "so, you're substituting them?" he questioned.
"That would be correct. I was sent to represent them since I was already in the city," she explained.
Kurapika looked over at the woman, "and what about your life?" he asked.
She looked over to meet his eyes, "it's expendable," she said without a care.
Kurapika let out a breathy laugh, "no one you care about outside your job?"
She took a pause and sighed, "there's one person," she confessed, "but they encouraged me to come here. They risk their life every day, just like me."
He chuckled, "I see," he said, "yeah, I know a couple of people like that."
Kurapika mentally sighed at the thought of his companions. Those crazy, hard-headed idiots would be the death of him.
The woman laughed, "I guess we're in the same boat, huh?"
"Seems like it," he laughed with her, "not that I'm all too happy about them being suicidal idiots."
"Tell me about it," she sighed, "I'm running in circles trying to stop them from making rash decisions all the time."
She leaned back in her seat, breaking from her perfect posture, "don't get me wrong, they're smart, calculating - they don't make rash decisions, but the things they do feel so rushed."
Kurapika was silent for a moment, "if they're as calculating as you say they are, then you don't have to worry," he reassured, "put your trust in them."
She smiled at him, her eyes staying staring directly at his, "thank you."
Kurapika didn't know why, but at that moment, he swore his heart stopped for a moment. She smiled sweetly at him, but her eyes told a different story.
Malice?
He returned his best smile to the woman, "Kurapika. Nice to meet you," he greeted.
The woman's eyes stayed eerily on the man, "Jiya, a pleasure," she returned the greeting, holding out her hand.
Kurapika went to grab her hand when all the windows shattered. Glass crashed and scattered on the ground around them. He shot out of his seat, meanwhile, Jiya stayed seated, her eyes still locked on Kurapika.
Kurapika looked up to the broken windows, figures perched on the sills. The ominous smiles crept down on the attendees of the auction. This would be their last night.
Everyone in the auditorium broke into a frenzy. People screamed and cried in hysterics. Everyone ran in the opposing direction from the commotion, but there wasn't anywhere to hide in the open space.
Kurapika counted three figures. A girl with glasses, a man with blond hair, and a man twice normal size.
They moved quickly, jumping down from the windows. On instinct, Kurapika reached for his gun, pulling it out and holding it close to his body.
Jiya now with more haste stood up from her seat and walked towards the exit of the auditorium. Kurapika watched confused as she walked away. Jiya promptly exited upon arrival at the doors.
Seconds after leaving a scream could be heard from behind the door. The wooden doors pushed open into the auditorium and two figures stepped in.
One of the men was clad in a black tux. He was a short man with black hair. The other man was wrapped head to toe in bandages. He strangely wore boxing gloves on his hands.
The two men stood beside the doors, guarding the exit. They weren't planning on letting anyone leave.
Kurapika had a feeling something would go wrong tonight. If these people were who he thought they were, then this was to be expected. He could be wrong - but it would be too big of a coincidence for him to be wrong.
Kurapika held out his gun in front of him as he turned his body and view, scanning the room.
There's no way this is a coincidence. Especially after he gave him a clue about their whereabouts. He wouldn't tell him to be here on the exact date for no reason.
He's not...
Kurapika stopped scanning the room when his eyes fell on a familiar face. Kurapika's gun pointed straight at the man in front of him. The smile at the end of his pointed gun grew into a wide grin.
"Well, well," the man cooed, "if it isn't the Kurta."
The man's pink hair stood tall, noticeable from far away. The clown walked closer to Kurapika as he smiled.
"Good to see you again so soon," he hummed, "I didn't think you'd listen to me."
Kurapika stared daggers into the clown's eyes, "... Hisoka."
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[A/N]:
And she's back after her longest hiatus... ever.
٩(˘◡˘)۶ how much can one girl do?
Anyways, I just wanted to say thank you to everyone who votes and comments on each chapter.
Love you ♡ ~(˘▾˘~)